The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-17
A JOHNSTOWN ROMANCE.
Lovers Severed by Soothing Unbelief
Reunited by the Visitation
of Providence.
(BY MARY KYLE DALAs.)

During my ~sojourn in Dion, / was on
intimate terms With ana eccentric indi-
vidual named Eu5tache Loriot, a man of
some forty years of age, fresh, rudy,
fair complexioned, rather stout, of me
dunn height, a large head, with forehead
unduly prominent, Socratic nose and
china blue eyes.
He was a deputy judgeo the tribunal,
but his duties leaving him considerable
leisure, and being possessed of an inde-
pendent fortune, he had early abandoned
himself to a passion for bric-a-brac. His
collection comprised a little of every
thing-rare books, medals, old china.
He was, moreover, a member of an an
tiquarian society, to which he addressed
enthusiastic and prolix memoirs on each
of his discoveries.
Like many collectors, he displayed a
childish simplicity and credulity on the
subject of his antiquities, Apropos of a
fragment of china or a piece of old iron,
his imagination suggested to him mar
velous histories, which he ended by be-
lieving in as firmly as in the articles of
faith.
He had found, for example, in a sec
ond hand shop, a shapeless mask of
forged iron, pierced with three holes for
the eyes and mouth, and he was per-
fectly convinced that he possessed the
identical iron mask that had served to
conceal the features of the mysterious
prisoner of Saint Marguerite and the
Bastile. He had very nearly quarreled
with me for venturing to insinuate,
mildly, that according to authentic ac-
counts the famous iron mask was of
black velvet, and that, moreover, had it
been of iron, it was not likely that in
the Seventeenth century-that epoch of
skilled workmanship-there would not
have been found for o prisoner of i'm
portanee something less heavy and less
uncomfortable than this lump of iron.
Although married, Eustache Loriot
was childiess. His wife was a pretty
brunette of 90 years, well made, lively,
with a pair of dangerous dark eyes, and
a light down on the upper lip.
Elegant, pleasure loving, she found life
extremely dull in the silent house in the
Quarter DIES Grangettes. where her hus-
band accumulated his treasures, and
where no visitors were received except
ing a few old antiquarians and a young
lawyer, a friend of Loriot's, and, like
him, an amateur in rare books. This
celebrated advocate, Frederic Simonnet
by name, was not more Than 80 years of
age, and passed for the head Of the
Dion bar.
He often came to borrow from Loriot's
library, and the evening on which I had
the pleasure of making his acquaintance
he had just brought back a fine copy of
"Daphnis and Chloe" bound in red
orocc
"See," said Loriot, proudly, handing
the book to me, there is a rare book
that came from the library of NJ. DIES
Armoises, a gentleman of Lorraine, who
was imprisoned during the Terror, con-
demned to death, and whose mistress, a
laundress, aided him to escape on the
morning of the day fixed for his execu-
ton. I secured this book for almost
nothing at the sale of the effects of the
daughter of the very woman who saved
Des ArmoiSes.s
Itook the book, and while turning the
leaves remarked a singular circumstance.
Here and there, from page to page, whole
lines were UNDERSIGNED with minute dots
or hyphens, some in red ink, others in
yellow ink, and having the appearance
of age.
"Ah, this is curious ] murmured;
shave you noticed this popularity in
your copyP" I asked of Loriot, showing
him the marked pages. At the same
time, / raised my head and was struck
by the uneasy, troubled expression of
the lawyers countenance. / turned to-
ward Mime. Loriot and was astonished
to see her pretty face reflect, as in a
mirror, the confusion in Frederic Simon
nets.
Loriot had perceived nothing. His
near sighted eyes fixed on the volume,
he was turning the pages, murmuring:
Eyes, it is very strange, and what is
strangest of all is that it had escaped me
until now. And you, Sinonnet, had you
remarked it,"
81? No." responded the lawyer, red
dening slightly; 81 attached no import
ance to it,"
During this time the young wife had
not uttered a word, but was bending over
the fire, stirring it nergously.
"No importance" cried Loriot, firing
up; ''for my part I think there is an his
torical enigma there, a mysterious Ian
guage to which I shall discover the key
you shall see, you shall seei"
And he rubbed his hands.
Some eight days after I met Loriot,
and, with characteristic impetuos7ty, he
seized me by the arm.
"My friend" he said, 81 am ON the
track, and before long I shall discover
the key! Here is what I have found so
far" Cat the same time drawing the COPY
of ''Daphnis and Chloe" from his pocket.
'tIn the first place." he continued, in
opening the volume, ''notice that the
dots are always in yellow ink and the
hyphens always in red ink. They seem
to answer each other. Now, it isevident
TO me Uiiat Dies Arinolses kept inns Dol
in his prison, and his mistress, visiting
him there, sometimes took away and
sometimes returned the volume, SO that
with the aid of a cipher the two lovers
used it as a means of correspondence.
Hal is not that a~ningenious explanation
Only l have not yet discovered the ker
tn tho climber hlIt with patienca I shall