Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-12-08

4 1T. !"
The chevalier was right It was
quite clear that it was not him she
cared about. Yet though her prefer
ence was fattering it was also embar-
RAISING. and when Carmine put an end
| to our colloquy by asking me to take a
| glass of wine with him l felt decidedly
| relieved.
After leaving the prison we went to
! Lacluse's quarters, where l was pro-
| ridcd with a comforta BILE bedroom next
his own. In the evening we supped at
| a restaurant in the Palais Royal, and
then betook ourselves to the Rue de la
Victoire, in fulfllment of my promise to
Mime. Bonaparte, and in the hope that
might have an opportunity of speaking
to the general about De Gex. Two or
three carriages were at the door, and in
the salon we found several officers in
uniform, among whom Lacluse pointed
out Lannes, Murat, Berthier aad K1e-
Der Bonaparte wore his generals uni
form. which. as thought. became him
| much better than that of the Institute.
Though physically the smallest man in
the room, he had beyond all compare
the most powerful face. In looking at
him one quite forgot that he was little;
and the group of generals to whom he
was speaking with characteristic energy
! listened to him with marked defer
ence
Nine. Bonaparte beckoned me to her.
| Il am glad you are come" she said
'sYou have seen this poor NJ. De Gex?" -
| Yes. madame"
''And LEI. hin, happy. srpposee"
| ''As happy Us man can be who ex-
poets to die" ": !a.t .s-....
you surely doa't mean"
He thanks You warmly for your
! Kindness, madame. and though he would
gladly serve under your glorious hus-
| band. regrets deeply that his principles
will not permit hi1n TO accept commits
! sion from the directory; though he
| knows. of course. that his refusal is
likely to cost him his life
Nine. Ioaaparte appeared to be much
! hurt.
! This comes of trying to serve peo-
/ Pile she said. bitterly. st is nothing
! less than an insult. These royalists are
too stupid for anything. Bonaparte
win be very angry"
/ As she spoke he came up to US. srnil-
! ing. and with the air u a man who has
! something pleasant to i.npart- -
1T is all arranged" he said. THE
/ commission OF Capt de Gex win be
| signed il the morning, and on Thurs
/ day he must be en route for Italy. l
/ hare given the necessary orders. hope
! You are satisfied with what l have done
| for your friend, NJ. R>y?"
! How should tell him? I looked at
! Nine. Bonaparte. but instead of help
| ing ne out she Elurmured something
| about wanting TO speak to Murat, and
| left ne in the iurch-
Il am very sorry, general" I began.
''but De Gex-''
Enough, know what You are GO
| ing to say" interrupted the general
stero1y. lie refuses 20 serve
His priaciplcs-'' :!
principles. Don't talk to me of the
| principles Of man wko lived at his
ease il London while his country was
engaged in struggle for existence
with the confessed kings of Europe. 1
| understand him perfectly. He is one Of
those men who believe that it were bet
ter for France to peris., than not be
ruled By a bourbon"
Il do not presume to argue tie point
with You. general De GeX knows best
what COMFORTS with his own honor.
And he has 10 illusions; he is quite
aware that IN refusing your offer-for
which he desired rae to tender You his
warmest t.i.nks-he pronounced his
| own doom. lie asl1s only one favor
that his sentence may take place with
out further delay, land that he may be
executed Is y solGier.r
'.As to tina. can do nothing. I have
done with hi1a. You can ask Barras, if
you like. He is here. Shall l intro
| ducc you to him?"
Without waiting for my answer
Bonaparte turned toa tall parsonage Of
commanding presence, with naughty,
d;ssolute face. to whom he talked earn
estly for few minutes: then he beck
oned to me, and. after formally intro
ducing US, rejoined his generals I
$50 your friend De Gex is too high
minded to serve in the armies of the
French republic" slids Barras, with
sneer '.He Is also in a hurry and wants
to be Shot. He really does not deserve
any such indulgence; but, to oblige you,
sir, will try to meet his views. Gex
viii be shot at ten o'clock tomorrow
morning, within the precincts of the
prison. And you may tell hiIa from me
Ltts-t iisiti Ic Otch d liItfc
and not asked you to intercede for him
his sentence would probably have been
co-nmuted to 4 short term of inprison-
ment or I few years Punishment. We
arc beginning to make a distinction be-
tween e1nigrants who have fought
against France and those who have not.
Citizen Gex belongs to the. latter cate
CORY. and would have been the first to
profit by the new regulation. You.
know now why his execution was de-
layed-" ,gD# laEE -
But surely, citizen director, you will
not punish him for anothcrs fanlt? !
alone an to blame. It was ! who APP
pealed to Gen. Bonaparte."
He viii not be punished for another's
fault. He has refused to serve; and the
man who will not fight for his country
is only one degree better than the man
who fights against her. BESIDES. / always
keep my promise. and have promised
that De Ger shall be shot"
Having delivered this parting shot,
Barras left me to my thoughts, and was
presently engaged in lively converse
ton with Nine. and Gen Bo1aParte-
These thoughts, as may be supposed.
were none of the pleasantest I had
played my game badly. Instead. Of saw
ing the ehevalier's life r had lost it.
Had I not neddled in the mat
ter. his reluctance to- serve would
never have been known and they