The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-04-30

~ :" 1t is horrible ! horrible cried Paul,
as pale as death, recognizing his ten be-
loved ones. ~ Z. ! -
The lovely widow, Madame Arnand
here stepped forward and pointing to
the rest, said: NO..
"Did you whistle for them, too@
An absurdity is sometimes irresistible,
even when the executioner is waiting for
his victim, A laugh burst from them
all, in which Brutus joined. sS#s
" Citoyeanes,"'&he cried, "Paul! Jan
guard can not marry, you all before an
officer of the municipality; the law for
bids it. But our law only claims AL
thority over the living; perhaps after
death you may all be his wives"
Rallying the little streno9 tn that yet
remained to him Paul shook his fist at
Brutus, crying, ,"Wretch are you
thirsting for our blood?" y
IL said you should live for. a week,
citizen, and I'll keep my PROMISE" re-
piled Brutus, in an Indifferent tone.
q Now, follow that man (here hcspointed
to @the squalid, red.haired jailer who was
standing in the room;)s he viii fasten
you upi the next chamber. There you
can whistle for hours to your linnets if
you wish, and may thank me for saving
you the trouble of walking or standing
seven hours and a half day for the re-
mainder Of your life."
'~' =, : 'SS's's J,
Paul was almost sutfocated with his
excited feelings. He dared hardly
glance at those poor women, now all
upon their knees in their despair. When
he flung himself upon the wretched bed
in his prison chamber he was alarmingly
ill.
He went out of his mind for several
days. But at last, after dreadful night,
during which he seemed to have heard
whistling all around him, he awoke to
consciousness. He seemed to hear the
merry voices of women talking near his
bed, and in the distance songs and shouts
of rejoicing. At last he distinguished
the words, "Well, then, if he gets we'll
he is to marry!"'
1t was said, with gay laugh, by some
one in the next chamber.
The jailer entered. Paul sat up in bed
and said, in faint voice, "What day Of
the month is it,"
"The sixteenth Thermidor."
"Ah, yes" said Paul." than this is the
day am to die!''::
"Cheer up, citizen" said the jailer.
~ GU are not going to die"
"Monsieur Paul Janquard!" cried a
sweet and merry voice in the next room,
beard clearly through the tin partition:
elbow are your" 1t is Lucy Arnau"l
who is speaking. You are free"
cam I dreaming ?" said Paul, once
more sitting up and gazing round him.
Voices were outside crying, "Long
live the republic! Robespierre is dead!
Down with Brutus!"
A great noise of keys opening harsh
locks was heard in the entry, and the
ten ladies all came into the chamber of
Paul.
cit must be dream!" he thought.
"Come, Monsieur Paul." they said;
"you are free. Get up and 60 home,
and be wiser for the future"
Lucy 'Arnaud here helped him to
sit up.
"Ladies," he said, with tears in his
eyes, "for three months you have been
to me like angels. But will you," he
added, turning to Lucy, twill you con-
sent to be my guardian angel all my life
long!"
eyes; but 1 must be your one sole
guardian angel! Maybe one NIGH not
be enough for your"
Enough, now that I mean to live for
love and you,
-Four months later Paul Vanguard, in
perfect health, married Lucy Arnaud;
but we may mention that she did not
invite to her nuptials any Of her nine
rivals. Perhaps because she was not
quite satisfied as yet, as to the dangerous
susceptibility of the head of her hus-