Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-02-03


lighted, showed him that the last scion of
the house so hated by the Montbaissons
was there.
With chucklc Charles said to HIM
self:
II have got him as rat in trap.
This time no Montbaisson will fall in the
combat, but Precy will die and die
how T.
His savage expression,as he uttered these
words, showed he had conceived terri
bic scheme for the Staying Of his unsus'
pecting adversary.
Lucrecc dc Prccy was on that evening
in better spirits than usual. The night
was clear and the stars unusually bright.
He had for hours been watching through
his telescope various consultations par"
ticularly interesting to him, when sudden.
" he heard noise in the tower.
1t was close to the entrance. The
tower contained an old wooden staircase.
which led to the platform on its top.
Young Precy listened moment. and
then he heard the noise again.
"Who is there :" he shouted down.
IT'S that you, Lucrece de Prccy! ask
ed q threatening voice below.
EYES,"
II am glad to know that you arc there
very Glad I assure you?'
"But who are you :"
81 am your friend, Charles de Mont
baisson
Young Precy was silent for few mo-
ments. Then said:
"Of course you are not my friend.
Monsieur do Montbaisson. But will you
tell me what you want in this tower!
You know it is my property, and have
= notion 10 have you punished for intrud'
ing here"
"Ha !ha ha !" laughed Montbaisson.
"By the escutcheon of my ancestors, -
cried Precy, stung by the scornful laugh
ter Of the enemy Of his house." shall
have you Aogged by the gamc.keeper if
you ever show your face herc!'
''Really! really" replied Montbaisson.
|mockingly. "What terrible boy you
are! But tell me what the stars, which
you read so often, prophesicd you to-
night?'
sect away from here, impudent fcl.
low!" cried Prccy, now fairly beside him
self.
"Ah, then, l will predict your fate to
you" replied Montbaisson, 'and you will
lind that am splendid prophet -
Precy, struck by the sinister tone Of
his unweicomed visitor, listened in silence
to him.
"Now," continued Charles dc Montbais.
son, 81 predict to you, Lucrcce de Precy,
that this very night you will be slowly
burnt to death in this tower. Unless the
smoke smothers you before the flames be-
gin to burn your flesh, you will be slowly
roasted. You might throw yourself from
the tor of the tower, but you would break
every bone in your body by the fall. "
now seriously alarmed.
u mean to build fire under this dry
old wooden Staircase shouted Mont
baisson back. II have all the dry wood
I need for it here, and"
He was interrupted by piercing cry
for help which young Precy uttered.
"Oh, you need not hope for any assist.
iance from without! No one can hear you,
even though you shouted at the top Of
your voice."
"Oh, you cannot intend to murder me
in SO cruel a manner!'' cried Precy, in an
|imploring tone.
''Don't look for mercy on my part" re-
piled Montbaisson. II shall put you to
death exactly as said. But listen to me;
I have something to say to you first"
Precy, wringing his hands in mute dis
pair, bent forward to catch every word
from his infamous adversary.
"You see. Monsieur dc Precy," pro-
ceeded the latter, ''what am going to dc
is perfectly safe for me. When they find
your charred remains here to morrow,
they will think that you yourself had in
cautiously set the wooden staircase or
fire. Now / will tell you what I shall dc
when you are dead. My lawyer has told
me that am your next Of kin. So, by
your death, the Precy estate will become
mine, and, in order to kill all sympathy
for you, shall circulate the report that
you are not your fathers son at all, but q
bastard born by your mother to valet
of your fathers. have had a document
drawn up to that effect. The world will
point its fingers at your mother, and
your memory will be cursed. All, Mon.
sieur de Precy, your brother Vcronin one
day called my sister Mathilde volup'
tuous creature; now shall make every.
body believe that your mother is wan.
ton"
At first Lucrece was perfectly dazed as
these cruel words fell upon his ears; but
suddenly an idea struck him. He looked
up to the flagstaff that was dinly rising
into the air. The top of that flagstaff
was supported by three strong wires fast
ened to blocks Of wood in the ground
below.
Knowing full we'll that Montbaissor
was in dead earnest, he conceived the per
ilous plan to climb up the flagstaff to thu
top, and then lower himself on one Of thu
wires supporting it to the ground.
But would the flagstaff bear his weight;
Would the wire hold him, if no should
reach the top Of the flagstaff!
Would not Montbaisson hear him, ant
mercilessly slaughter him !!
Still, it was tho only chance of escap,
remaining to him, and he had to risk it
He succeeded. But, in years lonl
iaftcrward, he would tremble and tur,
pale when thinking of that perilou
descent.
W uGU u0 WAS OuI VI IcatCIl VI IAc uAuA
derous young scoundrel, Precy shoutet
for help; and. an hour later, Montbaisson
who had actually set the staircase an
tower on fire, was arrested and taken t
the Tours Jail.
Il The King banishcd him from the coun
try: but he returned in 1902. and profess
ed ultra.democratic principles. This
however, did not save him from suspicion
and in 1894 he was guillotincd in Paris.
j DRIPPINGS. S
Flour by any other name would smel
as wheat. -
| When is coffee like the earth? Whe,
it is ground.
Don't buy coach to please your wife
Better make her little sulky.
i Little fish have = proper idea of bust
ness, not being able to do better, the,
start on small scale.
Gone to meet her father, who drew hi
gun to him by the muzzle. =
When Won oct into hot water. on 4