The herald., 1893-07-19
A ATREACHEROUS MAID

Nine. Loufourcade, the wife of an
army officer during the French revolu-
ton, was applied to by the wife of an
| other officer to afford concealment for
her husband.
Mime. Loufourcade lived short dis
| tance from the city of Lyons. She had
four servants, and the main difficulty,
provided the officer could reach her
dwelling without discovery, was how
| best to guard the secret from them.
1t was finally decided that one of the
females should be taken into her conf
rather effeminate looking man, should
come disguised in female attire and be
passed off as a cousin of Fanchette.
So Fanchette, rather pretty girl, was
made acquainted with everything.
Captain Lavefgne made his appear
ance in due time, disguised as woman,
and so we'll 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 syou needn't be scared; if you
didn't, it's my honest opinion you'll soon
be head shorter"
"What is this?" cried Mme Loufour-
cade, in astonishment.
"Well, don't carer' 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. I heard there was a re-
ward of thousand francs offered for
this man, who's dared to come here and
pass himself off as female, and thought
I'd just as good right to the money as
anybody"
"And for this you have sold your SOUL"
groaned her mistress.
"Don't come any religious talk over
mel" cried Fanchette. II 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 very short time all except Fanchette
were secured with cords
"Now, girl" said the officer, with a
coarse laugh, s'show us the way to your
! sweet female cousin"
Captain Lavergne meantime was not
entirely ignorant of his peril. From his
window he had seen the approach of the
soldiers and rightly conjectured they
were in quest of himself. His apartment
was SO situated that he could not go
down stairs and escape without being
seen by some of the servants. He was
alarmed, and his mind became active to
devise some means of defense or escape
He had in his possession brace of load
nd, fn1c 1,,< :. L.. |.
ricade his door and sell his life as dearly
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
and he resolved to make the trial.
Taking his pistols with him, Captain
Lavergne hurriedly pushed his way up
the chimney with the view of getting
on the roof, but when he had ascended
some eight or ten feet he discovered to
his agreeable surprise that there was a
kind of recess, such as were sometimes
left in old fashioned chimneys for the
purpose of opening another flue when
ever it might be wanted, large enough
to conceal him from the view of any one
looking UP from below.
Hastily getting into it, he breathed
little more freely, though still with
good deal of nervous apprehension. He
feared that in coming up he had shaken
down sufficient quantity Of scot to be-
tray his manner of escape and give
clew to his place Of retreat. But a
glance downward at his clothes con-
vinced him that he had little to be
alarmed about in this reapect-for this
fue had never been much Used, hlb gar