The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-09-27

Il
trial to establish the plaintiffs claim 10
an estate One Guerin and his wife and
child named Charles, came to live in the
small town Of Rios, in Frauchecompte,
France, in 1866. The man had no oecu-
patton, and yet the family seemed to be
well off. AS Charles grew UP he attended
school, but he was fonder of spending his
time among horses or strollng through
the woods or fishing or swimming in the
streams that ran into the river Oignon
than of studying his lessons.
In 1877 Nine. Guerin died. For some
time she and her husband had been adj
dicted to drink. They mortsagcd the
house which they had bought, ana it was
sold over Guerin's head shortly after his
wife's death. Guegin removed with the
boy to Gy, five or six miles away 10 the
south. He drank heavily. dressed in
good style and exhibited rings and lew
oliy, though the boy went arUuud poorly
clad. one day Guerin was arrested as an
escaped convict and taken away. Charles
ut once appropriated 10 francs which
was in 4 drawer, and would have taken
his fathers jewelry ii the box containing
it had not vanished. Charles was now II
years old, and with the l. francs in his
pocket he decampcd. 1t was June. and
the weather was fine, SO the boy made
mp his mind to 90 to Paris on foot. A
few miles out, he came up with a travel
ing photographer and remained with him
for three weeks and left him at Epinal.
In the middle of July he found himself at
Lamarche, some - miles from Epnal.
it was growing dark, so he bought some
bread and milk, and then, making for an
old stable away from the road, he clmu-
cd mp the ladder into the loft and lay
down at full length on some hay. looking
out Of the open hatch. In that position he
fell asleep. suddenly he awokc and
heard voices below. He saw a light Shift
ing through crack in the floor and put
his eye to the aperture. Two men were
seated on the floor below. with lamp
near by. They were counting money into
handkerchief which was spread be.
tween them.
There" said one. THAT makes 1863
francs. y mighty big sum for a man to
risk his head for!'
Wrap it up" said the other DO you
think any one will ever suspect you. the
schoolmaster, and me, the verger? Be
sides, if the old man hadn't died under
the circumstances of which you and
know, he would certainly have died in a
week or two from natural causes"
The first speaker wrapped up the mon
ey in the handkerchief, arose and, reach
ing up, put the bundle in a hole in the
wall near the ceiling.
'FFhera :" no said .'Tt will no G. fn until
the funeral is over and things have quiet
ed down"
81 wish we had just now all the money
that has been in that hole" said the 9TH
er man.
After they had quilted the place
Charles was drowsily thoughtful. He
had vague idea that some one had been
murdered and robbed, and while trying to
put together the conversation he had
overheard he fell asleep When he
awoke, day was just about TO break. He
arose and, descending the ladder, looked
up at the hole in which the bundle was
deposited. Il must have that money"
he said half aloud, and by climbing up
the back of the ladder he reached the
hole and drew forth the bundle. He dis
tributed the money about his person,
thrust back the handkerchief into the
hole and, quitting the stable, crept round
to the rear and made his way across the
fields to stream, which he followed for
some time until he came to a village.
1t was daylight, and he saw Il tailor at
work in his window. His clothes were
mean and torn, so he entered the tailor's
shop and bought a secondhand pair Of
trousers and a jacket. At another place
he bought shoes and some other things
and then made for the bank of the
stream again. He walked on some dis
lance and then took a bath and donned
his new outfit. The rags he had dis
carded he rolled together and flung into
a ditch. He soon came to another village
and bought himself a cap and had good,
hearty meal. When night came on, he
climbed a tree, fixed himself in fork
and slept Before going to sleep, how
ever, he tied all his money in handker-
chief and hid it among the foliage above
him.
1t was we'll that he did So for he was
awakened by a gruff voice, bidding him
come down. He looked and saw below
him big man, nearly seven feet tall, and
a small, thin man not much bigger than
himself, both evidently tramps. He de-
scended and was grabbed by the small
man, who said
You young thief where did you get
those clothes? You stole them, and we
are officers come to arrest you
The big man laughed gleefully, and the
small man continued:
Come. strip. Off with them all, or I'll
kill you. Won't |, Jean?"
"Oh, yes replied Jean. Hes ter
ror, is my friend. and thinks nothing of
killing and eating one of his own size or
Yes, indeed" was the reply Come,
strip"
One by one the boy removed his
clothes. and Antoine removed his. Then
Antoine put on Charles habiliments and
threw his rags to Charles. The men
then left him, Antoine saying:
IF you move for the next ten minutes.
I'll come back and bite you. Won't |,
Jean?"
Charles had perforce to put on the
wretched garments which Antoine had
discarded, but fortunately the thieves
left him his shoes. and his money was
safe. So, having secured his money, no
started off in direction opposite to that
taken by the two robbers. When he
reached a highway, he came across a
farmer whose horse had fallen, and
charles lent a helping hand, for which
act the farmer gave him a ride to Doule'
want, the next town. The farmer said
ms name was Prepinst, and that every