The herald., 1894-12-27


emerged into the street
She now took her course back toward
the guillotine, and at length reached
the square where the bloody work was
still going on.
Gradually she forced her way through
the crowd, and nearer and nearer she
came to the scaffold.
She even forced laugh at several re-
marks she heard around her, but these
laughs sounded strangely.
She now stood within a few feet of
the platform and swept it with her
eyes, but her brother was not there.
The cry WIS now raised:
Here comes another batchp'
Her heart fiuttered violently, and she
felt a faintness come over her as she
heard the tramp of the doomed men ap-
preaching.
Her brother walked proudly and fear
lessly forward and assembled the very
steps which led to the block.
Up to this moment the strength Of
poor Marie had failed her, and she was
unable to put her resolve into execution.
But now sisters love swelled up in
her breast, and she recovered her
strength.
She sprang forward, bursting through
the line of guards, and ran up the steps.
Grasping her brother by the hand, she
cried:
What does this mean? It Is only the
aristocrats that are to die!'
Away, woman" exclaimed one Of
the executioners.
''No; will not away until you tell
me why my brother is here and thus
! bound"
Your brother?" was the echo.
eyes, this is my brother"
"Well, who are your
II am Marie; don't you know meY''
"The beggar girl?"
"Aye"
"But this is not your brothor?"
''It is. Ask him-ask him.
Young Antonio de Nantes had turned
q scornful gaze upon the maiden, but a
light passed across his face, and he MUIR
INJURED:
ooh, my sister!"
els this your brother?" asked Robes
pierre Of the supposed beggar, advanc-
ing near her.
"It is"
"But his name is down differently"
''Then you are mistaken. He is my
brother. Ask him. "
Does Marie speak tho truth?' asked
RoSespierre.
"She does" was the brothers reply.
"And you are not De Nantes?"
~ tell you I am her brother F"
"Why did you not tell us this be-
fore?'
81 attempted to speak, but was ST.
lenced."
"But you might have declared your.
self"
"You would not have believed me"
"But your dress?'
sit belonged to an aristocrat, per.
haps to him for whom was taken"
Robespierre advanced close TO young
Nantes and gazed earnestly into his
face Then he approached Marie and
looked steadily in her eyes for 4 short
time
1t was a moment of trial for the poor
girl. She trembled in spite of all her
efforts to be calm. She almost felt that
sho was lost, when the human fiGld,
whose word was law, turned and said:
Release the man.
The chains were instantly removed,
and Antonio de Nantes walked down
from the scaffold, followed by his sis
ter. while the shouts Of those around
rent the air, for they supposed it was
commoner who had thus been saved.
The young man worked his way
through the crowd as rapidly as posi-
BILE, leading Marie.
They had scarcely escaped it before
the poor girl tainted from tho intensity
of her feelings.
The brother scarcely knew what to do
but hand was laid upon his arm, and
voice said:
Bring her to my room again. She
will be safe there"
The brother conveyed her to the
apartment of the pauper and asked of
her:
"Have you seen the woman before?"
Yes, l know all about it" returned
the pauper "She borrowed my clothes
to save her lover. She has done it, and
I am glad.
Before the noble sister returned to
consciousness the brother had learned
all.
When she did SO, they both sought
secure quarters after rewarding the
beggar girl, as had been promised.
''Do you think Robespierre was really
deceived?" asked Marie de Nantes.
81 think not, returned the brother.
''Then why did no order your re-
lease?"
''He saw your plan; he admired your
courage. Could fiend have done less?''
Perhaps this was the case. But if
so it was deed of mercy and the only
one that man ever did" !"
Antonio de Nantes was not again ar
rested and lived happily with that sis
ter who had SO nobly imperiled her own
life to save him by representing the
beggar girl of Paris. Pleasant Hours.
Tho Metainorphoses of q Bust.
English sculptors are not half up to
date, perhaps because our fewer polit-