The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1879-08-27

- -" ~ S''i pe&sS NS'
The watch answered with d brutal
laugh:
"So.the beautiful and proud Count
ess de la Floret kneels-kneels to mel
1t was l who knclt when we last
met"
She only replied through her tears.
"Do be generous. Forget the past,
and save US"
"My name is Perrie Duhem, once
a poor captain in the Kings army
General under the glorious Republic.
| swore an oath that, if ever you
married a man except myself, |
would revel in his dying agonies. =
The time for the fulfillmcnt has ar.
rived"
"oh, unsay those terrible words
Have mercyl In Heavens name
have mercy!" shrieked the Countess,
clasping his knees and turning her
streaming eyes up to him.
"Rise, loye; do not debase yourself
by sueing to such a wretch" the
Count said, struggling in vain as he
spoke to free himself. ave are pro.
tected by letters from the National
Assembly. Let him violate them at
his peril" !.
Duhem looked aroundat tie speak,
er with a free sneer. ,8That for
your pass" he cried, swapping his
fingers. "soldiers, ariStocrat. Obey
orders ! gave you an hour ago.
AT the word, the wrctches, who
painted for the blood. of a noble,
dragged the Count d short distance
toward frame barn, and having
torn his clothing from his body, they
actually, in broad daylight, and be-
fore the face of his agonized wife,
nailed, or rather crucifed him on the
wall of the barn.; a company of SOL
dier-citizens themselves firing at
him as a target for eight hours before
death made him insensible to their
atrocities; for by their commanders
stern orders, they took aim only at
the Counts legs, thighs, feet, neck
and right side of the breast, and to
make the agony more lingering ten
men only were permitted to fire dur.
ing each hour, and at a distance of
eighty steps.
During all this time Duhem re-
mained seated on a pile of stones, ex-
ulting in the excruciating tortures
he caused to be inflicted upon his
victim. Now he would deliberately
smoke his pipe, and anon drink his
wine or eat his food which be caused
to be brought out to him in order
that he might not miss one throe,
and, to add to the horror, the wretch
caused the agonized wife to be forci.
bly, detained in full view Of the fear
full sight, until utterly Frustrated
both in mind and body, she was
borne insensible from the scene and
placed in the care of her waiting
woman, who did everything in her
power to mitigate her cruel suffer-
ings.
Nearly week elapsed before the
miserable wife seemed to recall in
any manner the horrors she had wit.
messed; but at length, on awakening
from sound sleep, she recalled min
utely all that had occurred, saying
that she had just dreamed it, and
thanked Heaven devoutly that it
was but a vision of her disturbed
fancy. She then asked if any letters
had arrived from her husband, who,
she said, had been dispatched on a
foreign mission of great importance.
One day she insisted upon visiting
Paris, in order that she might dis
cover how much longer the Count
would be detained abroad. Nothing
that could be urged by her friends
could induce her to forego this jour
ney, so she set forth. 1t was a glo-
rious morning on which the Count
oss de la Floret approached Paris
The sun shone bright and clear, and
the verdure of early summer clothed
the trees and meadows. Before
reaching the gates, however, the ve-
4 \ 4