The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-11-08

1t Is for me to speak and for you t,
listen. The president of the tribunal
has put the death mark against your
names on the prison list That list
will be called in this room before you
are taken to ST. Lazare. 1t will then
be sent to Robespierre, who will keep
1t, having q copy made Of it the mo-
ment it is delivered for circulation
among his colleagues = Saint-Just and
the rest. 1t is my business to make a
duplicate of this copy in the first in
stance. The duplicate will be compar-
ed with the original and possibly with
the copy, too, either by Robespierre
himself or by some one in whom he
can place implicit trust and will be
then sent to st. Lazare without passing
through my hands again. 1t will be
read in public the moment it is receiv-
ed at the grating of the prison and
will afterward be kept by the turnkey,
who will refer to it as he goes round
In the evening with piece of chalk to
mark the cell doors of the prisoners to
be guillotined tomorrow. Today that
duty happens to fall to the hunchback
whom you saw speaking to me. He Is
q confirmed drinker, and l mean to
tempt him with such wine as he rarely
tastes. If after the reading of the list
in public and before the marking of
the cell doors 1 can get him to sit
down to a bottle, 1 will answer for
making him drunk, getting the list out
Of his pocket and wiping your names
out of it with your prescription. 1
| shall write all the names on my dupli-
cate irregularly enough to prevent the
interval left by the erasure from being
easily observed. If l succeed, your
door will not be marked, and your
names will not be called tomorrow
when the tumbrils come for the guillo-
tine. In the present confusion of pris-
oners pouring in and out every day for
execution you may avoid awkward in
quiries. If you play your cards prop
erly, in ten days.
"Well wellv'
Lomaque looked toward the tribuna
and lowered his voice
'In that time Robespierre's own heaC
may fall into the basket. France is be
ginning to sicken under the Reign Of
Terror. Members of the Moderate fac
ton, who have hidden for months IL
cellars and lofts, are beginning to stea
out and meet in twos and threes under
cover of the night. Robespierre ha!
not ventured for weeks to face the con
yention committee He only speaks
among his own friends at the Jacobins
There are rumors of a discovery mad
by Carnot of a desperate measure takel
by Tallien Men behind the scenes Sc
that the last days of the Terror are a
hand. If Robespierre is beaten in tn
approaching struggle, you are saved
for the new reign must be reign o
mercy If he wins, have only put Of
the date of your death and your Sit
ter's and have laid my own neck III
der the ak. Those are your chances.
Trudaine endeavored to speak.
81 will listen to no expression
gratitude. You want to glorify me
my face for risking my life for 70
l won't hear you because my risk
of the paltriest kind. l am weary
my life. can't look back to it wit
k pleasure. l am too old to look forwal
to what is left of it with hope. I hay
, sickened at the very thought of N
1 slavery, subsection, duplicity an
. bringing, first under one master, the
under another. l have longed to loo
:, back at my life and comfort myse
with the memory of some good actio
a as frugal man comforts himself WI
the sight of his little savings laid by
n an old drawer. My life? Bah! T.
RI let it out on hire, to be kicked about
IN rascals from one place to another. II
my whim to give it a last kick myse
:, Don't thank me for thatw He snapp
g his fingers contemptuously and wal
- ed to the outer door to receive t
- turnkey, who returned at that n
10 ment.