The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-01-13
A Trial of Fidelity.

The reign of Napoleon, worried and ran
sacked as it has been by the writer's of men,
oirs, recollections, and histories, is mine
that still contains a multitude OF rich, and,
as yet, unexplored veins. The history of
the secret associations that sprang up during
the latter days of the empire would form
most curious and interesting volume, and
there would be no lack of materials where
with to fill it. The Society of the United
Brothers alone would furnish pages of the
most intense and absorbing interest, while
nothing could appeal more forcibly to the
imagination than the strange and dramatic
episodes connected with it's existence and
the details of it's mysterious mutations. Per-
haps hundred incidents might be related
as striking and we'll conceived as the fol-
lowing:
An officer of the French army, having in
CURED the suspicion or resentment OF the
Emperor, thought it expedient to abandon
his country AMI take refuge III one OF the
Austrian provinces; and here ne became adj
vised Of and initiated into society, the OBJ
ject of whose formation was to hurl to the
ground the Colossus whose arm smote and
governed the whole continent OF Europe
| with a sceptrc If iron. One day a letter was
brought to him, containing the usual signs
and passwords of the society, and requiring
him to repair ON the following night, to a
secluded spot in the forest, where he would
meet some ot-his associates. He went, but
found nobody. The orders were repeated
four times, at intervals Of a few days, and
four times the officer sought the appointed
place, with no better success than at first.
On the night of his appearance at the
rendezvous, after waiting some time, he
was on the point Of returning, when loud
cries suddenly arrested his attention
Drawing his sword, he fastened to the spot
whence they seemed to proceed, and Was
fired upon by three men, who seeing that he
remained unwounded, instantly took to
flight; but at his feet lay bleeding corpse,
in which, by the feeble light Of the moon,
He was yet bending over the dead man,
when a detachment of chasseurs, sum-
moned, apparently by the noise of the pis-
tolls that. had been discharged at himself,
came suddenly up and arrested him as the
tried the next day, and condemned to die
for his supposed crime. His execution
was to take place at midnight.
Surrounded by the ministers of justice,
he was led, at a slow pace, by the light of
torches, and, amid the funeral tolling
Of bells, to vast square, in the centre of
which was a scatfold, environed by horse
men; beyond these were numerous group
of spectators who muttered impatiently
and, at intervals, sent forth a CRY of abhor-
renee The victim mounte the scaffold
his sentence was read, and the last act OF
the tragedy was on the point Of fulfllment
when IN officer let fall word Of hope. An
edict had just been promulgated by the
government, offering pardon and life to any
condemned criminal who should disclose
the members and secret tokens of particu-
lar association, the existence Of which waf
suspected; it was that of which the French
man, to whom these words were addressed
had lately become member.
He was questioned, but denied all knowl.
edge-they urged him to confess, with prom
Uses of additional reward; his only reply was
a demand of immediate death-and his I'M.
tiation was completed.
All that had passed was buta terrible tria:
of his fidelity; those who surrounded hin
were members of the society, and every in
cident that had been described, from the
time of the first summons to the last fearful
moment of expected death, was only stef
in the progress of the fearful experiment by
which they sought to determine the trust.
Worthiness Of the neophyte.