San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-14


English woman. Are you seeing the siShts1"
"Yes, trying to-"
They arc not grand, monsieur, but it is a
pleasant place. Has monsieur been long from
Londonf'
"Ah! And monsieur can only speak Eng
fish. 1t is too bad"
"Yes, so it is
understood chat his object was to find out
something about me, and that it did him lots
of good to have me tacitly admit thst was
an Englishman when he knew better. could
speak French and he knew it, but he encour-
aged me to deny it. In this way he could
make me out a suspicious character. He was
with me for two hours, and we seemed to
part with regret. That evening as walked
out he followed me in a new disguise. He lost
sight of me only as l slept until took the
train for Paris At Rouen we had a delay of
half an hour owing to accident and a second
spy took me in charge. He was got up as
shopkeeper on his way to Paris on business,
and be addressed me in French and / answered
him promptly enough. | felt sure of his
identity, and as we rode together he exhibited
the despicabe side of character for which the
political spies were notorious. He had dis
covered that | was an American travelling
fer pleasure lure: ,or,ou. - IT,. j., u,,,u,,,,
where the masses reignl" he exclaimed. The
Americans are right to detest monarchy
Monarchy Is corruption and oppression"
Your people don't seem to think So"
But they do, monsieur
Then why don't they make republic
herep'
He was delighted at my expression. Tha,
was information for which he would get
credit with his chief He entered Paris with
me. drove to the same hotel, and as soon as
had gone to my room he disappeared Two
hours later a very genteel looking man paid
me a visit and introduced himself as an official
of the bureau of public safety | was for
eigner. 1t was his duty to inspect my papers
Monsieur is English. believe. and from
London!" he queried
NO. am an American, from New York.
sol Does monsieur travel for pleasurnf
oh, no am in France to buy chestnut>
for the American army"
"Chestnuts for soldiers he queried. THAT
is strange Monsieur speaks Frcnch?"
Sorry to say that my French is failure
"Ah, so! will look at the papers"
They were papers, as | have said, that no
official would dare to question, and, after
looking them over, ne bowed very low, and
inquired
"Will monsieur remain long in France"
THAT will depend on the state of the chest
nut Market" replied.
During the day called upon the secretary
of legation for consultation, and when | told
him of the spies, he said that every American
in the country was under surveillance to
greater or less degree. The war in the United
States was exciting the French people and
making them restless, and the. political police
had been doubled in number Revolution
was breeding, and Napoleon was determined
to apply the knife with vigorous hand Sus
poets were arrested and imprisoned in the
most arbitrary manner, and no one felt that
he could trust any one outside his own fam
lily
| was to go from Paris to Reims Spies
had followed me everywhere in Paris, and
planned to get out of the city without being
Swallowed. The clerk at the hotel office
hoped | would give him days notice of my
intended departure. He wanted to inform
the SPIES but determined to beat HIM.
ate my dinner as usual, went out for stroll
and when returned rushed for valise, al
ready prepared, demanded my bill on the in,
slant and was out of the house in ten minutes
pleading a case of life or death. went on
foot for three squares, engaged cab to take
me to the station from which l could depart
from Versailles and as soon as he had put me
down and departed walked away and en-
gagged another vehicle to convey me to the
right depot We arrived ten minutes be
fore the departure of the train, and | pur
has inlya ar md q yxxyifh fba
AS came to know subsequently, there was
a great row raised over my departure. Spies
were sent out by the dozen, kilograms de
spatched by the score, and arrived at Reims
to find a crowd of no less than six officials
awaiting to arrest me. 1t was not exactly an
arrest, either As left the train an official
touched me on the arm and respectfully said
Monsieur the American will oblige me?'
If possible" replied, knowing well what
was coming.
Then monsieur will accompany me in my
carriage to make a call at headquarters"
Two carriages followed ours, and after q
drive of a mile we drew up at the headquarters
of the bureau of public safety in Reims. Ii
was miSnomer. 1t should have been called
the bureau of public peril, for the arbitrary
measures of this department were making
fresh enemies every hour in the day. The
chief was very pompous and dignified man
He received me politely, but coldly, and the
first question asked was:
SIS monsieur guilty of some crime that he
leaves Paris so secretly2"
III left when got ready, and after my own
fashion. Here are my papers. Examine
them and satisfy yourself"
He looked them over. No official in France
dared dispute them or put me under arrcs.
after seeing them.
But why did monsieur claim RI ha an t1nu