Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-13
DEMOCRAT WEDNESDAY JUNE la lse8

made a furor in the Palais Royale. or rather
 the Place Republique. There were wooden
 horses. wax works, athletes. performing
 pIonkeys. a menagerie, and. for aueht I
 know, the devil and all his train crowded into
 the busy square, ant imong them, parbleui
 as, q rose in her tights and spangles. and
 walking up and dowr before the entrance of
 her van, crying aloud: Enter, ladies and Centlemen-enter at once" Grandmother Coussac was there, too, yellow as a guinea. thin as q rail- and coughing furiouslv to at- l tract compassion, her satanic eyes dartino l from side to side Ike balls from & pistol Enter !-enter !-ent%cp It was not neces- sary to invite me twic's; went with the rest. | can see Catherine yet, as she appeared to me then standing on her platform, crimson curtain at her back, Ter beautiful dark hair crowned with jingling sequins, a rose in her corsage, a ray of sunlight falling through an opening in tho canvas and shining upon her round white arms and lovely shoulders An. l but she was a beauty ,;s she stood there ex. paning to the spectators what was meant by | tho Silurc Electrique, which dwelt in the Milo and the senegal, which the Arabs called thunder" ctc.-a lot If stuff, in fact, that I have long since forgotten. Nevertheless, she had it at tho end of her tongue, and rnttled it off like lawyer at the bur. Closing always | by extending her hand and inviting them to l take it.
 t'Clasp 1t. ladies and gentlemen" she would say "clasp it and hold 1t close, and you will feel tho electricity Don't be afraid; it can not hurt you"
 Some of them laughed, some were frighten- e,l, and some angry ls they felt the tingling 1 current but all extended their hands to Ca- | tissou if only for the pleasure of touching her | rosy fingers And IT stood there among them filled with wrath and jealousy at seeing | that soft and dainty palm pressed by a crowd of peasants and boors All at once-it was | like q streak of lightni nS--I saw tho Electric | Woman become as pal, as death and leap up- on d hand extended to her among the others like a dog upon Il piece of meat. Standing | before her was a gre:t, strapping fellow, a Hercules in size, with coarse hair bristling l from under big hat drawn above his eyes tall, broad-shouldered, perfect Colossus, with projecting uadcr-jaw, q pallid, faded skin, and clad in a b ue blouse buttoncd above a peasants vest. G dSsou looked him full in l the eyes, her finger, ,linging to his monstrous digits, us if all her le were bound up in her l hold.
 "It is the murder,5. ]" Lsaid to omyself; "she | holds him in her grasr!" And hold him she did. The scoundr', now became as pale us shc. Do you know she said at last star ing him straight in the face ''do. you know.
 
 sin of Leonard Colssac, killed here at Limoges?' f s~. '- t.s The man recoied as if struck by a blow. striving to release his fingers from the grasp of the femme Silure.
 She had given him a shock that had shaken his soul, but he pulled in vain-C Catissou clung to him with grasp of steel. '-'i.+ :" You are mad F he answered. 'smad woman, mad! What do you want? Unloose mc?'-his head turned from side to side like n haunted wolf, his pale eyes, fcrocious, bewild- cred. seeking m avenue of escape. .-- .
 Wretch P cried Catherine, Wretch it was you who struck the Mow-you-youl" . Tho giant stunned at first by her sudden frenzy soon recovered his wits, and I saw riso in the air that sinister hand, whose spatula fingers rough, hairy, like an enormous, veno- nous spidsr-I saw it rise and come down on the shoulder of Cat;ssou, felling her to hor knees upon the platform. It was enough! In q moment was in his way, my laced ap and white epaulets shining clearly befo TO his eyes.
 Sin the name of the law arrest you" I | said: " you arc my prisoner ]" and sought to seize him. head tal or than I and with the strength of an OK it would have been all up with me if Catissou. pushing aside the fright ened villagers, had not run to my assistance. Together we fought Jim, he striking at met every instant, strugg: ng, biting. clawing like an animal, a big knite-a Nontron blade, like that with which he had killed Ooussac- flashed in his grasp. At last 1t struck nc burying itself in my shoulder-an ugly Rash that shows it's mark ,t. 1 do not know, but 1t seems to mo a long dime that this struggle lasted my strength leaving me- blood streamed from the wound, and that knife ugh it was there, it waa everywherel l was falling, as tell you, my hold slip- ping, when cry~-7a strange cry-like the squeal of pig under he knife of the butcher echoed through tho tent.
 The rascal stumbled and drew back, drag. ging me with him as he fell. Something was hanging and clingins to him, something that had given the ery-it was old Mother Coussac. fastened on his legs, scratching, snar,ing and gnawiRg him like a dog. We twisted md twined about each otl,er like worms, but this time tho struggle Was brief. Catherine was beside me and aiding mo to wrcst tho knife from his grasp to chokc him brent thless There was a terrible hubbub the Marshal of the police had arrived with his men, and in less time than 1t takes to tell it the man was prisoner and in irons, and ths people but a moment ago so dazed and helpless thronginR to the lookup at his heels.
 It was as stupid as q cabbage for n gen. darme, butfrom this oa, said Tharaud, knew no more-I had fainte1 from loss of blood and excitement; all the s;sme. as I felt myself go. ing, knew that 8 T,ir of roNnd white arms had clasped themsel,ea about me, and saw above my head-not t;le handle of that Non- trop blade, but Catherines dark and sinilin, eyes.
 That was how, said the brigadier, laughing. tho stroke of a knife made a happy marriage. My wound healed, and healed twice as soon because Catherine nulsed mo, not as an Elec- tric Woman, but as E siator of charity, and before was on my feet the thing was set- ted -5" 't '-@-.f !
 Grandmother Cous3ac, who sleeps in the cemetery now, lived only long enough to see us married and to taste tho joy of having the murderer of hor son brought to the guillotine. He was a plasterer named Marsaloux, from the Souterraine in the Grouse. He had Rsne to the house of M. Sabourdy seeking wJtk and there overhead him talking to his fafaly of the money conflded to Coussac to pay o6I the bills. The rest had followed. After 1SS murder Marsaloux had gone to Parie md lived like lord till the money was gone. and then returned to the country for moro woi61 the same, perhaps. as Aad finished the mlScN lit was all one to him.
 Chance or fate had brought him to tho Sani of Catissou-thence to he scaffold. Hia6S9d! which resembled, they tell me- the haAd u4 | T-or,n.on io i,,o oIo,bo1 o,A