The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-08-14


and said Abe was an ariatocrat be-
cause nobody knew her except the old
woman and the other people whom
nobody knew, and because the old
woman called her "mademoisollo.
They would have arrested the old
woman, too. bat they could not find
her.
When they asked the young wom-
aus nam ia the court no ono was
able 10 tell It. save that the old woman
had called her 'Alademoiselle Clar-
isse, and when they ask her TO tell
her own name aho would not And
when the Judge frowned aud said It
was the court Of tho people and must
be respected, she only smiled. And
what a seorninl smile It wnsl Ny
grandpero was in the crowd, in the
court and saw the smile, aud be said
that it expressed as we'll as words
could have done zone cannot respect
that which does not command re-
spect. So the judge was angry and
asked her:
care you an aristoerat or ono Of
the people?"
And still she said not a word. Ny
grandpere said it would have been
useless if she had, for she was an arts.
tocrat and bore the stamp Of it. And
/ suppose that is why she said nothing.
Tho people began to murmur, and
the Judge said:
1--WE will yet teach these aristocrats
the will Of the people"
Aud he condemned her to death.
They tied her hands behind her and
placed her on the plank that lay across
the top Of the cart as a seat for the
prisoners, and then started for the
guillotine. The guard surrounded
the cart and the people pressed in on
every side. For while they saw guillo-
Things every day, yet they never grew
tired, but seemed to thirst for blood
more and more. Besides, Mademois-
ellie Clairsse was very beautiful and
possessed hair different from that Of
most French women. It was of gold,
while her eyes we're brown.
As the march began a young man
detached himself from the crowd and
hurried away down a side street.
In half an hour the guillotine was
in sight The people looked up to
see how the prisoner would endure the
vision. She showed no sign of fear
When the cart had stopped and the
prisoner stood on the ground a large
woman with bare arms broke through
the guards and spat in her face
screaming, "Ah, aristocrat, ah. aristo-
crat, you shall diol"
The guards laughed, the people
cheered and the woman extended her
broad hand, opened wide, to strike
the mnlemoiselle on the cheek. The
blow never fell.
A stir was noticed just behind the
guards, and again their line was broken
through. This time it was by four
young men with drawn rapiers in
their hands. One of them thrust him
self against the bare armed woman
and hurled her to one side. Another
cut the cords which bound the prison.
er's wrists, and all gathered about her
and tried to force their may through
the guards and crowd again. But this
was not SO easy, now that it was un-
derstood what was going on. With
crys and curses the soldiers rushed
upon the aristocrats such they
were-and fearful struggle followed.
Ny grandpere saw the white hands,
with their fine lace wristbands, ris-
ing and falling as the cleaning
rapiers flashed in the sunlight But
this could not last long, and a,
they were pressed closer and closer,
the leader of the little band looked
around for some way of exit out Of
the hoard of tigers which encom
passed them. A dozen feet away
stood wagon with two horses at
tached. The horses were becoming
very restless because Of the commo
ton. The people who had climbed il
to obtain o better view of the guillo