The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-08-13

ization of Jean Vatican, the hero Of
Victor Hugo's Lies Miserables." When
he was ten years old he was brought
before a Paris magistrate as a vaga-
bond.
tsMy name is Charles Bravure," he
said. Il am working for a man on the
Place de la Bastile. He plays a fiddle
and sings. l join in the chorus and cry
to the passers-by: Only two SOU for
the latest songs, only two sous!' My
employer is always drunk. He beat
me and I ran away, SO the police took
me in. My mother is dead and I ran
away from my s%tepfather, who NAL
treated me-
AS there was no one in the court
room to claim him and the judge did
not seem much interested, he was
sent to a house of correction.
Charles was docile and obedient
in his new homee. He learned the
carpenters trade. 1t was to be deplor-
ed, however, that when he. was dis
missed from the institution on his
seventeenth birthday, he met his old
comrades from the penal home, most
of whom were thoroughly d%epraved.
Within three months after his dis
missal he was SEM to prison for steal
ing an old pair of shoes. He was as
signed to backing the boots of the
political convicts of Saint Pelagie.
Here Charles imbibed the most radi-
cal socialism. He was happiest when
he could join in the "Marseillaise."
After he had served his years SEN
tence Charles roamed aimlessly again
through the streets of Paris. The po-
lice had him under surveillance like
cruel children who tantilize butter
flies on strings. For two years he
managed to keep outside of prison
walls. He eked out a miserable ex-
istence on the horse market. To
make things worse he drew a lucky
number in the military lottery. A
soldiers career might have saved him.
One night he was caught carousing
with a gang of burglars. He denied
having had anything to do with their
thefts. Nevertheless he was sentenc-
ed to three years at hard labor. Then
followed ten years of a criminal ex-
%istence, during which he was seldom
outside of a prison cell.
In the prison of Toulon Charles
was greatly impressed by the ser
mons of a venerable priest, and he
made up his mind to reform as soon
as he should be released. In Paris
he found lodging with a kind old
woman. With the money earned in
prison he had bought a sailors outfit,
and as his face was bronzed by the
hot u of Toulon his tale If having
just returned from a long voyage
was believed. His beard grew long
and thick, and the police seemed to
forgotten him. He was earning
three francs per day in a carpenters
shop and his employer regarded him
as his most trustworthy man.
One day there came a young man to
his lodging house from the south of
France, who sought employment in
the capital. Charles liked him very
much and secured work for him in
his shop. Jean Marchand was a sober,
healthy and pure minded rustic. He
found in Charles a true friend, who
cared for him like a father. Charles
and Jean were always seen together
in the shop as well as at their Sunday
outings. There was only one thing
that troubled Charles, and that was
that Jean might learn something of
his past.
Jean did not long remain the inno-
cent provincial he was. One night he
shocked his old friend by coming
home drunk. He had made the ac-
quaintances of a rich young mar in a
restaurant at whose expense he had
spent the evening feasting and drink
ing. On the following morning Jean
showed deep contrition and for a
time everything went we'll.
Charles B%ravure was deeply in love
with the landlady's daughter, but he
dared not tell her Of it on account of
his dark past. Every glance that
others bestowed on her cut him to
the quick, but the greatest blow came
to him when he saw Jean pay court
to her. Henriette Salon was some
what of a flirt and Charles saw that
though she accepted jeans presents,
her affection for him was not very
strong. Yet it was believed that the
loved each other dearly and
that a betrothal would soon be N
nOunced. Henriette was delighted