Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-06-19

rope which was fastened on the Other
side, she with difficulty refrained from
screaming aloud.
"Theodore!" she whispered; Oh, Theo-
dore! my Theodore! that it should be
wrong for me to meet thee; that We
who were once betrothed lovers, should
come to this. I"
4 But the next moment he had caught
her hands and kissed them, and she for
got oil but that they were together.
This was the first meeting, but it was
not the last Night after night, when
the old people were asleep, and in his
own chamber, mile or two away, NJ.
Thibault snored peacefully. Theodore
and Rosine sat side by side more
Familiarity than they ever had before, in
the garden under the pear trees, while
Nannette, the maid, kept watch without
the little side door.
All this had been going on for some
time, when one night Rosine took her
usual place to wait tor Theodore. She
heard the stealthy step US usual. She
saw the little form mount the wall and
stand in full relief against the golden
moon, just at that moment rising. Then
10 faint CRY of horror fell upon her ear,
and it vanished from her sight. There
was dull thud upon the earth without
Ia groan, and silence.
Theodore had slipped and fallen to
the ground. For some moments be re-
manned insensible, Rosine, nearly mad
with terror, stood wringing her hands
within the garden.
Her maid, who had seen all, hurried
down the path. Neither OF the girls
knew what was best to do. At last
Nannette. stout young peasant girl,
clambered up into the largest pear tree,
and managed to get her chin on level
with the wall. She could not see any
thing below, but she heard move
ment.
IN. Theodore" she whispered, Speak
if you can. Ny mistress is nearly
frightened to DEATH
A faint voice replied to her:
"Give my love to your mistress. 1
am not much hurt, but it will be the
best for me to go home now. think
there has been some noise"
And then the two girls ran indoors,
Rosine in terrible state of agitation.
She knew that Theodore had been more
injured than he. would confess, And
this indeed was true. He had broken
his arm, and felt deathly faintness
creeping over him. His one hope was
to manage to get far enough from the
house OF Old Michaud, to prevent any
suspicion Of the manner in which he
had met with his accident; and at the
first turning he left the street and hur-
rice on hoping to procure some assist
ance before he lost the power of speech
and motion.
At last, amidst the darkened windows,
he saw one in which q light burnt.
Drawing nearer, he saw that the door
stood open, and heard some noise with
in. His strength was nearly gone.
He made use of what remained Ito
stagger under the doorway, and fell
prone at the foot of the stairs just as an
old man in night-gown, with candle
in one hand and a poker in the other,
rushed down them, shouting at the top
of his voice, Thieves! murder! Help!
Police police!"
This old man was Pierre Blanc, q re-
puted miser, who had just before
awakened to find two masked men in
the room, one of whom held him, while
the other plundered his cash-box.
After much struggling. he had sue
ceeded in dealing one Of the rascals q
heavy blow with a cudgel which he al
ways kept under his pillow, and had
been knocked senseless in return.
When he came to himself he was in per.
feet darkness, and it had taken him
some time to strike light, but to his
great joy, when he had done SO, he
found, as he supposed, one of the rob.
bers lying wounded on tie floor of his
house.
The old mans shouts soon brought
assistance, and he told his story as PEG
pie usually do, in manner which re-
Elected most credit upon himself.
he declared he had defended himself
against both robbers, and wounded one
"and there he lay, the rascal, before
them"
"But this is Theodore Thibault, the
son of old Monsieur Thibault," criei
one of the assembled group. "He is NJ
robber, monsieur"
Nevertheless, it is all as I said," de
clared Pierre Blanc.
And on his word the poor wounded
Theodore was carried to prison.
| It was some time before he under
stood the charge that had been mad.
against him but when he did he at once
formed noble resolution. Suffer VIVA
he might, shame, imprisonment, what
ever it might be. he would guard Rosinei
honor. No one should ever know tina
it was in endeavoring to meet her alon,
at midnight in the garden of her father
house that he had met with this acct
dent.
The day of his trial came at last, Til,
court was crowded. Pierre Blanc wa
ready to swear to his story. The police
man and neighbors were witnesses t,
the fact that Theodore had been founi
lying insensible at the foot Of the miser'
staircase on the night of the robbery.
4 The prisoner himself had only his 30
sition and good character in his favor
Not a word would he utter in his owl
behalf save simple assertion of his in
nocence. Old NJ. Thibault was weep
ing like child. NJ. N1ichaud, who hat
always liked the young fellow, ant