Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-07-18
SWORN ON THE CRUCtFIX'

me concerning the tragedy in the
family of M. de Merret: -
an. de Merret was fine man, and
a good sort of a gentleman: He
came from Picatdy, and he ~as,as
hot as a pepper-box, as we say. He
paid ready money for everything; he
made no difficulties with any one, He
was rather wild, and the ladies found
AiI .tWhatl becaase he was ds'i4atiars:if rather /;
wild II" asked my hostess.
Every likely she said "You may
suppose that he had. something to
recommend him when he could marry
Madame de Merret, who, without
wishing to say anything against the
othersSwas the most beautiful and
the wealthiest match in the country.
She had near about twenty thousand
livres year. The whole town was
at the wedding. The bride was a
little, engaging creature, quite a Jewel
of a woman. All they made love-
ly coupled /,
"Wsre v they happy in their married
life?"
Gin! h'r.l Yes aYd no-so far,
at least, as one can Judge; for yo1,
don't suppose that I've townsto'k lived
hand in glove with them. Madame
de Merret was good little woman,
very quiet, and she had good deal
to bear sometimes; but, though he
was a little proud, we liked him.
Bah it was natural for him to be
like that. When ones gentleman.
You see
But there must lave been some
catastrophe, to make thep separate
in the violent way they ohl?'
"well, Monsieur, III tell :4oh 'all
about it. The emperor sent some
Spanish OF other pTisonersof war to
this place, and l had TO take in, ut
the expense Of the sovsYnment: 4
Young Spaniard, who cane here on
parole. Notwithstanding his parole
he went every day to report himself
to the sous-prefet. He was = grantiee
of Spaih-exeuse me i moment-hls
names ended in 90 aud ji.si 1t Wa
something like BasoS de Feredl". aie
was a handsome young man for =
Spaniard. He was only five feet two
or three inches in height, bur he va
well made; he had small hands, aud
he took great care OF 'thcm-a]l y2n
snoeld have seen. He had as.many
brushes for his hands as a woman has
for her whole toilet! Indeed | was
very fond of him, though he didn't
say four words day and it was i'm
possible to keep up the least conver-
sation with him. Ii you spoke 10
him he didn't answer. He read his
breviaryslike a priest, and went to
mass and all the offices regularly.
And where do YOU think he sat ?
we remembered that afterward-
scarcely two yards from Madame de
Merret's chair. He took up his posi-
ton there the first time he went to
church, and no one imagined there
was any design in what he did. After
the fret few days OF his detention
here he began to be ont later OF
nights. Twas uneasy when I saw
that heidi not come home till mid
night, but we got accustomed 70 his
w6im. He took the. door;key with
him and "a paid no more attention
to him. He was lodging with us in
the house We had then in the Rue
desCaserpes." Finally. monsieur, one
day; OF rather one morning, [ search
ed everywhere, and found something
written on q piece OF paper in his
table, drawer, in which there were
also fifty golden Spanish coins, called
portagues, worth about five thousand
francs. There were besides some dia-
m6HQS, VI tuS 'aloe VI 'tcri eACuoee.io
francs in a little sealed box. The
writing Was to the effect that, in case
he should nosreturn, he left his money
ard diamonds for masses to thank
. God for his escape and to pray for his
safety. At that time my husband
was stilb alive, and he went off to
search for him; and this is the queer,
est part of the story. My husband.
brought back the Spaniards clothes,
which he. had found tnder q big stone
on the bank Of the river, near the
chateau, and almost opposite La
Grande sBreteche. He had gone there
so early in the morning that no one
had seen him, and SO, when he had
read the letter he burnt the clothes,
and we declared, as Count Feredia'
wished, that he had escaped. The
souslprefet put. all the gendar;me1s n IS. on
the alert, butthey never caught him
Lepas thought that the spaniard was "
drowned ;abht l, monsieur, am OF
different opinion. I am inclined to
bal;eye that he had something to do