St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-03-12

Then venture TO say that I shoul
not like, under present circumstances
to trust my life in the hands of Wi
liam Byerly, provided there were
single chance of his escaping detectio
in case of willful murder"
VERY we'll May now proceed?"
Eyes, monsieur"
"You will please answer to eac
statement of mine as IL . questio
were directly put On your way {
Dover . fellow-passenger made you
acquaintance?"
"YeA"
You first saw him at Tumbridgc?"
"YeA"
"You first noticed him while 70
were taking some refreshments 1T
restaurant"
"YeS"
''IIe came up alongside Of you. hav
ing q carpet-bAg in his hand, and mad
some commonplace remark about tn
weather."
"Yes," I continued to answer. gel
ting more and more astonished ever,
minute.
| What could il all mean? Had ever,
action of my life been noted, and TO
what purpose? My strange interroga
tor proceeded:
This stranger was dressed in blacl
coat. with black cloth buttons, stripet
trousers, . parti-colored tie. . whit,
hat and patent-lcather boots?"
"Yea"
''ne had reddish hair, reddisl
whiskers. . dorid complexion, and
wore . green patch over his left eyer
"Yea"
After some commonplace remarka
he vcntured to ask you which way yos
were traveling?"
Yes"
"You replied You were going K
Paris?"
Yes"
He was delighted to hear it. be
cause he was going there also. and Il
was very pleasant, in . foreign coun,
try, to have q travelling companion
from ones native land?"
YES"
''Ou the whole, he made 50 favorable
IN impression upon your unsuspicious
mind. that you were quite pleased to
have his company"
"YeA"
'Gn your way to Dover, he gave you
some account of his past life-of his
trials. struggles. disappointments and
successes?"
YES"
''he was an inventor-a man Of
genius, who had lived to beuefit man.
kind and himself? England owed
much to him. and SO did France and 70,
in fact, did the whole world?"
Ills statements were to that effect
''verv well. monsieur, - have
shown you that know the nature Of
your conversation, it is not necessary
that l weary you with detail This
man, this inventor, was going to Paris
to take out . patent for new motive
that was destined to rsvo-
lutionise the world. He was very sorry
he could not show Il to you then: but
until his papers should De filed in the
proper department he would not trust
his own father with the secret"
"An correct monsieur"
'sNow, most unfortunately. - Il ap-
peared. ON reaching Dover, where you
were to take the regular steamer for
Calais. your new acquaintance in some
way unknown to You received the
startling intelligence that his father
was lying 1t the point Of death. which
would require him to post to London
and would you, in whom
he had every confidence, do him tho
favor 70 take charge of . small box
some important papers and
On your arrival in Paris open it and
deliver them to the proper addressed"
"Yes. monsieur" said !, becoming
most intensely interested.
Curiosity. monsieur continued The
lis not one Of your fail.
nRa an happy to ssy. or yoa might
,ot now be living to hear what l have
10 reveal"
Good heavens!" calculated I, ''what
5 coming now?"
THAT same box, monsieur. Il IN in.
crnal machine, intended to destroy
'our life the moment you open it!'
Can IL be?" exclaimed, with .
brill Of horror. ''Can this be possible?"
Il will prove Il Get it. and como
With me before . commissary Of
Dolice!"
''Pray, monsieur, who are your
"A secret agent of police"
I hastened to get the box. handling
t with great care, and together No
to the nearest commissary,
vhen. with my permission. IL WAS split
pen, and 10! to my astcnished and
gaze was revealed arrow OF
mall. loaded pistols. SO arranged that
I'd unlocked and opened the box In
n ordinary way, they would have
zen discharged into my body.
On my subsequently asking for IN
xplanation concerning this mysterious |
nair-how 80 much connected with |
,yself and others had become known
D the police Of . foreign city-l wes
ravely but politely answered:
1T is not allowed us, mo nsieur. 70 |
eveal our sources Of information.
We are happy to have thwarted the
lans of . villain and saved your hfe.
never knew who that villain was.
hsngh l always suspected Byerly OF
. ring . hand in it. do not know
nat my life was ever again attempted.
ut certain il 10 I never again per-
lifted intimacy from IN unknown
ranger.
On nv accession to the title and
states, which occurred the following
ear, did not forget to reward
ugene St Medard. alias Henri Pom
ct, secret agent Of police. ss ] thought
E deserved to be rewarded for the
of my life; and TO this
" have not ceased tC wonder over
,e perfection Of the French system OF
olice.
With the exception Of Substituting
ctitious names for real ones the fore
ping may be regarded as the anthem
G narrative of an English nobleman
, sa American friend-N. !. Ledgcs