Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-02
Ordeal Of The Young SeigleuT.
BY GILBERT PARKER

His chief occupation in the day
time was to stand on the bench by
the small barred window and watch
the pigeons on the roof and in the
caves of the hospital opposite, For
five years he had done this. and it
was the one thing in his whole life
during that time which had charm
for him. Every change of weather
and season was registered there as
plainly as if he could see the surface
Of the world. In the summer the
states seemed to have great fire be-
meath them, for quivering hot mir
rose up from them and the pigeons
never alighted on them save in the
early morning or in the evening
Just over the peak Of the roof could
be seen the topmost branch OF an
oak, too slight to bear the weight Of
the pigeons, but the caves under the
projecting roof were dark and cool,
and there his eyes rested when he
tired OF the hard blue sky and the
glare of the roof. He could also see
the top Of the hospital windows,
barred up and down, but never any
thing within, for the windows were
ever dusty, and all was dark beyond.
But now and then he heard bitter
cries coming through one open
window in the summer time, and he
listened to them grow fainter and
fainter, till they sank to a low moan
ing, and then ceased altogether.
In winter the roof was covered for
months by blanket of snow, which
looked like shawl of impacted wool,
white and restful, and the hospital
windows were spread with frost. But
the pigeons were the same-almost
as gay, and walking on the lodges 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 prison because Of
them, and in the long five years of
expiation he fohnd himself more in
touch with them than with the ward
ems of the prison or any Of his COM
paniofs. 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
criminals. and he-he had blundered
when wild and mad with drink, so
wild and mad that he had no remem-
brance, absolutely none, of the Incl
dent by which Jean Vigot lost his
life. He remembered that they had
played cards far into the night, that
they had quarreled, then made their
peace again that the others had left,
that they had begun playing cards
and drinking again, and then all was
blurred, save for vague recollection
that he had won all the money Vigot
had and had pocketed it. Then
came blank. He walked to find two
officers Of the law beside him, and the
body Of Jean Vigot, stark and dread
full, few feet away.
When the officers put their hands
upon him he shook them of. When
they did 1t again he would have
fought them to the death had it not
been for his friend, tall Medallion,
who laid strong hand on his arm
and said, Steady, Converse,
steadyi" and he had yielded to the
firm, friendly pressure.
Medallion had left no stone un.
turned to clear him at the trial, had
himself played detective increasingly,
but the hard facts remained there
and on o chain, OF circumstantia
evidence Louis Converse, the younl
Seigneur, was sent to prison for ter
years for manslaughter. That wa!
the compromise effected. Loui!
himself had said only that he didn''
remember, but he could not believt
he had committed the crime. Rob
berya He shrugged his shoulders a
that--he insisted that his lawyer
should not reply to the insulting ant
foolish suggestion But the evidence
had shown that vigot had all TIT
winnings when the other member
of the party left tk- two, and Till
very money had been found In Louis
pocket. There was only Louis wore