Evening star., 1898-05-07

/
him. laying bare a bony throat. When he
! saw Hafewood there came over his face
such a look Of blank despair that the young
| fellows heart melted. At the same mo-
| ment they both caught the roar Of the
| crowd sweeping through the Rue dYpres.
Ihat the Mouse expected Harewood to
trip him up as he passed was evident. for
he swerved out into the street on the right
Turn to the left.'' shouted Harewood
| III not stop your
The ragged fellow hesitated, painting, his
solitary eye burning in its socket.
| THAT way!' motioned Harewood, and he
waved him toward a narrow alley separat-
| Ing the Rue Pandore from the parade of
| the Prince Murat barracks. 1t was cul-
| oe-Sac-a tfap-and the Mouse knew 1t.
Run, you fool!' urged Harewood, seiz-
| Ing the Mouse's arm: here, throw me
your coat quick! Don't be afraid; I'll not
| hurt you. Stand still!' He stripped the
| 1t into the Rue Malaise, and then showed
| the Mouse into the impasse Murat.
C"ouch1ng there close to the parade grille,
the Mouse heard the chase pass at full
speed, heard yell as the crowd found his
coat In the Rue Malaise, and then the clat-
ter and trample of feet which died away
down the Passage de rOmbre. Hardwood
| laughed.
"Au revoir, my innocent friend" he said
.f you can't get away now, your hides
not worth saving
The Mouse gazed at him with a face abb
solutely devoid of expression: then, with
out word, he crept out of the impasse
and gllded away toward the city.
Whatever was capriciCus and contrary in
tarewood'S nature was row in the ascend
ant. He chuckied to himself over the eva
| sion of the Mouse and the paradoXical if
not unjustifiable par. he himself had play
ed in it. Why he had done it he did not
stop to inquira-whether from pure per-
Versity, or from a nobler, if equally mis-
guided motive-or was it the impulse of a
gentleman sportsman, whose instinct is to
save the quarry for another run? He did
| not trouble TO ask himself. He walked on
| toward the Boulevard Montparnasse, pleas
ed with the memory of the exciting spec
tacle he had witnessed. laughing to himself
now and then, until he remembered Hide
and the mission she had intrusted to him.
He felt in his pocket for the silver franc.
drew 1t out and examined 1t. His face was
sober now. He held the coin a moment,
turning it over between his fingers, then
dropped it into the other pocket, along
with his key and knife. And, as he had de-
cided to keep it for himself, in its place he
box, opposite the Luxembourg Palace,
coin of gold instead Of siiver-for Hides
sake.
The streets of Paris presented a curious
spectacle for a city that was on the eve of
investment by a victorious foreign army
curious because they appeared to be so
absolutely normal. Omnibuses and cabs
were running as usual, the terraces of the
pie, all the shops were open, children
romped and played in the Luxembourg
Gardens, exactly as though the emperor
still sat in the Tuileries.
In the Rue de Tournon an organ grinder
filled the street with the strains of "Deux
Aveugles and "Mignon." Along the Rue
de Medici double lines of cabs stood, the
cabbies yawning on their boxes, while on
every side street fakirS cried their wares
marchands de plaisir, vcnders Of ballads
lemonade sellers with their wooden clappers
moved along the gilded iron ratings of the
Luxembourg under the shade of the chest
nut trees.
On the Boulevard St. Michel however the
backwater OF the human tide that ebbed
and surged ceaselessly the right
bank Of the Seine bore on its surface some
indications that the nation was at war.
Here and there fiame-colored psters clung
to klosks and dead walls: proclamations,
calls to arms. notices to the National
Guard, and now and then an insulting pia-
card directed against the emperor Here,
too, some faklrs were trying to sell scan
dalous pamphlets attacking the imperial
family, alleged exposures of the secrets of
the 1ullerleS, and even blackguard verses
directed against the empress and her child.
10 the credit of the Latin quarter, these
creatures found few customers and were
finally hustled out of the streets, even be-
fore the ordinance of the police directing
the confiscaton of sucn literature and the
proper punishment for the offenders. But
theTe posters and appeals were not the
only signs of war visible along the Boule-
ward st. Michel. BattaIlons cf the Ma
tional Guard were making am unusually
Hoisy eAIiDltloH OF themselves, paf2Q1nH
in front of the Sorbonne, drums and bugles
drowning the roar of traffic on the boule-
ward. In the cafes, too, strangely weird
uniforms began to appear-uniforms as ri
dicuious. for the most part, as the people
who wore acknowledgement companies
organizing for the defense of the city styl-
ing themselves "Enfants de Montrouge."
''NengeurS de MontparDasse'' Scouts of
st. SGlpice"-all squally, vociferous and
unanimously thirsty.
AS for the city itself, it was strangely
tranquil after night of celebration over
the safe return of Vinoy's 18th Corps and
morning of rejoicing at the news that the
United States had instructed it's minister
Mr.. WaShburne, to recognize the fait ac-
compli and consider himself in future as
accredited minister to the republic of
France. In the Cafe Cardinal few CO.
cottes still wore miniature American flags
in their buttonholes, and here and there,
over the entrances to cafes and concert
halls, the stars and stripes waved brightly
in the September sun.
AS for very serious comprehension of
the situation, 50 far the public went,
there was none. On the Sd of September,
after the news of the emperor's capture at
Sedan had been confirmed by the Comte
de Pilakoa, the Parisians occupied them
selves with an amusement always congen-
ial to the true Parslan--a riot. This riot
which has passed into history as the revo-
luton of the 4th. of September, was re-
freshingly bloodless and amazingly deci-
sive. 1t swept the dynasty of Napoleon
Ill from France. it made the emperor a
legend and it proclaimed the republic
through the medium of NJ. Gambetta's
lusty lungs. In other words, the French
people committed the enormous folly of
swapping horses while crossing a stream,
and when, in the face of enemy flushed
with victory, the Parisians laid violent
hands on the throat of their own govern
ment and strangled it, even Moltke must
have relaxed his stern visage at the hope
less absurdity of such people. For, If the
government had erred, was that the time to
reckon with it? An established govern
ment represents, at least theoretically, a
basis and security that a revolutionary
government cannot have in time of inva-
sion and instant need And, after all, by
what right was the republic proclaimed?
There had been no appeal, no plebiscite, no
majority had exercised the right of suf-
frage, not a vote had been cast. Violence
alone had decided the fate of government
which also had been founded upon violence
On the fatal Sd of September Paris was
still quiet, perhaps stunned by the news of
the frightful disaster at Sedan, but, in the
minds of the people, the revolution was al
ready thing accomplished. Nevertheless
there was still time left to save the sole
prerogative Of Importance at that hour
the right Of national representation. 1t
was merely necessary that the deputies