Middletown transcript., 1892-03-17

s
steeple, there was murmur OF con-
sternation from the watching crowd,
but terror became paroxysm when
Jean, near the middle of his ascent,
almost lost his equilibrium by the
breaking of an iron eaten by rust.
The upturned faces were pale with
emotion, but the dexterous slater
quickly grasped a higher hook.
Nevertheless, he was long In
mounting. It was nearly 8 o'clock IN
the afternoon when he touched the
base Of the cross at the top Of the
steeple. He lashed himself fast there
to, feet and body, and began his first
work-the painting Of the flag. In
about half an hour cheers and ap
plause broke from the crowd; the
national colors fioated over the
steeple.
The hardest part, though, was yet
to be done; the cock had to go up.
Two feet more to mount; and to
crown the danger, it was the cross
that had to be climbed, that is to say,
mere bar of iron.
In December it is soon night; al
ready the watchers saw but family
outlined form amid the mists Of twi-
light, and they began to grow un-
easy. How would poor jean Renard
manage nowf He could no longer
see to work, and was now in greater
danger than ever.
Suddenly a small light showed IN
the darkening night. Jean Renard,
being careful man, had thought to
carry with him candle. Soon moth
ing more could be seen but that tiny
light, cleaning on high like star
lost in the clouds, and the anxious
crowd began to disperse. Jean con-
tinued working.
On the morrow, at dawn, the early
risers of Grenouilleville saw fright
full sight.
Jean Renard hung, head down
ward, from the top of the steeple,
his feet still held by his ropes.
The unfortunate man had doubt
less lost his balance, and in falling
his work apron had turned back
ward, thus concealing his face. He
no longer moved; dead, probably.
some hours since.
The cure, who was at once APP
prised, expressed his sentiments in
intolerable form:
"Unlucky fellowl Well. at least,
he had put back the cockl"
"Yes," was replied, "but we cannot
leave the corpse up there; it must be
got down"
'That is true" said the priest; 1T
must be brought down, but who will
do It'll"
'That, Monsieur le Cure, is your
business. Get workmen from the
city, if you must, no matter at what
cost; the body Of Jean Renard must
not remain up there"
Get workmen from the city-that
was very expensive, and the cure
hesitated, but it had to be done. Just
then it was learned in the village that
the priest had pushed his avarice to
the point of trying to get his weather
cock repaired for nothing, and feel
ings of aversion for him developed
in the breasts of his parishioners.
A subscription was opened for the
orphans of the tiler, and the same
day 100 francs were paid in; little,
but the people of Grenouilleville were
not rich. A man had gone to the
city, but they asked 200 francs, and
the cure found that ridiculously ex-
orbitant. So the next day, the corpse
being still suspended from the steeple,
funeral ceremonies were held in front |
of the great church door, draped for
the occasion, and all Grenouilleville
Joined in the last prayers for Jean
Renard.
But to inter the body it had to be
got down from its lofty perch. The
fellow citizens of the slater this time
showed great decision. They would
have the body, and if necessary
would force the cure himself to go
and get it.
When that person left the church |
he found himself confronted by a
threatening crowd.
mo, Monsieur le Cure. He shall |
not stay up there. It is an outragep
''My good friends, I am quite Of
your opinion, SO get him DOWN.
''You shall go yourself since you
refuse to pay some one else to go,
and already the most audacious, the
anticlerical faction, pushed the cure
backward toward the church.
Thoroughly alarmed he at length
exclaimed:
1T is impossible; ] do not know
how to climb on roofs. I'll payl I'll
payi"
'They ask 200 francs to come from
the city," cried the men on all sides.
"Ohl-but I'll give theml'
''Stopi stop" cried a voice. I'll
do the job for 100 francs" and
man forced his way toward the cure |
through the amazed villagers.
Jean Renardl Jean Renardr
burst from their lips
It was indeed Jean. He explained
in few words how he had planned |
to trick the cure, who meant to get |
the better of him. After his work |
was finished he came down, entered |
the bell tower and dressed a wooden |
figure in his clothes; he then re-
mounted and hung his efigy from |
the steeple.
But efigy or not, it was a dishonor |
to Grenouilleville, suspended from |
their church spire, and must remain |
there no longer.
Jean Renard climbed up and un-
hooked the supposititious corpse,
which fell upon the square beneath |
amid general cheers and laughter.
The cure thus got the worst of the
bargain. His money, after all, paid
for the weathercock.