Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-06-07

In MS tnree-c0rnereQ nat, with q SaS
of the same color girt around his wais
His bloOdshOt eyes expressed a mixtur
of cowardice with ferocitv. He wa
fianked by couple of pike-men as hid
eOus as the Afrites of Eastern romance
or "Citizen Beauvallon," said he, in
voice whose tremor betrayed his nativ
10 timidity, 81 arrest you in the name o
the revolutionary committee of Tou
l. louise. Citizen BeauvalloD, it is useles
s : to resist the authority of the represen'
u tatives of the people; if You have any
&c concealed weapons about you, advise
:, you TO surrender them. You see
u stand here protected by the arms of the
e people,
. 81 have no weapons" replied Beau-
a vallOn. 81 have no sinister designs. i
q know not why am arrested. Acquaint
: me with the charge, and confront me
$ with my accusers."
q "Seize upon the prisoner ~ cried Du-
= mart to his satellites. And he breathed
: freer when he saw the merchant in the
gripe of two muscular ruffians, whose
, iron hands compressed his wrists as if
] they were manacles.
. "Away with him. :" screamed the hag
, who had spoken before. "Away with
him to the revolutionary committee!
Down with the aristOcrats!
Followed by the imprecatiOns of the
crowd, Beauvallon was conducted to
the town house, and in a very few mo-
ments was placed at the bar of the rev.
OlutiOnary cOmmittee-a body vested
with the power of life and death. On
his way thither he had found means to
speak word TO an acquaintance in the
crowd, and TO beg him to inform Eula-
lie of what had happened.
So soon as he heard the accusation
read, and knew that he was charged
with the crime of aiding the Marquis
de Montmorenci, fugitive from justice
he felt that his situation was indeed
critical; but mingled with his astonish-
ment and dread was curiosity to learn
whence his denunciation could have
prOceeded-who could have lodged the
information against him. He was not
long kept in suspense, for the witness
brought on the stand to confront him
was no other than Mannette, the sup
posed deaf servant of Eulalie Lavalle,
who had overheard his confession of
the morning, and hastened to denounce
him.-Though his sentence was not i'm
mediately pronounced, and the decision
of his case was deferred till the next
day, Beauvallon felt that his doom was
sealed.
He was conveyed to house in the |
vicinity of the town hall for confine-
ment, as the prisons were all over |
stocked. His jailer was a man whom |
the merchant had formerly befriended,
and whose heart was not inaccessible to |
emotions of pity, though he was above
the bribery, and evidently determined |
to execute his duty to the letter.
81 have favor to ask of you, my |
FRIEND" said the prisoner, slipping
golden louis into his hand.
''If it is one that can grant without
violating my duty" replied the jailer,
returning the money to Beauvallon, 81
will so for the sake of old times, but not
for gold -
Beauvallon explained that he wished
to send note to Mile. Lasalle, request
ing her to visit him in prison-an in
terview which would probably be their
last, and the jailor undertook readily to
see the missive delivered, and to per-
init the visit. The note having been
despatched, Beauvallon sat down to
wait for the arrival of his mistress.
The dread hours passed away, but
though he learned from the jailer that
his errand had been performed, no Eu-
lalie made her appearance.
"She forsakes mel" he murmured
bitterly. "The wounded deer is aban-
dOned by the herd, and an unfortunate
man is Stunned by his fellows. Well,
the dream was pleasant while it lasted
the regret of awakening can scarce be
few hours, and all the Incl
nf tht, h, &. |
gotten. But Eulalie-whom L loved ;
better than my life itself-it is hard to ,
die without one word from the" ,
When on the following day Beauval- j
Ion was again taken before the revolu- ,
tiOnary committee, he looked anxiously 7
around the court room to see if he could {
discover the face of Eulalie among the /
spectators, many of whom were women. I
But he was disappointed. Her absence @
convinced him that she had abandoned
lection, he paid no attention to the for
nula Of his trial. He was condemn ed
20 death, the sentence to be executed on
he following day. :
"Mr. President" said he rising, sT y
hank you, and have merely one favor q
o ask. Anticipate the time of pun q
it be to-day instead of to- +,
me go hence to the scaf Il
DID," q
"Your request is reasonable" re- v
,lied the president, in a bland tone, O
and If circumstances permitted, it Il
would afford me the greatest pleasure b
o grant it. But the guillotine requires
epair, and will not be i'm a condition n
o perform its functions until to-mor- .
ow, at which time, Citizen Beauvallon p
{ the hour of ten A. NJ, you will have I,
eased to exist. Good night and pleas 81
@
This sally was received with rOars of Z,
pplause, and the unhappy prisoner K
Tas recOnducted to the place OF con- =
nement. n,
The night was a sleepless one. Beau Il
allon's arrest, his speedy trial and
the desertion of Eulalie fc
ad followed each other with such az
.unning rapidity, that, until now, he Ol
ad hardly time to reflect upon the dis re
lal chain of circumstances-now they d.
ressed upon his attention, and crowded pt
is mind to overfiowiDg. at midnight
J he lay tossing upon his bed, upon m m
hich he had thrown himself without 90
he thought he heard a con- y,
lsed noise in the apartment Of the ~ ~.
ext house adjoining his. The noise o. o.
creased. He placed his hand upon ~ ~
Ie wall and felt it jar under success PC PC
We shocks. Suddenly a current Of air ou ou
ew In upon him, and at the same tine 30
faint ray of light streamed through ."
opening in the partition.