The Red Cloud chief., 1879-07-17
THE AMNESTIED COMMUNIST.

"And so Roblard is going back 10
France" remarked one Of the circle of
cxilcs who were discussing the amnesty
at the Cafe du Nord of Geneva.
" He will never set foot on French
territory again," responded another,
with "A shake of the head.
But he has been p~ardoncd," said
the first speaker, taking up n copy of
the J0HrHdi DffctcE aud scoring 4 mark
with his thGmn under the name of An
tome Itoblard.
"No MATER" was the answer, given
with more emphasis than before. ''lsOb-
lard has been amnesticd by the Govern
ment; but he must get pardoned by 9th
or persons before his exile can end and
the persons in question are not forglv-
ing. If itoblard% returned to France he
would be murdered"
"Wha are you saying?" chorused
all the Communists around the table;
but the speaker, "A journalist named
Nuilloux. finished his abSinthe and took
leave of his company with a wink, hav-
ing voUchsafCd no explanations. The
next moment a slim, saliow, and care
worn man entered the cafe with some
books under his arm, and was demon
Stratively, almost ~atfectionately, greeted
bv the men whom EuillcuN had Just left.
He WAS hailed by his name of Roblard,
and congratulated upon his pardon.
We'll, Antoine" cried one, /" sup
pose you will be leaving us in a day or
two?"
eyes," answered Roblard, sand glad
! shall be To get back to Paris after eight
wears of absence"
alt is TO Paris you are going, then?'
"Yes, t morrow morning by the
first train; so | shall wish you good
bye in leaving this presently"
"Say 10 Ills 'Au revoir!'" cried n OF
the Communists, lifting his glass. "May
the day come when we shall all meet in
Paris and take our revanchc oflS1l."
"Au revoiri" answered Roblard
~gravely, as he raised his glass of beer &c
his lips. He half emptied it, and then
sat down and chatted for half an hour
on the political topics of the day. He
was known to be writing a "HiStory OF
the Commune" and he remarked he
was glad his exile was going to end
chiefly because he wanted ( have again
access to the public libraries of Paris
After this he expressed his opinions
cheerily about Grevy, Washington, and
Gambetta, stated his belief that he
Roblard-should soon find q seat in tn,
Chamber of Deputies, and that he woulC
then "pitch into the Moderates;" final
ly he shook hands with every one of thu
exiles, saying a friendly word to each
and took his departure.
When he was gone a discussion arose
between some who commended that Their
was an unusual look about Roblard, ant
others who maintained that they hat
found him Just the same as ever. On,
of these latter, meeting N%uilleux, TIT
Journalist, later in the evening, said
s.You were all wrong about Roblard
he is going back TO France fast enough
He starts tomorrow"
"Ah," exclaimed EuilleuX, with /:
slight arching of his eyebrows. "Thel
he will be q dead man before a montl
is over"
"You are alluding TO some p~rojecte'
duel, | suppose" rejoined the other
"PerhapS you mean to kill him your
self"
"Roblard will not die in a duel" re
pittu NullGSuAs SiShiuSohNs ouS Al
will die within a month. You mark N.
words"
Twenty-four hours after this, just a
dusk was gathering over Paris, and tn
policemen at the Prefecture de Polio
were. lighting up that big establishmen
with gas, a cab, loaded with luggage
which had arrived from the Lyons Raj
way station, drew up on the quay tbs
supports the Palace of Justice, and Ar
tome Roblard alighted from it. II
passed quickly under the archway whic
leads to the Prefecture, and entering tn
first open door in the office asked if b
could see Monsieur A, mentionin
one of the chiefs of the political depart
ment of the police. The Inspector o
duty took his card, and handed 1t to
messenger, who disappeared for = fe'
minutes and then returned, begin
Roblard to walk upstairs. The pardon
ed Communist followed his guide, wh
conducted him up a broad flight {
stairs. thickly carpeted with coco,
nut mating. and ushered hil
into an office, where q gra.
haired ~functionary with a very fri
mouth and a pair of keen eyes, who:
brightness was concealed by eye-glasse
sat writing. Monsieur A was
Republican and he and Loblard ha
known each other intimately in old da,
when thew had been fellow journals
together on an opposition paper whic
.ade a trade of examining" at ii
s-ernment journals. The police OF
Aaid not affect to be unmindful
&by-gone acquaintanceship, but hel
- Mis- hand to the returned exile, sa,
81 Am glad to see you back, Rol
Hes L.hat can we do for you?"
partS&yo to save my life" sal