Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-09-24

II know, know-what is my head
for, I'd like to know? DR.. Brown
Grant was the man who made up that
story and that Is why he sees myster-
ious things nights 1t was Grant him
self, now. Grant--just Grant himself.
| want you to watch him at the funer-
al. He and his wife Will be there.
What is this2'
The horse had stopped
"Hud up, or | shan't get there my
self, and there never was a funeral
without such as me. 1t takes the v
ing to bury the dead, and there Will
never come time but once when there
will not be an undertaken. That is
when the last man dies. say
such things just to Tighten my mind
A true life has no secrets and needs
none. The things that you do not
hear, do not see and do not know do
not harm you. And here | am, wait
ing to force secret on you. Forgive
me doctor, but | couldn't help it. It
isn't often that | meet man who has
studied into these things"
II did not know of the funeral said
|, and so had no intention Of going to
it, | never go to such places from
motives of curiosity
But you must, now that | have
told you"
His familiar talk was mystery to
me, kind of frame work Of picture
unknown
asked, "Who is Grant? Not our
Congressman?
Yes, yes, Congressman Grant. He
was elected He himself set the story
agoing chat killed poor Placide, though
no one knows that but l, and now you.
| want you TO study him at the funeral
today, and see II you discover anything
peculiarsome about him. fancy some
thing. | can see. There is cloud
his memory. | can see that. Grant is
a Providence man: he is coming down
to the funeral, | hear; he and his wife.
Mrs Grant was a particular friend OF
Placide. Grant started the story that
caused his own election, and withered
poor Placide. A wounded heart poi
sons the blood, don't it, doctor?"
What story? That Is what ! am be-
coming impatient to hear"
Well, this Is how it was: There has
been heavy weather in politics in this
state ever since the Dorr times; light
ming, thunder and rain Lying is the
last weapon Of the candidate who
sees, or thinks he sees that he Is about
to be defeated, resorts to here. and If
ever black lies were invented to smuteh
the white character of a candidate they
were those that Grant caused to be cir
and most cowardly of all falsehoods
and the hardest to refute are those that
have some small grain of truth in
them.
Louis Placide came Of an old HUI
guenot family Of good stock, who set
tied in Bristol, in the days when ships
traded at sea. His father died at st.
Malo, France, and he and his mother
lived in an old house on the borders
OF the Mt. Hope Lands for many years.
Everybody loved Louis Placide When
a mere lad he used to visit the Bristol
poor house, and sometimes spent his
Thanksgivings and Christmases there.
lie was born with a heart He was
elected one Of the oyerseers of the
poor Us soon as he came Of age Was
anyone in trouble he went to Louis
Placide Was anyone sick and needed
watcher he sent for Louis Placide.
Was anyone in danger Of a suit for
debt he appealed to the heart of Louis
Placide.
The old leather Huguenot purse was
opened to the needs Of all who came
to him. He was placed on committees
Of education and public improvements
by the electors at their town meetings.
and once when a complaint was made
that he was using the public money
too freely, he was so sensitive to his
honor and reputation that he paid the
whole debt himself and made no crit
icisms. That was Placide, The Incl
dent that started the story was this;
When Placide was Il school boy he
was popular W I'LL Ills lSllOMSy dih OI
one Fourth of july he went off With a
company of boys on a frolic They
used to be gay birds, those old Fourth
Of July roysterers if ever boy
thought he was free and independent it
was then. II was snapp, fizz and bang
from the ringing of the bell in the
red light of the early morning until
midnight, and the youngster who
could waste most powder was held to
be the rising patriot. and the one who
had the greatest amount Of liberty in
his soul
Placide was pretty generous that
day: he supplied himself and his com
nanians with fire crackers without
stint, and they had an abundance Of
liberty Towards evening their indie
pendence came to be celebrated In an
unexpected manner. An old last years
straw stack where they had been rest
ing after their patriotic labors, sudden
ly shot up into fame and the wind
from the bay blew the fire to the