The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-06-30

through the doors he seemed 10 near inc
noise Of tho courtroom.
Ho was alone, without witnesses. No
ono could provo his innocence Every
thing was against him. 1t would be i'm
possible also to provo an alibi. People
had seen Champignol come in, and 1t
was known that he camo every Thurs
day. They had seen him also walking
in his garden. Chapotcau believed him
self lost. Only ono resource was left
him. He took Cha1npignol in his arms,
lifted him from his chair, and pulling
him by his shoulders, his head and his
legs dragged him to the end of tho gar
den. It was growing dark. Suddenly
q board fell near to Chapoteau. He
started, cried or-, ready to struggle,
thinking the officers had como to arrest
him. The silhouette Of cat, providing
on the wall in the clear twilight, eased
his mind little
Near the hodge there was largo
round hole. Chapoteau rolled tho body
of his friend into it, His feet projected
beyond, so he covered them with straw.
"Adieu, .Champignol, he sobbed.
1uGIO du lChoO LILO SiOtAii W 40 ~ ~ ~
cure place. They would not discover
him there very soon. Chapoteau would
have time to escape.
He reached tho fields, walking straight
ahead, without plans. He had only ono
thought--to get away, to go to the end
of the world, but his feet refused to
carry him. Every few minutes he was
obliged to sit down by the roadside.
He had knotted handkerchief about
his head, 80 as not to be recognized
Already be was devising the ruses of
tho criminal.
Three hours had sufficed to lose his
assured position, to make an assassin Of
him, to lower him to the ranks Of the
greatest rascals. What did his con-
science matter to him? He would not
be the less culpable in the eyes of the
world, and his crime would appear all
the more horrible because his victim
had been his best friend. And yet he
had been an honest man during 90
years. He had practiced all tho virtues.
He had dreamed of dying in his bed
Poor Chapotcaul Most unfortunate
Nine Chapoteau!
He saw himself ON the bench of the
accused The judge was talking to him.
They had spread out before him the
victims clothes, and in the darkness
the crowd howled, stamped and threat
ened to kill him.
Then greater fear spurred him on,
and he began again to walk. Sometimes
he stopped, believing he could hear
some one running after him. The trees
took on strange forms in the darkness
The wind whispered, 'PoisonerP He
stopped for long time on the bank of
pond trying to persuade himself to
jump in.
A noise Of footsteps caused him to
look up suddenly. Two policemen were
coming toward him. In the dusk they
seemed enormous, like the pillars of
the guillotine
ut is all over" moaned poor Cha
poteau, ''they have followed me. They
will arrest me. F"
He hid himself behind hedge Tho
policemen passed ON.
Chapoteau wandered for an hour or
two He could no longer see nor hear.
His head swayed on his shoulders, as an
empty gourd sways in the wind.
''By this time" he thought, 81
should BIO in my bed at home.''
And distracted by his fears he STUN
bled against wall. There were houses
in front of him, black as his crime, as
his thoughts, as his remorse However,
light CLEANED beneath door. Tired
out. his strength and energy exhausted,
he knocked. He heard voices inside.
Finally they opened the door.
Chapoteau gave loud cry.
! "Champignol"
1t was Champignol in person. He
had awakened in the hole and was still
laughing at the joke.
Champignol joker indeedl Chapo-
teau thought himself dreaming.
Then he had not given fatal dose of
laudanum-though a little too much, it
is true.
He had not killed Champignol He
had not committed crimel He would
not die on the scaffoldl He touched
Champignol with tho tips of his fingers,
as one touches delicate piece of game,
fearing that this shape was only Cham
pignol's shadow.
In reality, Chapoteau never forgave
Champignol for the fright which he
gave him that day. Translated From
the French For Romance.