Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-06-21
thunder. the sound of muskstry close

sullen thunder, the sound Of musketry close
at hand.
At midday a hideous noise resounded
throughout the quarter. The houses rock
ed; fragments OF plaster fell from the cell
ing.
What was that? The explosion was too
loud for any shell, however Formidable. IL
was only the powder magazine at the Lux
embourg, which had just been blown up.
The Pantheon was expected momentarily.
And still Maman Schubert, with mods and
friendly smiles, assured her dearest Mad
anne Durand, 'cette pauyre cherie," that the
Versailles troops were carrying everything
before them. The Commune was surrender
ing without q blow. Order would be restor-
ed, Paris at peace, by Sunday morning.
"And we shall hear all the church-bells
ringing for mass, and see the people inthelr
Sunday clothes concluded Maman Schu-
bert cheerily.
SO the long day and the evening wore
through, and 1t was midnight, and there
was no sign of Kathleen.
She whose return wa SO eagerly awaited
in the Rue Git lie C9ur was not very far
afeId when the clocks chimed midnight.
She had wandered about Paris all day,
haunting the gates Of the prisons, inquiring
for her missing husband of every n who
seemed I'm the least likely TO be able to an.
sver. Had there been any new arrests made
within the last three days, n amongst the
new arrests was there young man, tall,
slim, with dark-gray eyes and marked brOws,
handsome, a journalist? AT the gates OF
Mazas. at the Great and the Little Roquette
at Sainte Pelagie, Mt La Sc.ite, the patient
pilgrim appeared, weary, with garments
whitened by the chalky dust Of the hard
dry roads which scorched her tired feet
dropping in body, yet brave OF soul, ques
tioning, seeking, watching, imploring. but
finding no trace OF the lost one.
Night was falling before she turned away
from the gates OF La Sante, the model pris-
on Of Paris, where General Chanzyhad been
imprisoned for seven weary days at the be-
ginning of the Co~mmune-night had fallen
as she walked slowly and YEARLY back 70
that part Of the city which she knew best,
where the Pont Neuf spans the Seine, and
the dark towers of Notre Dame stand out
strong and stern against the skyline. Night
had come, but not darkness. The crescent
moon shed her pale silvery light in the east,
and he stars were golden I'm the deep calm
azure Of a cloudless sky. But all at once
that azure vault grew dark, and the stars
vanished. Gigantic clouds OF black smoke
mounted to the sky, and then descended
earth ward, covering the city with an Inn
p%euetrable dome. Beneath this inky vault
all was lurld. An awful light glared and
glowed on the Quays, on the bridges in the
broad space in front Of the Hotel de Vile
Left bank and right bank blazed and glared'
} here some stately public Office, there q mil
lionalre's mansion, sent up its tribute oil
flame 10 swell the funeral pyre OF the doom
ed city. ''Chassepot and torch, shoot and
burn!' was the order Of the night. Yondel
In the Rue de Rlvoli they were fighting des
perately. Kathleen ran across the street
amidst a rain OF bullets, stumbling oyel
scattered corpses, deafened by the roar OF
the cannOnade. Slowly, despairingly, she
} wandered up and down those dreadful
streets, perpetually in danger, yet passing
scatbless through every peril. Now ane
then a savage scowling face looked at hel
interrogatively, and then passed by SENT
nels questioned, and let her pass. Their
was no harm In her. She had a distracted
look-a petroleuse who had proved Of too
weak mind for that patriotic work, per
haps. Women are feeble creatures. Thi
mes head had been turned. Only an IN
mate the more for the Maison des Fous.
Amidst blood and fire she wandered Z
and fro, pausing whenever there was a kno
of idlers at a corner TO listen to their talk
or repeat her old inquiries, Had there bee
any new aTr9s'S within the last three DAYS
A. ~ N