Sharp County record., 1879-08-07

IWentr-t0ur hours after .nls. |lsE 1S
dusk was gathering over Paris, and The
policemen at the Prefecture lie Police
we're lighting up that big establishment
with gas, q cab, loaded with luggage,
which had arrived from the Lyons Rail-
Wav station, drew up on the quay that
supports the Palace Of Justice. and An
tome ROblard aiighted from it. He
passed quickly under the archwav which
.eads to the Prefecture, and entering the
first open door in the office asked il ne
could see Monsieur A., mentioning
one Of The chiefs Of the political depart
ment Of the police The Inspector on
duty took his card, and handed it to a
messenger, who disappeared for q few
minutes and then returned, begging
Roblard to walk upstairs. The pardon
ed Communist followed bis guide, who
conducted MIN up a broad flight OF
stairs, thicklv calpeted with cocoa
nut mating, and ushered him
into an Office, where a gray
haired functiOnarv with very firm
mouth and a Dair0t keen eyes, whose
brightness was concealed by eyeglasses,
sat writing. Monsieur A. vas a
Republican and he and Loblard had
known each other intimateivin in Old days
when they had been fellow journalists
together on an opposition paper which
made q trade Of ramming at the
Government journals, The police Off
3ial did not affect to be unmindful OF
this b7-gOne acquaintanceship, but held
out ms land to The returned exile, say
ing d" am glad to see you back, Rob
lard what can we do for 7Ou2"
ct want you to save my life - said
ROOlard, sitting down unbidden, and
lowering his voice. 90 am in danger
Of assassination.
Explain the matter" replied Mon
sieur A., increduIouslY, and mar
r0wlY watched the Communists tea-
lures. The pale face, dark, sparkling
eyes, dry voice, and general teverish-
ness Of manner, we're such as may be
often seen in melancholic madmen, Ia
boring under q fixed haJucinatjOn
RooIard noticed the glance that was be-
ing fixed upon MIN, and caught the
tone of doubt in his interlOcutsr's
words; but he paid no heed to them,
You know what was the crime al
Leged against me2 he asked
" Yes; you we're sentenced to death
contumaciousIy for having instigated
lhe shooting Of the banker y under
the Commune. ..... However, as you
had escaped to London before Paris fell
into the Power of the Varsaillists, you
we're never arrested; and on the whole
. you have escaped pretty cheap
Well, ' continued RObIard, speaking
lower than before, and looking Monsieur
A. steadily in the face, 81 have been
accused Of shooting y from mo-
d7es Of private malice, and for the pur-
pose Of rob0ing him.
Whip accused you the pro5ecu-
tionP"l
No, our people-9ome Of my fellow
Communists, replied Roblard with
kind Of gasp, which was meant to be one
of indignation, but which was more ike
fear. ''I had been in London about q
month, when one night three men call
ed upon me at my lodgings. They we're
. D0reile, Faucher,a VuiIeuX, all three
my enemies. Ny landladY and the
servant were out, so I was all alone.
Faucher, who is a 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 Bonapartists by shooting Y,
who knew al the insand-Outs Of the
Mexican expedition, and held documents
damaging to the Empire, which he would
have published had he lived, Then
D0relle spoke ont, taxing me with hay
ino seized all Y-'s securities and val
ua0Ies, and having appropriated them
. I'd my own use; lust az if Y would
have been silly enough to keep his mon
eV within reach Of loOters under such
regime az ours" "
I'By the way, was it really you who
had Y shOtl" inquired the police
official carelessly.
"That is beside the question" an
swered Roblard, on his guard "Au I
can say is, that these three enemies of
mine took it for granted had done so,
and when they had finished abusing me,
I Vuileux pulled rope out Of his pock-
et"
"a ropel What was that ior?'
"To hang me with, reioined Rob
lard hoarsel7, as if the mere recoIlec-
ton of the affair stranged him. "TheY
announced that they had sentenced me
to death, and that they would hang me
out Of hand. My death, said they,
would look ike a suicide. We'll,
they did hang me....."
Come, come expostuIated Mon
sieur A., Coubtful whether the Com
munist ware rOmancing or speaking
from halIucination, yet bethinking him
self that somehow the man might be
saving the truth after al.
"They did hang me, repeated Rob