The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-15

| BILE TO Michonis, the inspector OF prisons
| TO whose especial vigilance the care of tho
| Tomple prisoners had been confldec.
Vain OF his functions. and particularly
| proud OF his daily interviews with the
| Neuve Capet, he was easily induced To
permit the companions of his social hours
IA sight Of her in captivity.
Even the most turbulent sans-culottes
and the most austore terrorlsts were uL-
able to approach the fallen queen without
an emotion they could not conceal. She
was so imposing in her courageous resg.
nation and tho proud impassibility with
which she met ifsolence aud outrage that
she was never approached without GER
tain seuse of embarrassment; but
Michonis. over the convivial cup, INDUCED
himself In free remarks upon her appear.
ance and surroundings. Her whitened
hair. her terrible pallor. far from detract-
ing from her beauty only enhanced 10 aud
her gracious bearing he averred would in
any case have rendered her fascinating.
DE Rougeville, inwardly raging under
the intolerabe familiarity Of such revela-
| tons, was careful TO assume an air OF in
difference, and TO appear simply led by
the eloquence Of the speaker into some
slight curiosity concerning her. Finally
day was fixec when he should accom-
pany Michonis on his tour of inspection.
And here comes the important discrep-
ancy between history and fiction, for from
| police reports IL would seem that the Plot
of the Pink was to have been carried out
| i'm the Concicrgerie, while Dumas lays the
scene in the Temple.
| In the former case tho difficulties would
| have been insuImountable. To escape
! from that "antechamher of death could
not have been attempted with the faintest
| chance of success yet this Is the story
| given among several equally imDrobable
ones in the state papers. IL Is there re-
| lated that Michonis confessed that he
ushered De RougevilIe on the day
appointed into "A low, dark, unfurnished
| chamber where two gendarmes were play
ing mt cards; the woman Harel, who
never for moment lost sight OF the
| Queen, was seated at the window sowing
| Marie Antoinette herself stood erect and
| while Michonis had turned his head for a
moment, the chevalier made her n sign,
and taking a red carnation from his but
tonbole, threw IL behind the stove near
which the Queen was standing, As
soon as they were gone she picked
IL up and found paper neatly folded
! in the petals, by which she was AS
sured Of the faithfulness OF ner friends
and informed that the chevalier would
return with money To bribe her attend
ants, and full directions for her own
conduct in the matter.
What then Is said to have been the
course pursued by.Marie Antoinettey
Ii is related that she wrote reply by
means of pin, and calling one OF the
guards, confessed To HIM the means by
which De Rougeville had commC icated
with her, and desired him to place in his
hands the few words she had written in
reply before she left the prison.
The soldier. Gilbert by name had always
treated her with respect, and although
SO unusual a thing might have misled her
To think him friend, 1t Is beyond meas
ure unlikely that she would have trusted
him In n matter Of such Importance both
to herself and her friends. 10 appears
that Gilbert took the paper and carried
it at once to his superior officer who
brought the affair before the committee
of public safety, which made very light
Of the affair as mere act OF gallantry on
the part of n stranger who had no idea
of interfering in politics.
The story told by Dumas Is moro inter
esting and easy of belief. IL was i'm the
spring of 1903 Paris, vast beleaguered
city. was in the hands OF the people
Besides the organized national guard,
bands Of disorderly patriots patrolled the
streets TO the terror OF the peaceablo in.
habitants. No one would venture abroad
Communist at the risk of having to pass
night at the section, to be followed as
likely as not by the guillotpe.
One of the registering parties had come
to "a halt In the middle OF narrow street
and stopped young woman who was
hurrvipg on, carefully muflied and evi-
IDENTIFY anxious TO escape observation.
She was roughly interrogatsd, and being
unable to produce card without which,
by the latest decree Of tho Commune, no
one was permitted TO move, they were
about to convey her to the nearest post,
when they were accosted by young
officer of the municipal guard. The
woman who was young and beautiful
and evidently in the greatest terror and
distress. was not long in obtaining his
protection, although her appearance and
manner could only be described by the
popular word suspect; but being himself
we'll known as an irreproachnble Demo-
crat he obtained her release and found
himself escorting her along the deserted
streets In the direction she indicated.
Her gratitude 60 the handsome young
Municipale may we'll be imagined, but she
maintained a complete silence as TO her
name ana the nature of the business which
called her abroad so late In such perilous
vines; and when they reached quieter
quarter she begged him to leave her.
Ii takes n good many Of Dumas dra-
matte scenes before Maurice Lindey sue
ceeds in discovering the name and sur
roundings of the heroine of his adventure.
She IL the wife Of a master tanner and
dyer living on the outskirts of Paris,
very quiet, homelv, people Genevieve u
model wife ana citizcness; Dixmer, her
husband. much occupied with his bust
ness, and not at all with politics passing
his days with his workmen. and his nights
In his laboratory, assisted by forer an
one Morand-a reserved and silent per.
sonage, always absorbed In some chemical
problem, his eyes protected by large green
spectacles, and his hands Unfortunately
stained with pigments.
Maurice is soon made welcome TO the
quiet household. The oftener he APP
feared the better they seemed TO be
pleased. and he never for moment sus-
pected any ulterior motive in their ex-
cessive hospitality.
One day at dinner the conversation
turned on passing events, which was
not often the case. the Dixmers profess
ing much ignorance Of revolutionary mat
ters. but n recent attempt 90 rescue the
Temple prisoners could not fail to be
mentioned.
1T only failed, said Morand. because
thero was an aristocrat among the patrol
who was imprudent enough TO let the
word monsieur escape him."
Maurice. better informed, replied that