Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-06-22
LOVE OF A CONVICT

WHY l. SllOtilu teli yo' tho'N 'AiH6o'7'
for You will probably not believe me,
ana nevertheless it would be easy for
you to find out that | have not
changed one word of the story.
which everybody has heard, and
which / first related to the judges.
II am from Bordeaux-a found
ling, brought up any where and any
how. My first recollections are about
a mother who used to kiss me and
father who beat me as if l were
without feeling. Then l don't re-
member anything more. Mother
was dead and father had gone some
where. Some charitable folks put
me in a Brothers school, where they
taught me to read and write. That
was all. I was thick headed, but l
grew up solidly. When I left the
school was strong and muscular. l
became a boatman; then l hired my
self out as laborer on those great
fiat-boats which unloaded the mer
chant vessels along the Gironde.
Rolling hogsheads and casks, car
rying heavy packages-that was my
trade and a hard one; but it pays
well. spent my life at it. A bru-
tai sort of a life, if you like, but an
honest one. 1 never injured any
body. I earned my bread and spent
my money as fast as I made it. Per
haps was little too ready to strike,
for am quick tempered, but l had
an open hand. And even if l did
tight sometimes for mere trifie, l
did so without any real hatred, and
never refused to do favor fer a
friend.
II must confess that I like to
drink little once in while, but not
too much. No one ever saw me do
as some men do-stagger from one
cabaret to another, and lie down to
sleep it off in all sorts of disreputa-
bic places. But I liked the company
of the young girls who served the
mild wine, and whose eyes were soft
and gentle. I was just twenty three;
and was no more afraid of work than
was of fun.
'Well, there came a hard winter
that year. Even at Bordeaux the
snow fell thick and fast; and the
wind lashed ones face like a whip.
As I was going along close behind a
wall my foot struck heap OF rags
regular tatters, and q cry came out OF
the rags.
$50 I stopped down and picked
the bundle up. It was one of the
good Gods own creatures, freezing
there to death in the snow. I carried
tho thing under a gas-lamp and
looked at it. It was a little girl
about twelve or fourteen years old
and as pretty-as pretty as love.
"She had lost consciousness.
carried her into a drinking place, and
started to rub her, shake her, and
make her swallow few mouthfuls OF
hot wine.
well, sir, when she opened her eyes
when she looked at me with those
great pupils of hers, black as tar and
soft as velvet, it was all up with me
I belonged. to her, body and soul.
secured room for her in the lodging
house where I lived. The little one
made me afraid of her, somehow
she made me feel in a way I haG
never felt before. It was just like
when one begins to 60 mad.
4 X \
"Well, next day, when she had hat
good sleep. I saw her again, an6
talked to her. Where did she come
from? She had come from every
where: she had been travelling witt
q band of gypsies-Southern folk
who went through the country Civ
ing gymnastic exhibitions. One day
she ran away, because the man who
called himself her father had threat
ened her terribly. She had beer
wandering all through Bordeaux, hid
ing here, begging there. perishing witt
hunger and cold. In short, she was
nobOdy's child. She was simply 6
little creature that kind Providence
had sent to me to take care of. Al
least I thought so then; now thinl
it was the devil himself who placed
her in my path.
"Well, I felt queer about her al
the time; but I soon made up my
mind what to do. I rang the bell OF
a convent of Gray Sisters, which was
beside the Saint Andre hospital
right back of the Place d'Armes. ]
saw the mother superior and told hel
all about my adventure.
"'I can't possibly keep the child,
I said; "you'u have to take care OF
it, Sister. As for the money, I'll set
tie all that with you"
$50 we struck a bargain, and I told
the little one. don't think it quite
pleased her. But, anyhow, she was
locked up, and felt relieved.
"Then, I tell you, became steady
enough-no more sprees, no more
fights. I thought of nothing but the
little one. I worked like four men,
and every Sunday went to see her
They were not at all pleased with her.
She was always making the sisters
mad, and turning the convent upside
down. Then, when we would be
alone, she would fling her arms
around my neck and look into my
eyes, 80 that it seemed to me I saw mil
lions of stars. And she would say to
me between two kisses:
"Take me away from here; I want
to live with you. I do not like it
here
1T was hard to refuse her; for
belonged to her body and soul, the
little wretch! and she knew it. Still
I remained firm.
"'When you can read, write and
count WE'LL I said, you can leave here
not before
"'Where shall I 60 them
"'Just wherever you like
"And she would always answer:
81 want to go with you, and to
your home; I want to be your wife.
"She was there three years. At
last one morning the superioress
sent for me. She said that they
could not keep the little one any
longer. She was insolent to every
body, passionate as cat, and incur
al,