St. Paul daily globe., 1891-07-05

y
face of his dying father, which looked
kindly upon him, and because he
thought he heard word uttered by a
voice which death had silenced:
''Conscience''
He wiped his forehead and began to
laugh. His twitchIng fingers grasped
thirty notes of a thousand francs each.
The safe was closed. The window cur
tains were reOpened and the sunlight
flooded his Office. Below the omnibuses
rolled, the prOmenaders passed and all
noisy Paris gave itself up to pleasure.
Nothing had changed. There was only
one thief more.
Luck and Restitution.
That evening at the club he paid his
debt. Toward midnight he broke the
bank and in the morning, when he left,
drunken with gambling and staggering
upon his legs. he carried with him 50,-
600 francs which he had won.
AT 10 O'Clock the thirty notes had re-
sumed their place in the safe. 1t was
over. He no longer had anything to
fear-no longer anything but memoryi
But all day he tremDled nervOuSiy; he
said to himself:
IF Maitre Lance had returned-if the
robbery had been discovered, and it all
depended upon chance. l should have
been lost!''
Twenty years had elapsed. Maitre
Lance was dead. Georges de Chaverny
was married, and we find him again. al
ready worn by excessive toll and whit
ened locks. presiding over a session Of
the court of assiZes in Paris. His wife
was still living. He had a daughter
who was his joy, a son of whom he was
proud. and who like Georges, like his
grandfather. was destined for the mag
istracy. Chaverny lacked nothing TO
make him happy. And be- was so, for
memory of his Youthful error. Since
then his life had been spent in acts of
kindness and justice. He had made
himself beloved by everybody.
The session which was about to open
presented no interesting cases. Com
mon malefactors were to appear old
criminals and jailbirdS. Chaverny ran
over the papers which had been handed
him-four tTitiing theftS, some forgtr-
les. swindle.
Among the thefts, nevertheless,a case
attracted his attention. The first
charges, the examination of the ac-
cuSed, his admissions. his supplications,
all went straight to his heart. And
when he had read everything he arose
haggard. with his hands pressed to his
forehead, crying:
Conscience! Consciencew
The Dishonest Cashier.
He thought he had made mistake in
the reading, and began over again. No,
he had not been in error. This was how
the matter stood: Lavardin. cashier of
the Janselme establishment of the Rue
du SentieT, was a gamester, as Georges
had been in the past! One day he lost
and stole 5000 francs from his employ
er'S safe in the hope of winning and of
restoring them without arouSing suSpi-
cion-again like Georges! But he had
lost once more, and had been unable to
replace them. The theft had been dis
covered. Lavardin had been arrested.
And he was going to appear before the
court of AssiZeS!
And it is I-I-who am to be his
Judge" murmured Chaverny, terrified.
is it possible? Do l not dream? In
what is this wretch more guilty than
I. his judge? His crime is minel
Shall imposing, TO have quilted the
platform upon which he was seated be-
tween his associate Judges and to have
taken the place of Layardin on the
bench of the accused"
Yes. il was himself whom he distinct
ly saw between the soldiers Of the Rec
publican guard, while the curious
glances of the public converged upon
his person.
1t was he. George de Chaverny, who
was defending himself with tears in his
eyes. What other argument could he
have found? He had let himself be car
ried away. He bad Been weak, he had
gambled-he had stolen,
Monsieur lie President" said Layar-
din. Il have a mother who is infrm and
Old. She lives in the country, and every
month l sent her half my salary for her
support. She is ignorant of my crime
and my arrest. If you convict me, it
cannot long be concealed from her. IL
she does not die of shame and despair,
she VIII die of starvation"
The advocate was eloquent. With
mechanical movement of the head, the
president of the aSsiZes, forgetting that
his YiSage should remain rigid and al
low none of his impressions to be di-
vined. approved his arguments and
seemed to encourage him. From time
TO time the Judges glance met that of
the accused and 1t was not the accused
who lowered his eyes. Still detached
from himself. NJ. de Chaverny believed
he heard the lawyer pleading for him.
And he scrutiniZed the jury as II he
awaited from them his safety or his
ruin.
The Acknowledgement demanded the,ap-
plieation of the law against Lavardin.
The president was silent. The spec
tators we're looking at him. He should
sum up the case, but feared he would
not have the strength. Slowly he obeyed
the command of his duty. And it was a
defense of the accused which he pre-
sented. Then after having pointed out
the questions for the jury to answer, he
from the court room.
The Sentence.
Some minutes passed; then a bell
rang. 1t was the court. The jury pro-
claimed LaYardin guilty, but admitted
circumstances in his favor.
The president was greatly agitated.
pale his eyes cleaned with
singular light. His movements were
sudden and undecided. There was no
longer anything majestic or even digni-
fed in his attitude-nOthing but uneasi-
ness and shock. Sometimes he pressed
his long. slender white hand against his
bald forehead. He was striving to col
Iect his ideas. Then. in very low,
voice, he said:
The court, in consequence of the de-
nand of the advocat- general. and con-
sidering that there are eXtenuating cir
in favor of the accused
His voice weakened more and more,
and he could scarcely be heard when he
pronounced:
Hereby sentences Andre Lavardin
to two years Imprisonment and costs!"
''The president seemed ILL.," said the
lawyers. as they quilted the palace Of
Justice.
NJ. De Chaverny had come to his
home in the Rue d'Amsterdam. He
rad not responded to the loving greet
ngs of his wife or returned his daugh-
.er's kisses. He went to bed. stricken
lown by a burning fever. He had done
MS duty, but his duty was going to kill
him.
Nevertheless, in the morning he was
On his feet. He went out, presented
himself at the Elysee. and had an inter-
view which lasted an hour with J.. the
president of the republic. When he
eft the palace, after this interview, NJ.
lie ChaYernY'S ewes were red, as if he