The Somerset reporter., 1901-07-18
MARRIAGE AT
THE SCAfF0LD

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In the seaport Of Calais, which for
over 100 years was under the power of
the English, there once lived bache-
lor, Josse Dullart, who had come there
to carry on business. He was native of
Flandre, well qualified to Sc
cure for the London merchants the wool
of which the Flemish weavers make
their various materials and to derive
an honest profit from each. Naturally,
because of his commercial subtlety and
because of the pleasant and comforta-
BILE life which came to him in conse-
| quence, our man became exposed to the
jealousies and Ill will Of the other
! tradesmen, English for the most part.
He did not know 1t, since the hypo-
critics allowed nothing to become evil
dent, but on the contrary, made every
endeavor to present an agreeable ex-
terror to him, SO as not to compromise
In the least the slight advantages which
accrued to them through his kindliness.
Nevertheless they decided to ruin him
and to that end contrived a device SO
black and so wicked that Sir Satan
himself In his demoniacal mind could
not have imagined better. In pursu-
ance Of the scheme one of them secret
ly concealed In the house of Josse Dull
lart leather bag containing sum of
100livres sterling In gold crowns. Hav-
ing done this, he went to the criminal
magistrate with two comrades as wit
nesses to accuse his colleague of hav-
ing robbed him.
! At that remote period there had not
yet appeared under the canopy of heav-
en- any of the impudent sharpers, slug
CARDS and swindlers who In the course
of time have shamelessly said and writ
ten that ownership means theft, and
the money earned by some Is 80 much
lost by others, with the sole intent that
they may put everything into confu-
sion and be able easily to slip into their
purses that which Is another's.
The world has indeed heard of much
folly and seen many iniQuities, but not
that, and human justice, which had new
j er known Of any Jesting upon the mat
ter, would have hung their like high
and In short order, dealing with them
precisely as she would with veritable
! robbers.
Who was amazed at seeing the po-
liceman Of the provostship invade his
home, ransack his Golfers and chests,
produce from them a sack Of gold of
which he knew nothing and a legal
clerk take down disquleting notes of
the affair In bis Illegible scrawl? 1t
was the III fated Dullart
The poor fellow strove with them In
vain, vowing to God his innocence. but
words could not prevail against deeds.
/ Now. he could not explain how the
sack, the evidence of his crime, had
come into bis possession. whence 1t fol-
lowed that the innocent man was con-
demned to the halter as If he had been
guilty.
The affair, however. let loose In an
uproar all the devils Of Calais. Think
of it-a great merchant, with house
of his own. convicted Of common lar
ceny, like vulgar rascal!
In the end the populace, while It
was not privy to the plot laid by half
dozen arrant rogues. was nevertheless
not mistrustful. 1t rather inclined in
favor Of the pitiable citizen OF Bailleu-
lois. This without taking into consid-
Grafton the peasants on the outskirts
of the town. who were French. not hav-
ing been expelled from their fireside
by the conquerors. as had been the
poor commoners Of the city, and who
hated all the English within their bor-
! ders.
So II may be said that the throng
which swarmed about the streets and
crossways on the day when Dullart
was to be taken to the gibbet entertain
ed more compassion for him than deri-
sion. above all. II you take into ac-
count the fact that he was young. good
In every respect and of prepossessing
appearance
From the jail to the gallows Josse
walked with bowed head by the side
of priest. who enjoined him to re-
jolce that he was about to pass into
better world. He did not glance at
single person. so great was the shame
he felt on account of the filthy mischief
! of which he was accused. 1t was only
when he had ascended the first rounds
of the fatal ladder. having the cord
about bis neck. that below the soldiers
grouped around the base of the gibbet,
he perceived the crowd and recognized
among them a fair young woman for
whom In happier days he had conceiv-
ed tender and violent passion.
At the sight Of her he experienced a
yet more poignant sorrow at leaving so
soon and so painfully an existence
from which he had expected to derive
such delicate felicities. And then. Inn
PEELED by sudden "reminiscences and
by a natural instinct for preservation,
he began to cry out with all his might:
"Loyse. Loyse. by God the Father.
the Son and the Holy Ghost, I adjure
you Save my life, claim me In mar
riage."
The girl stood there trembling with
emotion among her companions. Hear
ing herself thus addressed by name by
the prisoner, she became convulsed
with agitation; almost unconsciously,
half moved by pity, half melted by
her neighbors, she approached the glib
bet without the police daring to pre-
vent her