The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-15
The Fate Of Paul Lsfavre.


/ made the acquaintance OF Paul Le-
lie was a dapper little Frenchman. with
deep-set. piercing black eyes, and a some
1 c.ous nation.
II happened one day that we sat down
to lunch a. the same table and. io,-
| tered into conversation. lie was witty
and entertaining, but had curious habit
of glancing continually over his shoulder.
| as though expecting some one
4 One day. as. we sat smoking over our
coffee after dinner. he drew forth from
| mis- pocket a beautifully ieweled revolver,
| OF small but exquisite make. aud fully
\ loaded.
mo doubt you viii be surprised. mon
| should carry such deadly weapon on my
person In civilized London. Yet mere,
/ even In civilized London. my life hangs
on thread. AT any moment i may De
| struck down"
mo. mon ami. 1 am not mad. What !
| have said is all too true. But. OF course
he added somewhat inpatientiy, you 90
| not know, you cannot undertand. lou
| think IL absurd that should talk or De-
ing struck down here in London, where
| the police are SO numerous and so Wig.
| liant. 4 will tell you my little history, and
| then you will be able TO Judge whether,
there is any ground for my fears, ana III
| my lot is an enviable one.
"To begin with, then, I am forty years
| of age talthough make no doubt ! look
| nfty), and was born In Corsica In the
! year 1858. My mother died In giving me
birth. and / was twenty-five years OF age
when lost my father, farmer In very
I so small that II was all could do JUST 10
| live.
Perhaps it was because my prospects
were so poor. that when fell violently IN
! love with the daughter of q weii-to-uo
| farmer in the neighborhood. the latter ab-
| soluieiy refused 10 countenance my sun,
| aiia as l persisted he finally forbade me
| the house
4 was young and passionate. however,
and did not despair round means m,stpess 70 ss
| and on my knees implored her TO fly with
me to rance. I depicted such glowing
scenes OF our future life together, far
away in distant France. that the poor
girl at last consented, and We arranged
day for flight. We fixed on one OF the days
led by his son, usually travelled TO the
nearest market town. some miles on, 10
sell his produce; and as he seldom re-
oned on being clear of Corsica before he
discovered our flight.
Secretly 1 disposed of my small farm
for "A sum OF ready money, and with
part thereof hired a dos-cart, and fast
horse in the shafts, to be in readiness for
the day arranged; 10 carry my rdsr mis,ress IS
catch steamer leaving for France at
midday.
The fated day at length arrived. From
the crest of neighboring hill ! beheld
the farmer and his son riding off TO market
with their CARLOAD OF vegetables.
As soon as they disappeared from ,Ss view view,
and in a few moments We started.
I'VE had completed perhaps half our
Journey when haPpefnetd by srs cnsnce sa,st 10
US. With a sinking heart, ! beheid TWO
horsemen gallopir" toward us, whose
forms 70 ms aeTosnisedd aSd hs son AZ saw n1s si
was lost but made last effort. Stand
ing up in the dog-cart lashed the horse
into sailop ana aoS %e tse s'se eht rehss
swaying TO either side like snip In a
storm. My mistress screamed with terror.
but I held on.
81 looked round hastily Our pursuers
were almost up to US. 1 seized the whip
and lashed the horse mercilessiy. The
poor brute suddenly -swerved 10 one side
and crashed with terrific force into a
wooden post on one side of the road. In
a thrice we were precipitated heavily
into the roadway and the dog-cart was
shattered into splinters.
''I was stunned by the fall but rose
just the infuriated farmer and his son
stretched out on the road a short dis
tance away, but whether she was hurt
or not / could not tell.
The farmer was OF his horse In n
twinklins, and his son followed his ex-
"'Dogv ne screamed furiously. YOU
have killed her" Calling upon his son,
young fellow twice my size. TO follow
him, he drew his knife and sprang upon
me savagely. Quick AS thought drew
selves at me. I hacked furiously at them
right and left. To my amazement and
horror they both fell. while ] stood un-
scathed. Panic-stricken, i fed from the
scene, without a glance at the three
forms stretched out on the road. On.
on I ran. never man ran before. In
the point where the steamer was lying,
and arrived on board scarcely five min
utes before the vessel sailed.
'"The first thing did on my arrival was
to scan. the papers eagerly. To my hor-
ror, learned that my. poor mistress. on
being thrown from the. dog..cart. had
ously killed. AS for the old man, had so
severely wounded him that he died the
same day. The SON was but slightly in
jured.
God knows what suffered on know
ing myself to be a double murderer. For
is long years ] have wrfthed under the
fs thought L OF ending 1. air'-Paul touched
easy; but somehow did not The police
thanks to a completes disguise and
change of name, ] eluded them and got
safe away TO England. en- route for Aus
penniless. 1t would take volumes TO re-
count. my struggles In those Wild regions
"My greatest soiace wae In working
hard. When l worked i forgot for the.
time being, and when 1 abandoned my
toll 1t all returned TO my, mind like an
"a
than any man in the camp. and finally
succeeded in amassing considerable
the rest OF my life. Then determined TO
go to France and take farm I'm some
out of -the-way village. Fool that ! was!
II arrived in France and purchased a
small farm as I had planned in a quiet
little village. The return 10 my old pur-
suits had a soothing effect on my mind,
and occupied by time agreeably. was
as happy as it was possible for me to be
| in tilIing my own lands and doing every
thing WI my own hands as though was
| q common laborer.
But my comparative peace was soon
broken. A letter in our village was q
rarity. but one day the postmaster
brought me one. With a presase OF evil.
| / broke the seal. Ny hair rose slowly
on end az I read. The note contained
| but IL words. and was unsigned
Remember my father and sister
whom you murdered! Your life for
theirs"
Now, mon ami" concluded Paul ''you
| possess my little story What think you
| of IL? You no doubt Will shrink with
| loathlng from man who is "a double
| murderer and who shrinks daily In the
fear OF receiving the punishment he de-