Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-06-12

month, when one night three men
called upon me at my lodgings They
were Dorielle, Faucher and Vuilleux,
all three my enemies. Ny landlady and
the servants were out, so was all alone.
Faucher, who is kind Of revolutionary
fanatic, began to abuse me, saying I had
brought disgrace on the Communist
cause, and had been playing the game of
the Bo1;Ps.tst. BY shooting who
expedition, and held documents damag-
ing to the empire, which he would have
published had he lived. Then Dorielle
spoke out, taxing me with having seized
all Y 's securities and valuables, and
having appropriated them to my own
use; Just as if y would have been
silly enough to keep his money within
reach of hooters under such q regime as
ours.
"By the way, was it really you who
had Y shot?" inquired the police
official carelessly.
"That is beside the question:" an.
swered Roblard, on his guard. "All I
can say is, that these three enemies of
mine took it for granted l had done so,
and when they had finished abusing me-,
Vuilleux pulled rope out of his pock-
et."
"a rope! What was that for?''
ITO hang me WITH" reioined Reblard
hoarsely, as if the mere recollection of
the affair strangled him. "They an.
nounced that they had sentenced me to
death, and that they would hang me out
of hand. My death, said they, would
look like q suicide. y
Well, they did hang me-"
"Come, come," expostulated Monsieur
A., doubtful whether the communist
were romancing or speaking from hallu-
cination, yet bethinking himself some.
how that the man might be saying the
truth after all.
'They did hang me-" repested Rob
lard, impressively. ut was all in vain
that I struggled, screamed and prayed
for justice; 1 was forced on to my knees
and handkerchief was stuffed into my
mouth. Then those three butchers
passed a halter over my neck and strung
me up to curtain rod. Isuppose, how
ever, that they must have made off pretty
fast, for less than quarter of an hour
afterwards (having lost consciousness in
the meanwhile) l was cut down by my
landlady and the servant, who had re-
turned. But these poor women con-
cluded | had tried to make away with
myself"
"Of course, though, you went and
lodged complaint with the policeT'
"No; what would have been the use
Of it," returned Roblard, with shrug.
my enemies had taken their precautions
80 we'll that I should not have been
believed, and the English magistrates
would either have put me int mad.
house, or have sent me to prison for hav.
ing tried to commit suicide, contrary to
their laws. Besides, on the day after
this affair received an anonymous
letter, enigmaticaliy worded, but from
which L gathered that, as had escaped
the halter, should be allowed to live,
provided ] did not return to France.
Dorrielle, Faucher, and Vuilleux con-
demned me to perpetual exile"
"Have you this letter with your
asked Monsieur A., who seemed more
and more doubtful about Roblard' story.
eyes; here it is" said the communist,
and he handed his interlocutor strip of
creased paper, on which the latter read:
"You have got luckily cured of your
sore throat, but for such a delicate con-
stitutjon as yours the climate of France
will not do. Keep clear of the country
for your own sake, or there will be a re-
lapse"
"Humph!" muttered the police of.
ficer. "And have you ever seen your
enemies since the event you relate?''
Yes; have seen Vuilleux frequent
~ at Geneva" responded Roblard, in
agitation; "but there is the horror of
the thing. Whenever I spoke of his at
tempt on me he said he did not know
what l meant, and limited that was q
monomaniac: l half got to believe that
was so myself, and that prevented me
from ever speaking on the subject to
Others"
! Monsieur A. rubbed his head.
Richards story might be true or untrue;
anyhow, it was expedient to have the
man watched, in order to protect him
from Others if he were really in danger,
nr against himself if he were insane.
After few moments the police official
said: "Well, Roblard, I will lend you
one of my detectives, who shall be your
companion till you feel safe. He is
quite a new man; nobody knows him,
so you will not be compromised if seen
in his society,""
"Thank you, A." said Roblard,
with sigh. Clancy my needing the
protection of the policel However,
will pay your man whatever is wanted p;
he must be absolutely at my disposal
like servant"
You have grown rich, them" asked
Monsieur A., with smile.
"No, but l make some money by nv
books" replied the communist, colorius.
$50 much the BETTER" continued the
official in the same vein CT banter; then,
suddenly changing his tone: 81 say,
lsoblard, tell me the truth; what became
of Y papers, for they were never
Chow can 1 tell?" replied Roblard
with scowl: II suppose you, too, will
look like robber?"
"No;" but now come to think of it,
you thave been leading pretty expen.
sive life in your exile" rejoined Mon
sieur A., pointedly. "You have travel
ed all over America and the continent;
you have been subscribing to so.called
patriotic funds. We have even had to
stop gift of money which you had sent
to some political convicts in New Gale
donna. All that is pretty we'll for an
author, eh?"
"Possibly. But authors are not beg
gars in these days." answered Roblard,
evasively. He was Initiated, and Mon.
sieur A - did not think st to pursue
the subject. He loft the room, and hav-
ing rung for the detective about whom
he had spoken to Roblard-a sleepY-
looking, middle-aged man, named
Trouillot-gave that worthy his instruc-
tions. He wound up by Whispering;
my own belief Is that M. Roblaid &
mad 40 that Won will haYa &o.isl 1na Is