Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-03-04
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papers told about the barbarities of the
communists, of the destruction of the
Tuileries, of The Hotel de Vile, of the
palaceaof the Ministry. of the numbering
Of the prisoners. OF the raging street con:
fiicts, and, at the same time, of the fear
fnl bath of blood that the Versailles troops
had caused among 1.-THE enemies Of So
ciety''
Tisson looked up with cleaning eyes.
and SAID: God be praised. The good
cause has .rinmphedr'
1T might have triImpIicd with less
pitilessness, answered Costc. frown-
ingly.
s'You are not making yourself an all
yocate Of the communists. that blood
thirsty band of robbers aud thieves !?
cried Tisson.
mo, not that answered Coste. pale
and trembling But they might have
proceeded with more humanity. Fifty
thousand-Tisson. Only think what that
means-fifty thousand unfortunates-the
newspapers say softly thousand human
lives have been sacrificed. Fifty thousand
oh, horrible They spared neither
women nor children: they strangled aud
murdered them As if they were fighting
with wild beasts
And they did well - cried Tisson.
They did have wild beasts to fight The
scum Of humanity, robbers. murderers,
bandits, incendiaries. They should not
have let a single one Of the good-for-
nothing rough-scuffs escape"
"Tisson, Tisson, consider what you are
saying! You are talking about Frenchmen
about children of our own race, about
brothers.
"Your brothers, if you will Not mine,
by God have nothing in common with
knaves and cut-throats ~
"Neither have H.
'.Yes! For YOU venture TO defend
them
Venture. Ti-son ?-Tisson. you are not
in your right mind when you talk TO me
that way
"Yes, am in my right mind and tell
you, in full and bitter earnestness. it is
disgraceful for you to say word in de-
Tense of the Commune You should be
ashamed OF yourself-ashamed of yourself
Costa,''
Take that back, Tisson, Take that
back. or by"
.'You should be ashamed of yourself
Bah For shamer'
At this the Colonel struck the table
with his fist, so that the dishes and glasses
clattered And then he rose. and deadly
pale. with red, glowing eyes, he swore a
terrible oath, that he would not sit ut that
table again. and never again enter that
house. until Tisson begged his forgiveness
for the wrong he had done him
''And | declare, without the utterance
of many blasphemous words" said the
Professor. with sudden calm, but Just rs
pale and trembling aS his old friend =
THAT the words you wish to hear shall
never pass my lips
The Colonel nearcd the door, took hat
and cane without looking back. and van
ished. Tisson heard his limping. heavy
step upon the stairs. heard the door open.
and close behind him-and then all was
still rs death
For three days the Colonel and the Pro-
lessor cherished their bitter resentment
then their rage had spent itself and they
had mutually lost The loneliness in
which they lived became a hell to them.
Costc did not venture to leave his room
for fear of meeting his old friend the lat
ter sneaked like thief out of the house
when his official duties compelled him to
90 out and still the two old hearts longed
with all their power to be reconciled again.
But that was impossible. Hundreds OF
times they rehearsed in their minds the
unhappy scene which had parted them
they recalled every word. every look.
ale should not have insulted me in his
own house. at his own table" said the
Colonel to himself. And he tet that his
honor would not allow him to take back
the oath he had sworn.
"All the blame is on his side" said the
Professor to himself GLOW could he
have attempted Ia defend the greatest
evil-doers whom the world ever saw. "
And he thought with shudder that he
had solemnlv vowed that the word should
. never pass his lips that Coste must hear
from him in order to enter his house
again.
One morning old Pascal came to the
Colonel.
Monsieur Colonel" she lamented,
what have you done to my poor master ?
He hardly touches his food now he sleeps
no more he sits all day long in his room
without looking nj book. without touch
ing pen. and he will see nobody and
speak with nobody he is wearing him.
self away; he is perishing. Monsieur
Colonel. wrat have You done to him
Save my poor master''
Inc Coionei was IN no way too proud
TO talk with old Pascal rs with an equal.
He told her ALL and you see, Pascal
he ended. Il have sworn. by my honor.
and my salvation. that will never enter
his house again until he acknowledges
his wrong-and cannot break my oath ~
Monsieur Colonel. sinful oath sworn
in anger is not binding" answered the
devout old servant. Ask the pastor.
consult the Bishop himself; they will re-
lease You from the goddess oath.
But the Colonel shook his head mo.
Pascal. you do not understand it, said
he; Il have sworn by my honor. and no
priest can give nv word back TO me-
Tears stood in his halt-blind eyes; he
looked miserably and pititully; but he
spoke with such decisiveness that Pascal
well saw that she would have to go away
with nothing gained. Then the Profess
sor's two pious daughters came to Mont
pelier on visit. and learned from ser
want what had happened. They were
glad to see the house freed from the
rough hammered neighbor. and it was
their opinion that their father would soon
see that the loss. which he still mourned
tor the moment. was a great gain. They
set out to talk with him about it. But
with hoarSe voice and eyes sparkling with