La Junta tribune., 1898-01-01

citizen Jean, is our orator tonight.
What pale face stripping have you
there? Tut. hoy. get thee to bed. IL
such brave sights as these fright tho
blood from your cheeks"
Bernard replied with light Jest.
and drew on with his trembling COM
panion nearer to the avenue. Sud
denly. however. at the entrance gates,
went up shrill cry OF rejoicing.
They are taken, they are brought
back. Germain and Beauvais-all are
here. Now for our turn. Let us show
them who are lords now."
,iolante tightened her hold Of her
companions arm, but only the dilated.
horror frozen eyes betrayed her emo
tion, and every eye in the crowd was
directed to the avenue. along which,
pushed forward by the bayonets of
jeering body OF new made soldiers.
were the frightened. discounted group,
who had so lately fed from the chap
el. The Countess Germain. with Won
derful courage, held up her head proud
ly-neither looked to the right or left.
One bold rufiian reached forward,
and tearing of her mantle. seized the
jeweled bandeau that encircled the
countess head. and flung it into
crowd of brazen faced women. who
clapped their hands in applause
The resolute woman never linched.
and not a tremor betrayed agitation
or fear. Her husbands head was bow
ed upon his breast in utter prostration
OF energy and manhood. 1t was easy
tn upa ha him
by the cold sneer upon her face. when.
at the insolent demand of stout yeo-
man. he handed over his watch with
its massive chain of semmed gold. For
herself, she nsver replied to or obeyed
single command. and they were
many, addressed to her: so 1t was by
brute force that left her throat and
fair arms bruised and wounded. her
remaining jewels were torn from her.
tramplcd contemptuously under the
feet of their own peasantry, as they
shouted,
Their sparkle was bought by our
hard earnings' the accursed things
robbed our children of bread, away
with them"'
pair of begrimed hands had seiz-
GU il' Eoiu Nbulil EiiiIt
coat. when with an oath the count lev
eled pistol he had hitherto concealed
and fired. The man fell mortally
wounded. 1t was rash, suicidal act,
but 1t was like the young coant's un-
governable temper. In an instant arose
yell of demoniac rage. Count Emile
was seized. his rich clothing shred into
n thousand pieces. and the very silken
sash he wore was knotted around his
throat. while In 4 moment longer his
lifeless body dangled from the bough
of the nearest tree. Then for the first
time the fortitudc of the countess gave
way and with one wild cry of moth
er's intense agony she fell forward
senseless. At the same moment the
crowd. maddened into frenzy, shouted
Let the others follow: short shrlft
for those who have had no pity for
u.s."
Bernard knew from the way Violante
leaned against him, her nerves could
bear no more, yet he'll. her he could
not. The dense mass of human beings
wedged them in like vice, and the
slightest movement might arouse sus-
plc!on. whereupon, he felt, while an
icy shudder ran through his heart, in
the present excited tide of rage, there
was not the slightest doubt her slen-
der, graceful form would swing beside
the lifeless body of him who so brie.
a time before had stood with her be-
fore the altar, in the bloom OF health
and strength. All he could do was to
shield her so that she could not see
the fierce hands that were grasping
her fathers throat. Sudden.s voice
rang out clear ana commanding like
bugle notes in the tumu!t of battle. A
small, spare man. with huge masses Of
raven black hair. tossed away from "A
forehead SO high and broad it seemed
half of his face. with eagle eyes that
shone luminous with quenchlcss fire
as the glare OF a hundred torches far
ed over him. leaped upon a rostrum,
improvised from high flower staed,
and waving his hand. cried:
tTo DE CosrISUEp)