The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-04-11
Ten Loves at One Time.
BY l.. merry.

A mysterious parsonage, whose true
name was never known, but who went by
the name Of Brutus, governed Marseilles
In the year of terror 1893. He lived in
dingy lodging, up three pairs of stairs,
In one OF those small streets that ran from
the Grand Rue TO the Rue Coutellerie
Brutus was spare, withered and cadaver-
Gus. His leathern face and little devil
ish eyes made him look like an animated
corpse, rather than living, speaking
human being. Terror and mystery
seemed TO wait upon his steps. He was
the president of the revolutionary trib-
unal. He was the vile purveyor of the
republican SHAMELESS.
He used to pronounce sentence of death
without showing the smallest emotion
either of pain or pleasure, and after his
judicial business was dispatched he went
back to his dim lodgings, where no one
went to see him, and whence next day
he reappeared.
Even his colleagues in iniquity never
were admitted to his privacy, and when
he met them in the streets or in the cor
rldors of the courthouse he never ad-
dressed them.
All that was known of Brutus was that
he came from Paris, that lie had pre-
sented himself one day in the court
house, with a har upon his head adorned
with red, blue and white feathers and
SAID, showing a paper signed by the
memters OF the committee of public
safety, that he had come to preside over
the revolutionary tribunal. As no one
made any opposition, he set to work i'm
mcdlately, and as soon as possible en-
piled out on the red platform of the
guillotine the overlooking population of
the prisons.
Brutus always amused himself while
the public prosecutor was reading out
his daily weary list of the condemned
(bloOd dropping from his lips, as it were.
with every word) by looking over the
lists of prescription that were sent in to
him. Notes were appended occasionally
to the names. One morning his ewes
lighted on these words:
Paul Vanguard, merchant and arts
tocrat; makes believe to be patriot.
The republic should get rid of him as
soon as possible. A few days delay,
and 1T may be too late, Paul Vanguard
being now engaged in a course of DELHI
crate suicide"
Brutus thought this memorandum
quite amusing. His curiosity was ex-
cited lie ordered a spy to furnish a re-
port upon Paul
The spy came four days later to see
Brutus at his lodgings, and gave in his
report as follows:
Citizen Brutus, | have followed Paul
Vanguard. He moves feeblv, but he
spends his time in walking about the
streets. His complexion is unhealthy
and his health is much impaired. At s
A. NJ. he goes out and walks until 9 A. NJ.
before house in the Rue de la Fare.
He whistles softly, and a young iady
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 window opens, another
young lady appears. Paul leans against
the wall OF the house opposite and look
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 goes
towards the suburbs, till he reaches a
house where, on his whistling as sig
nal, another window opens and another
pretty woman appears. That is 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 do not look sharp he will die of ia
tigue."
. will see Paul Vanguard myself"
said Brutus; and so dismissed his ennis
sary.
Brutus' curiosity was aroused.
Next morning he went early to the
Rue Bernard du Bots, found the front
door open, assembled the staircase and
raped at room on the second story. A
young man, partly dressed, opened the
door.
Citizen" said Brutus, am address
ing Paul Janquard?"
Yes, citizen"
Can you spare me a few moments?"
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."
. thought 50"
You will be condemned to death be-
fore many days
So | suppose. But still | may es-
cape. have only eight days longer to
live"
Eight days, do you say"
g am Brutus."
What. the Roman"
No; president of the revolutionary
tribunal
= Why do you come to see me?"
will inform you presently. But
first tell me. Is it true that you make it
habit to gaze at ten female citizens per
diem?"
THAT is so. Your spies have told the
truth. | have good many love affairs
on hand. Lovers are becoming scarcer
every day in this city"
You might employ yourself in some
way more useful to the republic"
Very true, citizen. But ! made
calculation. | said man grows lean
who has love affair. He must grow
twice as lean with two. | was a stout
man three months since; you see what
skeleton | am now Said | to myself.
since two love affairs are safe to wear a
man in three months down to skin and
bone, ten love affairs in that time will
bring me to the last stages of consump-
ton. have been trying it for three
months, and now | think | have hardly
q week to live. You may spare ME the
guillotine.
The eyes of Brutus gave sudden
CLEAN. "Do you know you are an un-
commonly clever fellow
All, citizen, knew | could not es-
cape death under your administration,
and | must own that the idea of dying,
young as ] am, in public to the strains of
Ca ira, made me very melancholy. am