Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-07-04


his own had conceived and executed a
crimel Those hands. joined upon the
confessional were red with blood'-were
perhaps still soiled with il as il had run
from the veins of his victiml
And In the horror that assailed the
Ahhe Faher as the peniient spoke there
was possibly little terror, for he could
find no words in which 20 respond but
the conventional
Confess, confess, my son; the mercy
of God il infinite
well listen to my story" said the
man his voice vibrating and harsher
than ever In its hopeless sorrow.
by trade am mason. a layer of
brick and stone. and came 10 Paris al 20
years OF age with "A friend and compan-
ion of my childhood and from my own
village We lived together and learned
TO read together AT the public schools,
He was called Philippe and was more
than a brother to me. and am called
jacques He was also tall, handsome. a
good worker and carried his heart in his
hand L. ON the contrary, was heavy,
dull. not even rs good mason as Phi
hppe, yet SO proud Of having such a friend.
so glad 10 walk beside him In the boule-
wards and TO have him clap me on the
back and call me his great stupid. In
short. ! loved him, and though he left
me three-quarters Of the time 20 go and
amuse himself with his comrades in the
cafes still loved him.
I'll was natural at his age: he was
happy and liked pleasure; he was free,
with no cares 10 worry him. and was
not free--l was forced to be saving. for
had an old and infirm mother in my vii.
lage home who needed all could give
her. IL was for this | first began to take
my meals with woman who lived in
the same house with me and made her
living by furnishing the pot-au-feu for
all the masons.
Philippe did not do this, but ate else
where. and | remained. perhaps for an
other reason--I loved the daughter of
tile household. loved her madly Poor
Catherine! and you will see presently,
NJ. le Cure. to what all this is coming.
lived there for three years without tell
ing her of my love for her | was too
poor. too indifferent a worker, ana
scarcely earned sufficient TO care for my
self and my mother. When she left me
for heaven. for slie was good and pious
woman. | did better-I saved little
money--enough. 1t seemed TO me, to
start household. spoke to Catherine.
and at first she said neither yes nor no
"Parhleul was not attractive-I see
1t now. and ii was not until her mother,
who liked me well, talked on my side
that our marriage was finally agreed
upon. All, NJ lie Cure. spent then
some happy weeks. though feared thai
Catherine had only accepted me and did
not love me. But she was u good girl,
with a good heart. and meant to wait
/ II loved her so much she would surely
| love me.
"of course, had told Philippe, whom
saw every day upon the seaffolding--
we were then employed by the same pa
tron-told him. ! say. everything. The
result. NJ. lie Cure. you have doubtless
OWNED Philippe was a handsome man.
| gay. free handed. everything. in short.
that was not, and soon, without either
of them intending IL. Catherine was mad
about him She WIS good girl, as I've
told you, and she told me of II as soon
as she knew ii herself All the same.
shall never forget that moment
/ "Ah. WELL loved them. loved them
both. NJ. 10 Cure. and believed il would
De for their happiness Philippe had al.
ways made good salary. but had saved
nothing | gave him my savings. he
purchased furniture. and they We're mar.
ried Everything at first went we'll. and
there was one child, boy. named Ca
mile, and was the godfather; IL wa
after the birth of the child that thing,
began to go wrong. | had been mistaken
Philippe was not meant for marriage
he loved pleasure and gay company tot
much You. who spend your life anon,
the poor. Nj. lie Cure. know by heart thii
sad history. in the beginning the worke
who little by little glides into idleness
drunkenness and absences of two an.
three days. then who reports only at Ih
end Of week. makes a scene and end
by beating his wife. In less than twl
years Philippe had become one of thes
unfortunates-
I'm the beginning sought TO stop hin
to correct him. my remonstranees onl
made him furious. separated US an
stripped The household for the furnishin
of the Monte do Piete all the faster. On
night he had the shamelessness TO max
mo shameless proposal-of his owl
wife, too. that poor. pale Catherine. a
honest as the Holy Virgin. There was
scene between us, accusations and in
suits. heaped upon us both by thi
drunken fool ! struck him. andre
. nouneed even seeing Catherine and m
godson. Philippe only saw when W
chanced 10 meet (which, as he workel
but little. was infrequentlyl on the sam
. building.
"Still loved them all too well to los
them from sight: yet could only prov
the quarter on Saturday nights whei
Philippe had gone 10 drink up the wage
he had just received. and II there was 10
much misery IN the household. which
learned by listening TO the gossips, doinI
; what could to relieve Il. Philippe. tn
shameless. discovered this. and. tindinl
that would still come to the aid OF hi
wife and child. found 1t very agreeable.
: ITO abridge--years passed thus, Phi
: lippe ever sinking deeper and deeper int
vice. but Catherine. with my help, ha'
been able to bring up her son as brave
: honest and true a. herself, though not a
u mason. worker. like me. No, he wa
q scholar. designer. u pupil of the nigh
: schools, who was able 20 earn good sal