The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-06-24

cupy cell twice the width Of my body
know not where. am condemned to
die of starvation. know not why. !
have never injured fellow creature.
my blood boiled. Speak on, re-
peated.
/" My name is Jules Davoust, no re-
sumed. 1 am Of Caen and we'll known.
/ was happy man until / met Sophie
Polinski. Aye, afterward l was happy.
She is Polish, of noble family. So she
told me. All, father, she is beautiful
loved her. love her still She return
ed my passion am only tradesman,
but we were married. Two months Of
bliss were mine. One day she came to
me trembling. ely" she said. City
at once She would not explain. !
had my business-my little shop I had
done no wrong. refused. That night
she disappeared. Next day receivec
note written by her hand She bads
me meet her in the wood at secluded
place known to us both. went She
was not there. 1t was dark. ! called
| her by namo Two mon came up, seized
and gagged me, forced me into car
riago and brought me here. / am con-
demned without trial. My jailers tel
me that must die or noble name will
90 dishonored. There is nothing moro.
l was permitted to choose the manner
of death. Aid me if you can, but give
me dissolution now.
IT absolved him. / babe him have
courage / assured him that he would
be free in few hours. My guide re-
turned.
4 have heard your words, he said.
'You cannot aid him. If thought you
could, you would share his fate
HE took my hand and led me to the
carriage, entering with me. The coach
man whipped his horses. They galloped.
pleaded for the poor man. My COM
panion was dumb. / threatened him
with the law. He answered not word.
pictured the vengeance Of an offended
God. He was stone. vowed to devote
my life to the discovery and punish
ment Of his crime. Still not word.
But have kept and will keep my vow.
A faint gray light was showing in the
east when we reached the cures door.
/ alighted. A purse was thrust into my
hand. The carriage disappeared.
1.-TWO hours later the gendarmes were
securing the country. They discovered
nothing. Seven days passed visiting
chateaux and houses, to no purpose.
Then went to Caen. Ifound the home
Of Jules Devoust. Both he and his wife
were missing. The neighbors described
him-a very handsome man, incapable
Of committing crime. His wife, they
told me, was a beautiful woman, with
the air Of a princess. She spoke French
with q foreign accent, dressed in silk
and satin and wore valuable jewels.
1.-THE gendarmes wearied Of the fruit
less search, but did not. made my
home here I succeeded the cure. I
mapped out the country and visited ev-
cry chateau, save one, within wide ra-
dius, every large house. Forty seven
years l have sought a clew. Come to
the window"
1 rose. Father Aloysius pointed to the
old castle Of WALTON, browning hill
scarcely mile distant.
"That is the chateau which did not
visit, )" he said. ''It is SO near, and
travelled many miles that night. There
the tomb of Jules Davoust was discov-
cred this morning. have stood within
it. 1t is hole in the wall six feet high
by four wide. The stones behind which
the poor wretch spoke to mo bulged with
the weight above, and the workmen
pulled them down. The skeleton fell
out. In my presence they replaced them.
One stone, just the height Of my head,
was without mortar. 1t could have been
removed easily. The two paved yards
are there, the passage between the walls,
the stone staircase, the big tagged room.
/ have no doubt at ALL If the criminals
are living, they shall be brought to JUS
tice"
Twelve months afterward met Fa-
Their Aloysius in Paris. He had just re-
turned from Poland. An examination Of
the papers of the late owner of the
chateau had resulted in the discovery
that his grandfather had rented the
place to Polish gentleman who gave
the name Of Lubenski. The latter took
it for a year, but at the end of six
months appraised the proprietor that he
no longer needed it.
''That is all we know" said the cure.
"In Poland I learned nothing. Nor have
tho police been more successful"
''And the mystery is as far from be-
ing solved as ever?'
''Yes. fear the truth will not be
known until the day of Judgment. /
have imagined many things. The 4s
years which have passed have been fruit
full in curious reflections. I would dis
miss tho matter from my mind now if
could. But fear that is impossible. "
--.-Ashmore Russian in Million.