The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-10-31

indecisively sat down again. aList-
en-, and l will tell you what 1 mean.
| This cross, for which you have taken
such an inexplicable fancy, came in
to my possession under very peculiar
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that
Invest 1t with extraordinary inter
lest" Pausing a moment to note the
effect OF his language, Henri fixed
his burning eyes on the strangers.
| Speaking slowly and emphasizing
every word, he continued: 81 found
the cross on the Sd of January, IS49
on the Rue de Germaine, orthe very
spot on which, three days previous,
the Compte de st. Armande had
been brutally murdered"
Durlng the Qtterance of the con-
cludlng words OF the above, the
countenance of the listening man
underwent most appalling change,
and dreadful, indeed as tbouOh he
had heard the sentence for his inn
mediate execution pronounced. The
muscles of his face twitched convul-
sively, his under jaw fell, and his
eyes fell as though following the
fantastic evolutions of some horrid
goblin.
The paroxYsm lasted but for a
moment By superhuman effort of
the will he recovered his faculties,
sprang to his feet, and, with the de-
moniac fury of madman, dashed at
Henri, Kissing between his teeth,
"D-n you, the telling of that tale is
your death knell."
Just as his muscular hand closed
oppresslvely on HenrPs throat, he
was violently jerked backward, and
found himself in the tenacious
clutches of the two gendarmes.
30 no! my fine fellowr' ejaeu-
lated one of the officers. 1--WE are
altogether too deeply concerned for
the welfare of your soul to permit
you to perpetrate such crime. You
have done bad enough already to
bring you to hanging, and that is
quite sufficient for our purpose"
The foiled william glared suddenly
from one to the other, and made no
attempt to escape.
"That is right" remarked the Of
ficer who spoke before. "Take it
easy-shows you to be philosopher
and man of common sense"
The prisoner coolly folded his
arms and stood silent.
Monsieur Cardone," continued
the officer, Gas your friend seems to
take kindly our interference with
this little plan to avoid you q long
resting spell, you will, with equal
disinterestedness, provide US with a
rope for his benefit? Unluckily we
came from town and forgot to bring
the professional bracelets-an unin-
territorial oversight which l assure
you" addressing the prisoner, "we
deplCre even more than you yourself
can. In fact, we were rather uneer-
tain of having the pleasure of your
company on our return"
'Nor will you have that pleasure"
growled the hitherto quiescent cap
tive, suddenly striking out with two
powerful arms, upsetting the officers,
kicking over the table on which
stood the light, and leaping out into
darkness. As he vanished a bullet
Missed by either ear, but he escaped
unhurt.
The report of the pistols hurried
Henri back into the room from
which he had gone in quest of a
rope.
"QuickIo exclaimed one of the Of
ficers. "The devil has outwitted
and escaped us. We must be after
him at once. 1t is Leone Breme, the
most reckless and ferocious of the
many cutthroats who infested Paris
six years ago. He most miraculous
| ly disappeared about the time of the
st. Armande murder, and the de-
partment had given him up for dead.
We must not allow him to have his
length for a moment. Our first
move is to lodge information at the
three heads of the police department.
He is an astute dog of infinite re-
sources, and the whole force on the
scent will hardly suffice to capture
him."
Breme was eventually taken. But
so adrOit was he that he contrived to
remain at large for three weeks after
his escape from Cardone's house.
He was tried, condemned and exc
cuted for the murder of St.Armande,
several witnesses being found who
identified him, and testified to hav-
ing seen tasted to his shirt bosom
on the evening of the murder that
blood red cross.
Irene was never afterward per
suaded to wear it. 1t hung over the
mantel in her boudoir, and many an
evening visitor has been beguiled by
Henri with recital of the two dark
episodes in its history which are
embodied in its story, and have de-
parted shuddering at its sanguinary
hue.