The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-01-10
THE SILENT CRIPPLE.
An AnarchiStic Love Story with a
Daring Heroine.

/ d SptClti
- sitting apart from the RESI-
had many times Tecentl,
| attracted my deepest attention. This da.
my curiosity mastered me, and turning t
my friend, WilfoTd Crane, rs l indicated
the cripple, / said:
Who is he; do you know?"
Yes" was the reply THAT man has on,
of the most remarkable histories have eve
heard, and, as you know, that is saying
something"
| 1t was, indeed, seeing that Crane had done
yeoman service in both the French and Eng
lish detective forces, and was now enjoying
well-earned retirement. 1t was only
| very occasionally now that he emerged from
his seclusion TO once more play his roll oi
bloodhound of justice. So it may be readily
understood that my liveliest curiosity was
aroused by WilfOrd Games remark. After
q moments pause, he continued:
iii let you have the story this evening
by our firesde; it is one that | don't care
TO give TO all the fellows"
Once more the conversation became gen.
eral, and L had perforce to possess myself
in patience till the evening. | could not
resist the temptation to look again aud
again at the silent cripple . in his solitary
corner. There was an air of mysterious re-
serve and babitual restraint about him that
irreSis,ibly fascinated my attention.
That evening, when we were comfortably
ensconced, my friend, true to his promise,
said:
1.-The man you call The silent cripple
was once one of the merriest and most DASH
ing fellows about Paris. He was in the
Ministry of Public Works. But although in
4 splendid position he was most unaffected
man, without trace of pride III his compost
tion. He was a thoroughly good-hearted,
jolly fellow.
- was, therefore, as you will imagine, in
tensely sorry to see bin f,il hopelessly in
love with beautiful young girl, who was
mixed up with one of the queerest sets
about town. Her brother / had long since
marked out as a quiet but dangerous An
archist, and the girl herself was being
courted by a man whom l knew to be
ringleader of these de5peradoes. You see
l had beeu giving special attention to that
sort of gentry, and was only waiting my op-
portunIiy to pounce upon this particular
one.
So / say again. it was with more than re-
gret that saw Emile About succumb to the
fascinations of Marie Durand. At that time
l did no. know her. l knew that she was
the image of her brother in leature-sO much
that to this day believe they were twins
and | sdppose that led to the inference
that she resembled him in creed, and was
only less dangerous because woman.
/ warned Emile of his folly, but, of
course, knew beforehand that it would be
useless. j did it as one often will do things,
in order that j might feel ! had done my
duty by him. He seemed TO revel in the
delight of rousing his rivals jealousy to the
poin' of madness.
The girl positively hated Dumbovotsk,
her dark-browed admirer, in spite of his
handsome figure, splendid bearing, and un-
doubted authority over his fellows. 1t was
a new thing for Dnmboyo,sk 10 meet with
open dislike, and he set himself with all the
bulldog determination OF his tacturn nature
to compel Marie's affection.
When however he saw that Emile had
not only entered upon similar campaign,
ing, the citadel that had SO obstinately held
out against him, he was beside himself with
rage and modification.
at WAS with the merriest Jokes and
laughter that Emile told me of the progress
Of has own love-making, anG the accompany
ing Crowd b Of his rivals fierce hatred. lie
openly enjoyed t0rmenting apd defying
DGmbovo.sk, whom others were afraid 10
annoy-evea secretly.
Il thought that harm would certainly
come of il, and times ont Of number warned
him Of the risk he was running, bat he al
ways pa. me off with a laugh
For most OF the subsequent details of the
story was Indebted to himself and my own
subsequent Investigations, as / must confess
that on this occasion the Anarchists had
0utwitted me.
Marie had for some little time past been
very much distressed by her brothers
-preoccuPied air. For days she had
been unable to get anything more than
from him. He seemed To
think of nothing but some secret, harassing
trouble. Everyone remarked how ill lie
looked. Several times Marie had artfulIy
invited his confidence, bat he had quiet,
though settled determination to hide every
thing from her.
On many occasions, too, he had devised
little expedients 10 get her out of the way
He had sent her on fictitious errands and
missions IN way that intensified her feel
ings of apprehension and alarm.
Then on one or two occasions she had
arrived home with unexpected quckness,
and surprised him in some occupation of
which ne mad hurriedly removed the traces,
and evidently wanted TO keep her in ignor-
ance.
"Of course, she had little trouble in con-
Meeting bis uneasiness with the dongs of
the gang. She knew jsst enough OF her
brothers associates and their aims to make
her long that he should cast them off for
ever. Bat she dared not openly suggest this
to him.
SO, on this particular day, when, al
though he seemed TO be worse than ever, he
determined resolve 10 go, ,-Out
in the evening, she, womanlke, swiftly de-
cited upon plan of action. Her suspicious
had begun to assume horrible and definite
shape. She was resolved TO find out every
thing.
In his tea that afternoon Ernest uncon-
scously swallowed sleeping draft, which
his sister calculated would amply make up
the arrears of rest that he had been recently
accumu latng.
Her plan mad been suggested to her one
evening when she was tending him rs he lay
in dellrious sleep. In his mutterings she
heard him say lie mort est roi,' and from his
repetition of this phrase she swiftly con-
clnded that it must be the password of the
gang. Then occurred to her the daring
project OF personating her brother.
She Immediately set to work to put the
plan into execution. Having assured her
self that her brother was now thoroughly
Phnsspoo t;c,,o