The Washington times., 1895-04-07

time, and he listened to them grow
fainter and fainter, till they sank TO a
low moaning and then ceased altogether.
In winter the roof was covered for
months by a blanket of snow, which
looked like a shawl OF impacted wool,
white and restful, and the hospital win
dows were spread with frost But the
pigeons were the same-almost as gay.
and walking on the ledges OF the roof
or crowding on the shelves of the lead
pipes. He studied them much, but he
loved them more. His prison WAS less
a prison because of them, and in the
long five years of eXpiation he found
himself more in touch with them than
wit hthe wardens of the prison or any
OF his companions. With the former
he was respectful, and he gave them no
trouble at all; with the latter he had
nothing in common, for they were Grim
inaIs, and he-he had blundered when
wild and mad with unnk, 20 / d and
mad that he had no remembrance, alb
eolutely none, OF the incident by which
Jean Figot lost his life. He remem-
bered that they had played cards far
into the night that they had QuarTeled,
then made their peace again; that the
others had left, that they had began
playing cards and drinking again, and
then all was blurred save for a vague
recollection that he had won all the money
Vlgot had and had pocketed it. Then
came a blank. He walked to find two
officers OF the law beside him, and the
body OF Jean Vgot, star kand dreadful,
a few feet away
When the Officers put their hands upon
him he shook them off. When they did it
again he would have fought them 10 the
death had if not been for his friend. tall
Medallion, who laid a strong hand on his
arm and said, STEADY, Converse, steadyi"
and he had yielded 10 the firIn, friendly
pressure.
Medallion had left no stone unturned
to clear him at the trial; had himself
played detective increasingly, but the hard
facts remained there, and on d chain of
circumStantial evidence Louis Converse,
the young Seigneur, was sent 10 prison for
ten years for mansIaughter. That was
The compromise effected. Louis himself
had said only that ne didn't remember
sut he could not believe he had committed
the crime. Robbery? He shrugged his
shoulders at that-he insisted that his
lawyer should not reply TO the insulting
and foolish suggestion. But the evidence
had shown that Ygot had all the win
nings when the other members of the
party had left the two, and this very
money had been found in Louis pocket
There was only Louis word that they
had played cards again. Anger? Pos
sibIy. Louis could not remember, though
he gnew that they had quarTeled The
judge himself, charging the jury, said
that be never before saw a prisoner so
frank and outwardy honest. but warned
them that they must not lose sight of
the crime itself the taking of q human
life, whereby a woman was made widow
and a child fatherless.
And so with few remarks the judge
sentenced the young seigneur 10 ten years
IN prison, and then himself, shaking and
pale, lef THE courtroom hurriedly, for
Louis converse's father had been his friend
from boybood.
Louis took his sentence calmly, look
ing the judge squarely in the eyes, and
when the judge stopped he bowed to him,
turned 20 the jury and said "Gentlemen,
YOU have ruined my life. You don't know,
and ] don't know who killed the man.
You have guessed, and / take the penalty.
Suppose I'm innocent, how will you feel
when the truth comes out. You we
known me more or less these twenty years,
and you've said. with no more knowledge
than I've got, that ] did this miserable
thing / don't know but that one OF you
did it. but you are safe, and 1 take my
ten years"
He turned from them, and as he did
no he saw woman looking ar him from
the corner OF the courtroom with a strange,
wild expression. At the moment he saw
no more than an excited, bewildered face.
but afterward this face came and went
before him. flashing in and out OF dark