The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-07-29
A ATREACHEROUSMAID

bHnC6 lTOLu lue Cllg VI hg Oub' Dub uhu /
four servants, and the main difficulty, |
provided the officer could reach her
dwelling without discovery, was how |
best to guard the secret from them.
It was finally decided that one of the |
females should be taken into her conf |
dence and that the officer, who was a
rather effeminate looking man, should !
come disguised in female attire and be |
passed off as cousin Of Fanchette.
So Fanchette, rather pretty girl, was
made acquainted with everything.
Captain Lavergne made his appear
snce in due time, disguised as woman,
and so well did he look and play his
part that he was not suspected by the
other servants of being different from
what he seemed. In order, however, to
incur as little risk as possible, he pre-
tended to be greatly fatigued by his
journey, and was, soon after his arrival,
shown to private room on the upper
floor, which he did not leave again for
week, it being given out that he was
quite i'll.
At the end of the time mentioned some
eight or ten soldiers made their appear
ance at the mansion and demanded the
person of Captain Lavergne.
"If you think there is any such individ-
ual under this roof, you can make your
search" replied Nine. Loufourcade.
When the servants were called togeth-
er, the lady perceived that Fanchette was
pale and trembling,
As soon as the officer saw her he ex-
claimed:
"Well, wench, did you tell the truth
or not? If you did, it's all right with
you, and you needn't be scared; if you
didn't, it's my honest opinion you'll soon
be a head shorter"
"What is this?" cried Nine. Loufour-
cade, in astonishment.
"Well, don't carel" said Fanchette
assuming an impudent manner. "It's
time the aristocrats was put down and
made to know that other people is as
good as them. heard there was a re-
ward of thousand francs offered for
this man, who's dared to come here and
pass himself off as a female, and thought
I'd Just as good right to the money as
anybody"
"And for this you have sold your soul"
grosned her mistress.
Don't come any religious talk over
mel" cried Fanchette. 81 know more of
what's been going on than you think.
Religions been swept away by decree,
and deaths an eternal Sleep
"That's all true, girl" chimed in the
officer with an emphatic oath. "But
while we're talking the man may get
away. Here, guard, seize and bind all
these parties"
There was no resistance made by the
mistress and her terrified servants, and
in a very short time all except Fanchette
were secured with cords.
! "Now, girl" said the officer, with a
coarse laugh, "show us the way to your
sweet female cousin"
) Captain Lavergne meantime was not
: entirely ignorant of his peril. From his
windew he had seen the approach Of the
soldiers and rightly conjectured they
We're in quest Of himself. His apartment
was so situated that he could not 60
down stairs and escape without being
g seen by some of the servants. He was
7 alarmed, and his mind became active tO
d devise some means of defense or escape.
He had in his possession brace Of load.
ed pistols, and his first idea was to bar.
ricade his door and sell his life as dearly
e, as possible, but in looking about the
apartment he noticed the fireplace and
discovered that the chimney was large
enough to admit his person. He could
see the light at the top, and it occurred
to him that perhaps he might escape
y and he resolved to make the trial.
W,1 ls II.
Lavergne hurriedlY pushed his way NJ
,r the chimney, with the view of getting
(, on the roof, but when he had asoende(
IL some eight or ten feet ne discovered I,
his agreeable surprise that there was
kind Of recess, such as were sometimes
. left In old fashioned chimneys for tn
ie purpose of opening pnother flue when
! ~ ever it might he wanted, large enougl
is to conceal him from the view Of any on
a looking up from below.
ne Hsatilv 'VStti.g into it. be hreathed
a little more freely, though still with 4
I'd good deal Of nervous apprehension. H'
er feared that In coming up he had shaker
ca down a sufficient quantity Of SCOT to be
y, " tray his manner of escape and give I
~ clew to his place Of retreat. But
on glance downward at his clothes con
vinced him that he had little to b
alarmed about IN this respect-for thi
ie due had never been much used, his gar
~ ments were not badly soiled, and h
could not perceive dirt enough below h
lttract attention.
He had not long TO wait before h
,esi heard the soldiers enter the room, led b
lr- the treachero girl.
lN- ~ ''Hal he eso.- -pedr' exclaimed the latte
he in alarm,
US The officer sworo some terrible oath
is and fiercely demanded which way,
'oa Either up the chimney or into som
ne other part of the house, said Fanchett'
DO "He was here a few minutes ago."
Quick, men, fly about, he's not II
here, cried the officer, looking up h
nv chimney. Two of You run out and 81
NJ If he's on the roof, and the rest ransac
the housel If we don't find him, we
burn it DOWN.
NC A hurried search was apparently mao
Inv Of the room they were in, and then Ca
tain Lavergne heard-the soldiers in di
ferent parts Of the house oQsning al
a. banging doors, shouting any oursin
se, He felt his situation now to be very ori
NJ ltal indeed, for should the house
fired he feared there might be no esca
80. for him. After awhile the noise and
ISs, multi subsided, and every moment
/, Of was in trembling expectation Of hearii
so OF seeing something 70 indicate that {
orr building was on Are, and he now
lion solved TO make another bold effort
his life He reasoned that those se
vito outside 20 see if he was on the roof b
lsed already reioined the others, and he M
oin- resolved 10 gain the roof, and if he oou
80 80 do so undiscovered to venture q le
ers amoug the thick shruhbery at the r,
of the mansion.
q. In tho course Of two or three minu
tbs this dangerous feat was successfully e.
cuted, and Captain Layergne found hi
ooo self once more on the ground outs
fer considerably scratched and bruised,
not seriously injured He now hel
loud vmces inside and hurriedly st
ils away through the alrubbary.
tbs fearlhiuE oaicer. nQt hpcing