Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-02

"lIe is WE'LL" replied Marguerite
''and, were he present, l doubt not would
thank you heartily for the interest you
still take in him and his poor wife" /
"He has done ne wrong" continued
the friar, "but it is our duty to forgive
our enemies, and so let the past be Tor
gotten. l know that he is in want. Here,
take this to him and tell him l am still
his friend"
So saying, he drew small purse from
the sleeve of his habit and proflered it to
his companion. l know not whether 1T
were suggestion of st. Martin but
true it is that the fair wife of Martin
Franc seemed to lend a more willing ear
to the earnest whispers of the friar. AT
length she said:
PUT up your purse to-day can
neither deliver your gift nor your mes
sage Martin Franc has gone from
home"
"Then keep it for yourself"
"Nay," replied Marguerite, casting
down her eyes 81 can take no brides
here in the church, and in the very chapel
of my husbands patron saint. You shall
bring it to me at my house if you will y
The friar put up the purse, and the
conversation which followed was in low
and intistinct undcrtone, audible only to
| the ears for which it was intended. At
/ length the interview ceased and-O wo-
man the last words that the virtuous
Marguerite uttered, as she glided from
the church were:
"To.night, when the abbey clock strike,
twelve, remember !"
| 1t would be useless to relate how I'M
patiently the friar counted the hours ana
the quarters as 3they chimed from the an,
Gent tower of the abbey while he paced
to and fro along the gloomy cloistsr AT
length the appointed hour approached
and Just before the convent bell sent
| fnrtl its eunNmo"" :" ""', a." H.,.~' - ~
Anthony to their midnight devotion, 9
figure with cowl stole ont of the post
ern gate, and, passing silently along the
deserted streets, soon turned INTO inc
little alley which led to the dwelling Of
Martin Franc. 1t was none other than
Friar Gui. He raped softly at the
bridesmaids door, and, casting look III
and down the street, as If to assure nm
self that his motions were unobserved
slipped into the house.
"Has Martin Franc returned p in
quired he in whisper.
"No," answered the sweet voice of hi:
|
"Thcn all good angels befriend MS !!
continued the monk, endeavoring to TAX,
her hand.
"Not so, good monk, said she, Olsen
gaging herself. "You forget the condi
ftions of our meeting"
The friar paused moment, and then
drawing heavy lcathern purse from III
girdle, he threw it upon the table. y
Al Oh
behind him, and n heavy blow from
club threw him PROSTATE upon the iioor
1t came from the strong arm OF Martil
Franc himself
1t is hardly necessary to state that hi
absence was feigned. His wife had III
vented the story to decoy the monk, AM
thereby to keep her husband from beg
gary, and to relieve herself once for al
from the opportunities of false friend
At first Martin Franc would not listen t.
the proposition but at length he yielded
to the urgent entreaties OF his wife, an,
the plan finally agreed upon was tina,
Frlar Gui, after leaving his purse behint
him. should be sent back to the convent
with severer discipline than his shout
ders had ever received from any peni
tence of his own.
| l. ne ullilT, llOWcNtI, tooh u iioit 'Nii
GUS turn than was intended; for when
they tried to raise the friar from the
ground he was dead. The blow aimed nj
his shoulders fell upon his shavcn crown,
and in the excitement of the moment
Martin France had dealt a heavier stroke
than he intended. Amid the grief and
CONSERVATION which followed this discov-
ery the quick imagination of his wife sug-
| 1 4 tAtx 4 INN al
Of KEYS at the friar's girdle caught hei
eye. Hastily christening the ring, she
gave the keys to her husband, exclaim'
ing; ,;,
One of these keys doubtless unlocks the
gate of the convent garden. Carry the
body thither, and leave it among the
| trees y
Martin France threw the dead body of
the monk across his shoulders, and with
heavy heart took the way to the abbey.
1t was IL clear, starry night and though
the moon had not yet risen, her light was
in the sky, and came reflected down in O
soft twilight upon the earth. Not o
sound was heard through all the long and
solitary streets save at intervals the dis
tant growing of cock, or the melan-
choly boot of an owl from the lofty tower
of the abbey. The silence weighed like
an accusing spirit upon the guilty con.
science of Martin Franc. He started al
the sound of his own breathing, as he
painted under the heavy burden Of the
monks body, and if, perchance, bat
fitted near him on drowsy wings, he
paused and his heart beat audibly with
terror. At length he reached the garden
wall of the abbey, opened the postern
gate with the key, and bearing the monk
into the garden, seated him upon stone
bench by the edge of the fountain, with
his head resting against stone column,
upon which was scuiptured an image OF
tho Madonna. He then replaced the
bunch of keys at the monks girdle, and
returned home with hasty steps.
When the prior of the convent, to whom
the repeated delinquencies of Friar CRU
were but too well known, observed that
he was again absent from his post at mid
night prayers, he waxed exceedingly an
CRY and no sooner were the duties Of
the chapel finished than he sent n monk
in pursuit of the truant sacristan, sum
moning him to appear Immediately at hi
cell. BY chance it happened that the
monk chosen for this duty was an enemy
of Friar Gui and very shrewdly sup
posing that the sacristan had stolen on
of the garden-gate on some midnight ad
venture, he took that direction in pursuit
The moon was Just climbing the conven
wall, and threw its silvery light through
the trees of the garden, and on TIN
sparkling waters OF the fountain, that fel
with soft lulling sound into the basil
below. As the monk passed on his wa.
he stopped to quench his thirst with
draught of cool water, and was turning
to depart, when his eye caught the me
tionless form of the sacristan, sitting
erect in the shadow OF the stone column.
"How is this. Friar Gui?' quoth TIL
, monk. SIS this place to be sleeping Il
midnight, when the brotherhood are all Il