The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-01-19

:
with warrant for his arrest on =
charge Of embezzling AZ, 600 francs.
Babette leaped to her feet her eyes
blazing with fury and indignation
crying: What! You dare accuse my
Pierre, my husband, Of theft! You lie:
Begone, miserable little serpent!''
The men fell back covering before
this outburst of wrath, and the, spokes-
man said, with far less brusqueness
and more respect: Excuse me,
madam, but did not know you were.
this wife. Alas, it is only too true, this
charge. Your husband has not been
to the Office for over week, and it is
through another clerk being appointed
in his place that the fraud was dis
covered, for the firm trusted him fully.
It is our painful duty to arrest him;
also TO search these rooms. Do you
know where he is likely to be found 2"
no." was the reply, in vacuous
tone. -. *1.@
"'Then we must wait here until he re-
turns" a.. .E s.-..z=E
With moan Of anguish the unhappy
woman sank into chair. Suddenly she
arose again and cried: 'sMy boy! Ny
innocent little Paul! He must never
know of his fathers shame and dis
grace. I must 60 and find him.
messieurs, and take him where he will
not see my husband removed to the
prison." and hastily putting GU hat
and shawl she left the house.
Instinctively she made her way to
the cathedral, seeing and hearing moth
ing until a well-known voice said
''Babette!" and Ter husband stood be-
fore her.
"Pierre, oh, Pierre,''' she cried, 1.-THE
gendarmes are at home, waiting to ar
rest you. They accuse you of stealing
100000 francs. But you IRE not guilty,
Pierre; say you are mott"
"Guilty!" he sneered "Guilty! OF
course not. What guilt IS there in TAX!
ing what ought to be mire? took the
money right enough, and was fool
not to have taken more"
''Oh, to think you have come to this"
she said, in dazed tone ~more sorrow
than anger in her voice. Then, remem-
bering her husbands danger, she We
hemently cried: Don't go home. or
you will be taken to prison. Fly,
Pierre! Leave Paris-leave France!
Go anywhere to be safe. Write and tell
me where you are, and Paul and I will
come to you. Go at once, before it is
too late!"
''Oh, yes; I'll go now that revenge is
so near. I must wait a few moments
though, and see that my work is eff
fective."
"Work! What work." asked Babette,
a vague terror at her heart.
"Why, you see that place." said
Pierre, motioning towards the noble
cathedral, and looking round to make
sure he was not overheard; ":it is filled
| with the misru!ers of the land and the
rich and great, for festival service is
going on. Well, our brotherhood has
appointed me to make it a grave for
the lot. So I have put dynamite bomb
in the main pillar, which is being re-
paired-the one next the pulpit. In a
minute or two it will explode and blow
the whole building to pieces! All, it
is"
"Fiend! Monster! Wrctch!" Babette
cried, fiercely clutching his arm. "Do
you know our Paul is in there?" and
without another word she flew towards
the cathedral, while Pierre stood rooted
to the ground, crying: "Come back,
Babette! Come back!" 80. -:
| Without moments hesitation she
entered the cathedral, moaning to her
self: "Paul, oh, Paul! Imust save
you!" Swiftly she walked to the fated
pillar, and slipping behind the screen
erected by the masons saw the deadly
bomb placed in recess in the stone
work. Fearlessly grasping the dread
full thing, she carried it through the
amazed congregation towards the exit.
Some vergers hurried up to detain
her, but she cried: Keep back! keep
back! 1t is dynamite about to ex-
plode!" and the terrified men shrank
from her as if shot. In few moments
more she was outside. Paul and the
sacred edifice were saved! But just as
she had descended the steps and was
about to place the bomb on the ground
there was a binding flash of light,
deafening roar, and great hole was
torn in the pavement. Babette Fon-
taine-the anarchists wife-had .ex-
plated her husbands crime.
And now, in an asylum near Paris,
there is a lunatic whose case is con.
sidered hopeless. He refuses to eat or
drink, and all day long wanders up and
down in his little room, extending his
arms in yearning supplicating way,
and crying, in pitiful voice: "Come
back. Babette! Come back!"-Tit-Bits
RETURNS TO PATAGONIA.
Prof. Hatcher, of Princeton Univer-
sity, to Continue Search for
Rare Fossils.