Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-09-24

" S, | knew JnaJ would nappen, ana L |
told Lemoine so; but he insists on art for |
arts sake. You must expostulate with |
Lemoine; although don't mind telling you
both frankly that | don't intend to die in
that way again"
"weli, hope not, replied the manager.
ct don't want you to kill the play as well
as yourself, you know, Dupr6"
Iemoine, whose face had by this time
become restored to its normal appearance,
retorted hotly:
at all goes to show how we are sur
rounded and hampered by the traditions of
the stage. The gallery wants to see man
die all over the place, and so the victim has
to scatter the furniture about and make a
fool of himself generally, when he should
quietly succumb to a well-deserved blow.
You ask any physician, and he will tell you
that a man stabbed or shot through the
heart collapses at once. There is no jump
ing-iack business in such a case. He
doesn't play at leap-frog with the chairs
and sofas, but sinks instantly to the floor
and is done for"
Come along, Lemoine," cried Dupre,
putting on his coat, land stop talking non
sense. True art consists in ludicious
blending of the preconceived ideas of the
gallery with the actual facts of the case.
An instantaneous photograph of trotting
horse is doubtless technically and absolutely
correct yet it is not true picture of the
animal in motion"
"Then you admit, " said Lemoine quickly
THAT am technically correc. i'll what |
state about the result of such a wound"
81 admit nothing" said Dupr6 81
don't believe you are correct in anything
you say about the matter. | suppose the
truth is that no two men die alike unde
the same circumstances.
''They do when the heart is touched"
"What absurd nonsense you talk No
two men act alike when the heart is
touched in love; why then should they
when it is touched in DEATH Come along
to the hotel, and let us stop this idiotic dis
cussion.
"Ah! sighed Lemoine, "you will throw
your chances away You are too careless,
Dupr6; you do not study enough. This
kind of thing is all well enough in Chill,
but it will wreck your chances when you
go to Paris. If you studied more deeply,
Dupre, YOU would take Paris by storm. "
Thanks" said Dupr6 lightly; "but I'M
less the rebels take this city by storm, and
that shortly, we may never see Paris again
| To tell the truth, have no heart for any
thing but the heroine's knife. | am sick
|
As DuprG spoke they met a small squad
of soldiers coming briskly towards the thea
tire. The man in charge evidently recog-
nzed them, for saying a word to his men,
they instantly surrounded the two actors.
The sergeant touched Lemoine on the
shoulder, and said:
at is my duty to arrest you, sir.
"In heavens name, Why asked lie
moline.
The man did not answer but a soldier
stepped to each side of Lemoine.
Gam l under arrest also!' asked DuprG.
ono"
"By what authority do you arrest my
friendl" inquired DuprG.
"Bv the Presidents order"
but where is your authority Where
are your papers. Why is this arrest made'
The sergeant shook his head and said:
1--WE have the orders of the President
and that is sufficient for us. Stand back
please'
The next instant Dupre found himself
alone, with the squad and their prisoner
disappearing down back street. For q
moment he stood as if deZed, then he turned
and ran as fast as he could back to the
theatre again, hoping to meet carriage
for hire on the way Arriving at the thea
| tire he tOunO Une llEnlS OuJ Ille
ger on the point of leaving
81 emoine has been arrested, he cried
ARRESTED by squad of soldiers whom W.
met, and they said they acted by the ordel
of the President"
The manager seemed thunde rstruck by
the intelligence, and gazed helplessly "A
Dupre.
''What is the charger he said at last.
''That do not know answered tn
actor. They simply said they were act
ing under the Presidents orders
This is bad, as bad as can be, )" said tn
= manager, looking over his shoulder, an
speaking as if in fear. "Lemoine has bee
talking recklessly. | never could get hir
to realize that he was in Chill, and that h
must not be so free in his speech. He a
WAYS insisted that this was the nineteent
century, and a man could say what h
Il liked; as if the nineteenth century ha
: ANYTHING to do with Chill in its preser
u state"
: 'You don't imagine, " said Dupre with
u touch of pallor coming into his cheek
e that this is anything serious' 1t wi
mean nothing more than day or two
:, prison, at the worstF
The manager shook his head and said:
eve had better get carriage and Sc
. | the President as soon as possible. II III
e dertake to send Lemoine back to Paris,
IL to put him on board one of the FrenC
iron-clads. But there is no time to be los
i We can probably get carriage in Il
= square"
They found a carriage, and drove
quickly as they could TO the residence
the President At first they were refus
admittance; but finally they were allow
to wait in a small room while their messa
was taken to Bamaceda. An hour passe
but still no invitation came TO them fro
the President. The manager sat silent
a corner, but Dupre paced up and dov
the small room, torn with anxiety about
friend. At last an officer entered the ROOF
and presented them with the complimer
of the President, who regretted that it W
impossible for him to see them that nigl
He added for their information, by ord
of the President, that Lemoine was to
shot at day-break. He had been tried
court-martial, and condemned to death
sedition. The President regretted havi
kept them waiting so long, but the cou
martial had been going on when they
rived, and the President thought that pr
4 haps they would be interested in the VI
dict. With thft the officer escorted
two dumfounded men to the door, wht
they got into their carriage without VOL
The moment they were out of ear-shot,
manager said to the coachmau:
Drive as quickly as you can to the re
dence of the French minister"