Connecticut western news., 1878-03-07
The Union of Virtue.
A STORY BY ALEXANDER DUMAS.

A STORY BY ALEXANDER DUMAS, Bounaparte was in the height of his Peninsula campaign.
 Spain had been conquered, and the English army and fleet which had come to the aid of her ally, had left for home, defeated and disheartened.
 Already Bounaparte had made his pre- parations to put French army on Eng fish soil when startling news reached him.
 Prince Charles of Austria was march, ing for the French capital at the head of five hundred thousand men.
 Believing that his league with Austria was so perfect that this could not be, the little corporal was almost discouraged. Still, he abandoned the Peninsula, and left for Paris to organize an army to meet and defeat that of Charles.
 Germany could do nothing to break the chains which bound her.
 say nothing. I mean nothing as 6 nation.
 Her young people had taken the only step they believed themselves then capa- ble of, and that was the organization of bands of "Union of Virtue"
 The objects of these organizations were to destroy the French Emperor.
 They were formed mostly of students, and sons of the nobility, and by the most solemn oaths each individual member of the bands was bound to be ready to as- sassinate the Emperor.
 At 12 o'clock at midnight one of these bands had assembled in the ruins of the castle of Abensberg to initiate new member.
 The initiation was conducted with the greatest mystery and solemnity.
 Are you ready to swear," asked the President of the band, |" that you will make use of the cord and dagger against all condemned whose names shall be in- scribed in the book of blood?"
 " Yes"
 Swear it."
 l" swear it.
 Will you yield yourself to the cord and the steel if you should betray the oath which you are to make upon the blade and the cross ?"
 '' will yield"
 "Tls well ; you are received among the number of the friends of the Union of Virtue. And now you are free ac. cordingly as your heart is confding o1 mistrustful, take off or keep on youl mask"
 The young man, without hesitation with the one movement took off both bandage and mask {; at the same time he let fall his cloak, r " He who fears nought," said he s'may look and be looked at with uncov cred face"
 They then saw handsome young mar of from five to six-and-twenty years o age, with 8 military bearing, with blue eyes and deep nut-brown hair and nous tache, clad in the complete apparel of student, although, in all likelihood he had quilted for many years the benche. of the university.
 But, at the moment when all eyes wer, turned upon him, the door of bronze il the centre pillar abruptly opened ant the seventeenth member, who represent ed Hanover, and who had mounted guarC without, entered in the greatest confu sion.
 Brothers" cried he, "we are lost ? What do you mean?" inquired tn, President
 More than hundred persons hay, entered the ruins, and who have said th watchword, whom consequently ms took for brothers and who are probabI, enemies who surround us p
 Why do you believe that ?''
 Firstly, because there are but six teen here.
 "Well?'
 "Then, relieved from my post, entere the castle ruins in my turn, but instea of descending, concealed myself behln a hlllock, suspectlng some treachery and from thence spied who succeede me. who I am sure is not one of us. A the end of a few instants, troop c nearly fifty men, all armed, came to him bu6 CuI6I Ol bIl6 UhDu huVaQC6u. ana Gl sentinel let pass both troop and leader who are dispersed throughout the rulns Then I ran here to alarm you, and hoped to arrive in time, if not to say you, at least to die with you. Then, { arms, brothers to arms P
 There was moment of terrible COT fusion, during which each one ran to th arsenal and selected the weapon in tf use of which he was most skilled. the midst of this disorder, Schlick, tI member who had introduced the cand date, approached him and said hurried to him
 Put on your mask and endeavor fly, the hall has many issues. "
 I will put on my mask, but I sha not fly, ]" replied the young man.
 Then arm yourself and fight.
 The young man darted towards u