Wichita eagle., 1888-04-05
A SQUARE IN THE HAND.

1 am unable to say where or when the
events narrated in the following pages took
place. Neither can give any details con-
corning the personal circumstances of the
narrator. All | know is that she was young
woman Of French nationality, and that the
uncle of whom she speaks-her senior by
some thirty years-was more distinguished
as philosopher than as an enthusiast.
Whether the conspiracy against the reigning
authorities in which our heroine and her
friends were implicated happened to be of
any historical importance is also more than |
can say. As my object in reproducing the
narrative Is merely to illustrate the curious
operation through natural channels of laws
which are usually regarded as occult" and
the activity of which on the material plane
has given rise to the common notion of ''mir
acle, do not propose TO trouble the reader
or myself with any preamble of merely local
interest. So, without more Introduction, /
leave the diary Of the writer 90 recount the
adventure set down therein by her own hand.
/ was concerned in a very prominent way
in political struggle for liberty and the peo-
pies rights. My part in the struggle was,
indeed, the leading one, but my uncle had
been drawn into it at my instance and was
implicated in a secondary manner only. The
government sought our arrest, and for time
We evaded all attempts TO take US, but at last
We were surprised and driven under escort in
private carriage to a military station,
where we were 70 be detained for examina-
ton. With us was arrested man popularity
known as "FOn," a poor weakling whom |
much pitiei. When we arrived at the sta
ton which was OUr destination, "Fon" gave
some trouble TO the officials | think he
tainted, but at all events his conveyance from
the carriage to the caserne needed the con-
Joined efforts Of our escort, and some COM
motion was caused by his appearance among
the crowd assembled to see U.s. Clearly the
crowd was sympathetic with US and hostile
to the military. | particularly noticed one
woman who pressed forward as ''Fon1 was
being carried into the station, and who
loudly called on all present to note his feeble
condition and the barbarity of arreSting a
witless creature such as he
at that moment my uncle laid his hand on
my arm and whispered; Now is cur time;
the guards are all occupied with 'Fon' we
are left alone for a minute; let US jump out
of the carriage and run" As he said this he
opened the carriage door on the side opposite
to the caserne and alighted in the street /
instantly followed and the people favoring
Us, we pressed through them and fed at the
top Of our speed down the road. As we ran
espied a pathway winding up hillside away
from the town and cried: Let US go up
there; let us get away from the streets" My
uncle answered: No, no: they would see us
there Immediately at that height; the path is
too conspicuous Our best safety is to lose
ourselves in the town. We may throw them
OFF our track by winding in and out of the
streets just then little child, playing in
the road, got in our way and nearly threw
us down as we ran. We had to pause mo-
ment TO recover ourselves. That child may
have cost US our lives" whispered my uncle
breathlessly. \ second afterward we reached
the bottom of the street, which branched off
right and left. | hesitated a moment: then
we both turned to the right. As we did So
in the twinkling of an eye-we found our
selves in the midst of a group of soldiers
coming round the corner. ran straight into
the arms Of one Of them, who the same in
slant knew me and seized me by throat and
waist with a grip of iron This was a horri-
BILE moment. The iron grasp was sudden and
solid as the grip Of wise; the mans arm
held my waist like bar of steel.
II arrest You = he cried, and the soldiers
Immediately closed round us.
At once l realized the hopelessness OF the
situation, the utter futility of resistance.
''VouS n'avez pas beSoin de me tenir ainsi,"
said to the officer, ''j'irai tranquillement"
He looSened his hold and we were then
marched of to another military station, in
a different part OF the town from that
whence we had escaped. The man who had
arrested me was q sergeant or some officer in
petty command. Hetook me alone with him
into the guard room and placed before me on
wooden table some papers which he told
me to fill in and sign Then he sat down OPP
posite to me and looked through the papers.
They were forms, with blanks left for des-
criptions, specifying the name, occupation,
age, address and so forth OF ARE sted persons.
signed these, and, pushing them across the
table to the man, asked him what was to be
done with us.
''You will be shot," he replied, quickly and
decisively.
Both of uS7' | asked
Both" he replied
But said |, my companion has done
nothing To deserve death. He was drawn
into this struggle entirely by me. Consider,
too, his advanced age. His hair is white; he
stoopS. and had it not been for the difficulty
with which he moves his limbs, both OF us
would probably he at this moment in a place
OF safety. What can YOU gain by shooting
an Old man such as her
The officer was silent. He neither favored
nor discouraged me by his manner. While I
sat awaiting his reply glanced at the hand
with which had just signed the papers, and
a sudden idea flashed into my mind
N'Ar Least " / sail ppa |
Ii my uncle must die, let me die first
Now / made this request for the following !
reason: In my right hand the line Of life !
broke abruptly half way in its length. indi- |
eating sudden and violent death But the |
point at which 1t broke was terminated by a |
perfectly marked square, extraordinarily |
clear cut and distinct Such a square occur |
ring al the end of broken line. means res
cue, salvation. had long been aware Of this |
strange fguration IL my hand and had often (
wondered what it presaged But now. as
once more l looked at 1t, it came upon me
with sudden conviction that in some way | |
was TO be delivered from death at the last .
moment, and thought that if this be so il
would be horrible should my uncle have been
killed first. If / were 70 be saved | should 4
certainly save him also, for my pardon would 1
involve the pardon Of both. or my rescue the /
rescue of both Therefore, it was Important /
10 provide for his safety until after my fate I
was decided. The officer seemed TO take this I
last request into more serious consideration /
than the first. Ee said shortly:
II may be able TO manage that for -ou,T /
and then st once rose AID took up the papers 4
] had signed
s.Vhen are we to be shotr asked him
ssTo-rorrow morning. be reriiei as I