The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-21


Their little pleasuIing was turning
into tragedy. Chapoteau buried his
head In his hands, sad, distracted. sec
ing nothing but that inert mass those
rigid members and closed eyes and
through tho doors he seemed TO hear the
noise of the courtroom
He WAS alone, without witnesses No
one could provo his innocence. Every
thing was against him. 1t would DO i'm
possible also to prove an alibi People
had seen Champignol come In, and it
was known that he came every Thurs
day They had seen him also walking
i'll his garden Chapoteau believed him
self lost Only one resource was left
him. He took Champignol in his arms
lifted him from his chair, and pulling
him by his shoulders, his hoad and his
legs dragged him to the end of the gar
den. 1t was growing dark Suddenly
board fell near to Chapoteau. He
started, cried ont. ready to struggle,
thinking the officers had come To arrest
him. The silhouette Of a cat, rrowling
on the wall in the clear twilight. e,,sed
his mind little
Near the hedge there WIS d large
round hole. Chapoteau rolled the body
of his friend into it His feet projected
beyond, so he covered them with straw
''Adieu, Champignol. he sobbed.
There at least his victim was in Sc
cure place. They would not discover
him there very soon Chopotcau would
have time to escape.
Hereached the fields, walking straight
ahead. without plans He had only one
thought-to get away, TO go TO tho end
of the world, but his feet refused to
carry him. Every few minutes he was
He had knotted handkerchief about
his head, so as not to be recognized.
Already he was devtsing the ruscs of
the criminal.
Three hours had sufflced TO lose his
assured position, to mako 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 mon during SO
years. He had practjccd all the virtues
He had dreamed of dying i'll his bed
Poor Chapoteaul Most unfortunate
Nine Chnpoteaul
He saw himself on the bench of tho
accused. The judge was talking to him.
They had spread out before him the
victims clothes, and III the darkness
the crowd howlcd, stamped and threat
c1led to kill him.
Then greater fear spunTcd him on,
and he began again to walk. Sometimes
he stopped, believing he could hear
some o1e running after him The trees
took on strange forms i'll the darkness
The wind whispered, "POiSonerr' He
stopped for u long time on the bank Of
a pond trying to persuade himself To
jump in.
look up suddenly. Two policemen were
coming toward him In the dusk they
seemed enormous, like the pillars of
the guillotinc.
=" 1t is all over" monncd pur Chm
potcau. they have followed me. They
will arrest me "
He hid himself behind hodge The
policemen passed on.
Chapoteau Wandered for MI hour or
two He could no longer sec nor hear.
His head swaycd on his shoulders, rs M
empty gourd sways in tho wind
By this time" he thought. Il
should he III my bed mt home.
And distracted by his fears he STUN
bled against a, wall. There were houses
i'll front of him, black as his crime as
his thoughts, ITS his rcmorse However,
light CLEANED beneath a door Tired
out, his strength and energy exhausted,
he knocked. He heard voices inside.
Finally they opened the door.
Chapotcau gave u loud cry.
"Chanpignol"
1t was ChampigItol i'll person. He
Ind awakened III the hole and was still
laughing at the joke
Chanpignol IA joker indeed! ChuIn-
team thought himself dreaming.
Then he had not given fatal dose of
audanulii-tlough n little too much, it
is true.
He had not killed ChampignM He
had not committed ii crime! He would
not die on the scatfold He touched
Champignol with the tips of his fingers.
as one touches delicate piece Of game,
fearing that this shape was only Cham
pignol's shadow.
In reality, Chapotcau never furgavc
Chnmpignol for the fright which he
gave him that day. TRANSLATED From
the French For Romance.
Auointsti Stones.
The custom of amounting stones with
oil (sec Genesis xviii, Is, lW. and