The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-09-09

Saint Crsux, who Is reported to be In
hiding In the chateau"
p "You are quite at liberty" returned
the countess, ITO search every nook and
corner"
The captain deputed few Of his men
to keep guard Of the countess. and to
note all her movements, while he went
with the rest of the force to explore the
entire building. The search lasted until
next morning, when the captain, pale
with anger, returned to the countess,
informed her that he could not find the
fugitive, and added that, this being SO,
he must by his instructions take her as
a prisoner to Paris.
The countess said that she was ready
In fact, she begged the captain to start
OFF with her at once. for she wished
Saint-C reux to have an early chance Of
escaping from the cabinet. In five min
utes she had stepped into her carriage
and was driving away, surrounded by
mounted soldiers. She looked back to
the chateau with lightened heart. Yes,
the man she loved would now get safely
away.
The countess was placed In the Status
prison. Here she remained for years, no
one speaking word to her. In vain did
she appeal to the authorities and implore
them-she never received any answer. In
July. 1880, during the fierce struggle
which then occurred, the Parisians drove
out Charles X, and, throwing open the
doors Of the Status prison, set the prison
ers free. Josephine was liberated with
the rest, and the Joy she felt on her
liberty was enhanced by her having been
informed that the divorce court had
freed her from her husband. She heard Of
Saint Creux, and that he had taken a
prominent part in the revolution from its
very start.
Josephine waited In vain for weeks and
months. As time went on she became
uneasy, jealous, vindictive, and finally got
SO impetuous that she went into an ad-
joining province where Saint-Creux was
said to be haranguing the multitude, in.
tending to surprise him. She perceived,
however, that the speaker was not her
favorite at all, but nm impostor, who
had taken advantage Of personal re-
semblance to pass himself off as the
poet. There were several other spurious
Saint reuxs about In the same way,
and the countess. after long and fruit.
less search. returned to the castle with
a despairing heart. Yet, although SO.
ciety began to forget the fine counte-
nanced young poet, he continued to haunt
the Imagination of Josephine. The only
pleasure which now remained to her was
to think of him as he had appeared in
village maiden's guise, with his noble
face and beautiful black eyes. Yes, and
in their great hurry they had forgotten
to kiss each other when they parted.
By some accident the countess hap
pened to touch the spring of the mirror
behind which Saint-Creux had hidden.
The memory Of that hurried farewell
came strongly back upon her. She open.
cd the door. Great heavens! There he
fore her, in vertical posture, stood her
faithful lover, still in the costume of
Breton peasant Near his feet lay
silken cord. Those little moths which
were flying about in the narrow cabinet
it was they who had killed Saint-Creux.
They had eaten away the cord attached
to the ventilator, so that when he pulled
it in order to get fresh air it broke and
ne was SLOWLY suitocdteu. vi Tue 'hsiue
of the mirrored door the following words
had been scribbled:
Beloved, am dying Of suffocation.
l must not betray you. Adieu"
So, then, this heroic youth had fought
his death struggle in silence, and for the
love Of Josephine had stihed the sound
Of his very last gasps, so that he should
save her. All, she thought in the tor<ent
of her grief, il she could but have heard
those final signs which he breathed for
her!-New York World.