Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-06-15
walking in a vault The dying man


i" Yes, | answered. Speak on
"He did so. All, monsieur, | thought
/ was dreaming.
" I am near death l need the last
rites of the church, he said.
" Confess your sins, / answered.
i" My sins are trivial, he returned.
I would speak of a great crime | oc-
cupy a cell twice the width of my body.
1 know not where l am condemned to
die of starvation. l know not why |
have never injured fellow creature
"My blood boiled. Speak on, l re-
peated
" My name is Jules Davoust, he re-
sumed. y am of Caen and well known.
l was happy man until l met Sophie
Polinslli. 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 a tradesman,
but we were married. Two months of
bliss were mine. One day she came to
me trembling. ely, she said. ely
at once. She would not explain
had my business-my little shop | had
done no wrong l refused That night
she disappeared. Next day received
a note written by her hand. She babe
he meet her i'll the wood at a secluded
place known to us both. | went She
was not there. 1t was dark. l called
her by name. Two men came up, seized
and gagged me, forced me into a car
riage and brought me here. l am con-
demned without trial Ny jailers tell
me that | must die or noble name will
be dishonorod There is nothing more.
was permitted to choose the manner
of death Aid me if you cam but give
me absolution now
81 absolved him l babe him have
courage l assured him that he would
be free i'll few hours My guide re-
turned
" I 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 gallopcd
| pleaded for the poor man. My com
panion was dumb. l threatened him
l.
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 a 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 gcndarmes We're
securing the country They discovered
nothing. Seven days l passed visiting
chateauX and houses, to no purpose
Then | went to Caen. found the home
of jules DevOust. Both he and his wife
were missing. The neighbors described
him--a very handsome man, incapable
of committing a crime His wife, they
told me, was beautiful woman, with
the air Of princess. She spoke French
with foreign accent. dressed i'll silk
and satin and Wore valuable jewels.
THE gendarmes wearied of the fruit
less search, but | did not. | made my
home here. | succeeded the cure
mapped out the country and visited ov-
cry chateau, save one within wide IA
dius every large house. Forty-seven
years l have sought clew Come to
the window. "
rose. Father Aloysius pointed to the
old castle Of Vallon, browning hill
scarcely mile distant.
THAT is the chateau which l 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 me 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.
l 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-
IuTueu IIOll 1Olullu. 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 a Polish gentleman who gave
the name of Lubenski. The latter took
it for a year, but at the end Of six
months apprised the proprietor that he
no longer needed it.
THAT is all we know" said the cure.
"In Poland learned nothing. Nor have
the police been more successful.
'Ald the mystery is as far from be
ing solved as ever?'
Eyes. | fear the truth will not be
known until the day of judgment.
have imagined many things. The As
years which have passed have been fruit
full in curious reflections. / would dis
miss the matter from my mind now if
l could. But fear thatjs impossible. "
!-Ashmore Russian in Million.
Dainty Dish.
Cooked bear has already figured on
the menu cards of modern epicures, but