Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-02-06
TEN LOVES AT ONE TIME.
BY l.. merry.
Translated for the Baltimore AmeriC an.

Translated for the Baltimore American.
A mysterious parsonage, whose true
name was never known, but who went
by the name of Brutus. governed Mar
settles in the year of terror, 1898. He
lived in dingy lodging, up three pairs
of stairs, in one of those small streets
that run from the Grande Rue to the
Rue Coutellerie. Brutus was spare,
withered and cadayerous. His leathern
face, and little devlish eyes made him
look like an animated corpse, rather
than living, breathing, speaking hui
man being. Terror and mystery seem
ed to wait upon his steps. He was the
president Of the revolutionary tribunal.
He was the vile puryeyor for the repub-
hcan SHAMELESS.
He used to pronounce sentence OF
death without showing the smallest
emotion either of pain or pleasure, and
after his judicial business was dispatch
ed he went back to lis dim lodgings,
where no one went to see him, and
whent next day he reappeared.
Even his colleagues in inlquity never
were admitted to his privacy, and when
he met them in the streets or IN the
corridors of the court house he never
addressed them.
All that was known of BrutuS was
presented himself one day IN the court
house, with hat upon his head adorned
with red, blue, and white feathers,
and said, showing a paper signed
by the members of the committee of
public safety. that he had come to pre-
side over the revolutionary tribunal.
As no one made any opposition, he set
TO work Immediately, and fast as posi-
BILE emptied out on the red platform of
the guilotine the overfiowing population
Of the prisons.
Brutus always amused himself while
the public prosecutor was reading out
his daily weary list of tn" condemned
(blood dropping from his lips, as it
were, with every word) by looking over
the lists of prescription that were sent
him. Notes were :plended occasion
ally to the names. one morning his
eyes lighted on thsse words:
Paul VANGUARD, merchant and
aristocrat; makes believe to be pat
riot. The republic should get rid of
him as soon as possible. A few days
delay, and it may be TOO late, Paul Jam
guard being now engaged in course
Of deliberate SUI eide"
Brutus thought this memorandum
quite amusing His curiosity was ex-
cited. He ordered a spy to furnish him
q report upon Paul Vanguard. i.
The spy came four days later to see
Brutus at his lodgings and gave in his
report as follows:
Citizen Brutus, Ihave followed Paul
Vanguard He moves feebly, but he
spends his time in walking about the
streets. His complexion is unhealthy
and MS health is much impaired. At
8 q. m. he goes out and walks till 9
a. m. before a. house in the Rue della
Fare. He whistles softly, and a young
lady comes to the window. He looks
at her as if he were in love. The
young lady is wonderfully handsome.
After an hour of silent alteration, Paul
makes his bow and goes off to the Rue
Lafont As soon as he reaches that
street he whistles again, another opens,
another young lady appears, Paul
leans his back against the wall of the
house opposite.s.and looks up at this
new young lady, who is quite as pretty
as the one in the Rue de la Fare.
This goes on for just one hour. After
leaving the. Rue Lafont, Paul walks
towards the suburbs, till he reaches a
house where, on his whistling as sig
nal, another window opens and another
pretty woman appears. That makes
three!"
Pause when you get up to ten
"Just so, Citizen Brutus Paul does
the same thing ten times; but at some
places he only stops for half an hour:
If you don't look out sharp he will die
of fatigue"
''Ill see Paul Vanguard myself said
Brutus, and so dismissed his emissary
Brutus' curiosity was aroused.
Next morning he went early to the
Rue Bernard-du-Bois, found the front
door open, assembled the staircase. and
knocked at a room on the second story.
A young man, partly dressed, opened
the door.
Citizen, said Brutus, cam / address
ing Paul Janquard?'
eyes, citizen"
'Can you spare me few nome nts%'
'Sit down. hear YOU"
The preliminaries of conversation
were somewhat brusque in 1893.
Brutus sat down. "Citizen." said he,
"your name is on the list of the sus-
pected."
II thought So
"You will be condemned to death be-
fore many days"
$50 I suppose. But still l may es-
cape. | have only eight DAYS longer to
live"
Eight days, do you say?'
eyes, citizen; but who are your
81 am Brutus"
"What! the Roman?"
NO; President of the Revolutionary
81 I