Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-05-10
SELECTED STORIES.
CARTOUCHE.

S<AAtA ~ S4AALs
One night In Mime. du Chatelet's draw.
ing room the conversation turned upon the
question of bandits and mountain robberA
The Cheyalier de Bouffiers described them
In most sympathetic terms.
"Well really" said Mime. du Chatelet,
II should fall In love with men like that.
Tell me, M. de Bouffiers-you who were
once an abbe-in what terms would you
speak Of the saints ON the calendar"
How can you expect one to feel any In
terest In persons so we'll fxed In heaven ~
they arei" said M. de Bouffiers-
Nine. du Chatelet knew what she was
- saying. She had found good opportunity
to hear M. Voltaire tell q touching story,
and knowing that he was not good story
teller she imagined that the death Of Car
touche In his hands would be funny rather
than touching. He entered the lists, how
ever, and told the story of the legend a. fol-
lows:
The name Cartouche belongs 20 the his
tory Of the eighteenth century. Cartouchs
was a rogue who. while only at for the
treadmill, has always been looked upon ~
a hero. None was drawer than he, and his
naughty valor he we'll knew how to use T.
enlist in the services of crime.
His arrest and subsequent death wers
events that woke Paris out of the ennui
that possessed it at the time.
His peculiar character and bold spirit had
made his name known to all France. His
death was almost looked upon a. q public
loss. He was to be broken on the wheel at
Q o'clock on a Tuesday In the Place de
Greve.
He greeted the crowd as comedian who
haa haar xxyalI raooivaA hio and
He even had passing smile for the women.
But suddenly Cartouche became very
pale, and asked leave to speak to the mag
istrate Much to the disgust of those who
had paid for their windows and could not
spare the time. he was led to the Palais de
Justice.
Why that sudden pallors Why was death
not to be his fate that dayi .-
The fact was, Cartouche was In love, al.
though the jaws Of death had already hall
closed on him. Love is always love, even
with rogues and villains-that's the chief
value OF it. There was In the crowd that
day a woman whom Cartouche hoped ia
recognise. She was to have attempted Q
rescue with the aid Of the rest of the band.
II she could not attempt rescue, she should
at least be there to make him . sign oi
adieu-the last on earthl
Seeing no one tuoIo, no WI bo1xco Will
anger and jealousy.
his teeth. $50 she has forgotten me already,
has shei Then she and her companions
shall also die with me-"
To the magistrates Cartouche accordingly
made some statements which greatly sur
prised them, as before IL had been impos
sible to get a word out Of him. The woman
and her accomplices were arrested and
brought to Cartouche.
She was q beautiful girl, natural daugh.
ter Of a titled rake, the Baron d'Arciao,
and Cartouche had carried her OFF instead
of pillaging her fathers chateau. She had
soon become used to the rowing life of her
bandit lover, and in her passionate love for
him she had forgotten every other senti
ment. She had fallen deep into that abyss
Of darkness that swallows up the very
strongest and spares not even the weakest
Her name was Marie Angelique, and he
called her Marie-Ange-Angel Marie-two
divine names, and for him significant OF
heaven itself in helli
She was brought roughly in by the arch
ers and threw herself into the arms Of her
condemned lover. Cartouche's hands had
been relieved Of their chains, 80 that he
could write down the names of his accom-
plices.
II have come to die with you." she mur-
INJURED softly to him.
why did you not come a. you promised
to the scene Of my execution" he asked.
Because was kept away by force" she
answered quickly "The other men of our
band said / must not see you killed They
said 1t would kill me-" "
A look of relief passed over Cartouche's
face.
"Now that you are here. " he said. II shall
die content"
But am going to die with you." she
answered.
"Do not be foolish; you will console your
self for my DEATH" he said bitterly.
Never"
"It is who should say never" And the
condemned man raised nne hand and point
ed to the sky.
The officers were waiting impatiently.
They showed signs of wanting to pull the
girl away, but her beauty seemed to make
them hesitate. She would certainly have
been arrested had he not sworn that she
was guilty only of loving him-nothing
more
'Then why did you have her sent for a.
an accomplice" they asked him.
~ wanted to see her once more" he an
swered sadly. "Just once."
He folded his arms round her In q pas
sionate embrace, and tor the last time their
lips-hers 20 fresh and red and his 20 pale
met in q long kiss.
Then she was gone, and he was being
dragged to the scaffold.
wait, waltz cried Marie-Ange. rush.
ing after him once again. You've forgot
ten something"
She passed gold ring onto his little hn-