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

stand when | undertook the mission,
that NJ Lemoine was citizen of Chill.
You see, that fact puts the matter entirely
out of my hands. ! am powerless. /
could only advise the President not to carry
out his intentions; but he is tonight in a
most unreasonable and excitedmood, and |
fear nothing can be done to save your
friend If he had been citizen of France,
of course this execution would not have
been permitted to take place; but as 1t is,
it is not our affair NJ Lemoine seems to
have been talking with some lndiscretion.
He does not deny it himself, nor does he
deny his citizenship. If he had taken
conciiatory attitude at the court-martial
the result might not have been so disastrous;
but it seems that he insulted the President
to his face. and predicted that he would
within two. weeks meet him in HadeS The
utmost l could do was to get the President
to sign a permit for you to see your friend,
if YOU present it at the prison before the
execution takes place. | fear you have no
time to lose Here is the paper
Dupre took the document, and thanked
his Excellency for his exertions on their be
half. He realized that Lemoine had sealed
his own fate by his Independence and lack
of tact.
The two detected men drove from the
Legation and through the deserted streets
to the prison. They were shown through
several stone paved rooms to a stone paved
court yard, and there they waited for some
time until the prisoner was brought in be-
tween two soldiers Lemoine had thrown
off his coat, and appeared in his shirt
sleeves He was not manacled or bound in
any way, there being too many prisoners
for each one TO be allowed the luxury of
letters.
"Ah," cried Lemoine when he saw
them, II knew you would come if that old
scoundrel of a President would allow you
in, of which had my doubts. How did
YOU manage it,
"The French minister got us a permit,
said Dupre
ooh, you went to him, did YOU: OF
course he could do nothing, for. as | told
you, have the misfortune to be a citizen
of this country How comically life is
| made up of trivialities. | remember once
in Paris going with frierd to take the
oath of allegiance to the French Republic -
And did you take it, cried Dupre
eagerly.
ALAS, no, We met two other friends,
and we all adjourned to a cafe and had
something to drink. little thought that
bottle of champagne was going to cost me
my life: for of course if | had taken the
oath of allegiance, my friend the French
minister would have bombarded the city
before he would have allowed this execu-
ton to go on"
Then you know TO what you are con
demnedin said the manager, with tears in
his eyes.
ooh, know that Balmaceda thinks he
Il.
ways was fool, and never knew what hi
was talking about | told him if he would
allow you two in at the execution, anC
instead of ordering a whole squad to fir,
at me, order one expert marksman, if h,
had such thing in his whole army, VIII,
would shoot me through the heart that
would show you, Dupre, how a man die
under such circumstances; but the villain
refused. The usurper has no soul for art
or for anything else for that matter.
, hope you two won't mind my death.
assure you don't mind it myself. woul,
much rather be shot than live in this con
founded country any longer. But hav
made up my mind to cheat old Balmaced
if | can, and | want you, Dupre, to pa
. particular attention, and not to interfere.
As Lemoine said this he quickly snatche
, from the sheath at the soldiers side tn
, bayonet which hung at his hip. Tn
, soldiers were standing one to the RICH
and one to the left of him, with their hand
interlaced over the muzzles of their guns
= whose butts rested on the stone hool
$ They apparently paid no attention to til
;, conversation that was going on, if the
r understood it, which was unlikely. Lemoiu
e had the bayonet in his hands before eithe
y of the four men present knew what he VIZ
r doing.
p Grasping both hands over the butt
J. the bayonet, with the point towards h
= breast, he thrust the blade with despera
=. energy nearly through his body. III
: whole action was done so quickly that I
a one realized what had happened unit
q Lemoine threw his hands up and they sa
the bayonet sticking in his breast. a loo