Rock Island Argus., 1903-08-11
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Birthday Gift.
IOriginal.l

without, and the butler an
nounced that a poacher had been
caught the night before and had been
brought to the chateau. The count gave
an order that the offender should be
brought to him, and young man OF
perhaps twenty was led in by the game
keeper, backed by a gardeper and
stable boy. The count questioned both
the poacher and his accusers, and since
he had been caught redhanded directed
that he be taken to jail.
Papa" said LiZette, 'I have IA
vor to ask. Tomorrow is my birthday
and you gave me the selection of my
gift l ask the forgiveness of this
man."
The count. who had no wish to pun
ish the poacher, except as matter OF
duty. complied.
'Why did you kill papa's pheasantsT
asked I4izette of the man.
Because, mademoiselle, my mother
is i'll and needs dainty food. l have
nothing else to give her."
"Take the birds you have shot" said
the count. land call on my butler for
what else you need"
Ten years passed. France was in the
throes of revolution. Each day the
Paris prisons gave up a number or
the crowds of aristocrats who filed
them to be led out to the guillotine To-
Gated i'll the Place de la ConcOrde.
Paris was literally drunken with blood.
AS each cart was driven from the pris-
OH to the guillotine crowds of revolu-
tionists followed, hOOting and jeering
the victims 1t contained.
One morning a cart was driven from
the Conciergerie to the Place de la
COncorde containing but two people,
white haired old man and his daugh-
ter. the Count de Bonneville and
Lizette, the latter now Il woman. As
the cart was driven up to the guillo-
tine a party near it were pouring
red LIQUID from a bucket into cups.
drinking and singing song in which
the words wine and blood frequently
occurred. Lizette held out her hands
imploringly and begged them to spare
her father and be content with her
own life. They only hooted. and the
two were taken from the cart and led
up TO the guillotine. Then Il man in
the crowd suddenly called out:
What say you citizens? Shall the
citizeness save the old man by drink
ing with us IL cup of blood?"
mo, nor cried some of the crowd.
Spare no aristocrats." Yes. yes"
cried others Let her drink what we
drink"
Meanwhile the man who had pro
posed the draft filled one Of the cups
with the liquid from the bucket and,
handing 1t to Lizette. said:
Drink with us, citizeness. Wash
out the blood of an aristocrat, become
a commoner. and you and your father
shall go from this wearing your heads
on your shoulders"
The crowd laughed and jeered and
howled as II each individual were n
fiend and had been dispatched by
Satan to represent him at this his
carnival. Several of the most violent
pushed forward to stop this stay of
death, but the man who held the cup
waved them back with an air of au-
thority.
This girl is to become one of u.s."
he said. "She will give us the hiding
places of her fellow aristocrats and
furnish dozen heads for two. That's
Drink he said, forcing the cup to
Lizette's lips.
Lizette. with shudder, seized 1t and.
shutting her eyes, forced herself to
drink every drop. Then she and her
father were thrust into the cart and
driven away, the man who had been
the chief actor in the strange scene
mounting the cart and taking the reins
from the driver. For awhile it was
doubtful whether the crowd would per
NIT their departure, but, a cartful of
new victims driving up, the first were
forgotten for the last. Ten minutes
later the man who had saved LSzette
and her father ordered the driver to
get down. He did so. and the man
drove on till they passed the barrier,
where they all descended and stood n
moment in the road.
Now, NJ. le Comte and Mile. de
Bonneville, fly for your lives. This is
| the road to Boulogne. Travel by night
and hide by day till you reach the
coast, then take boat for England"
"Who am 1 to thank for our lives?'
asked the count, "and why have you
done this?'
| 'DO you TeHenUeP years dSO u
poacher being brought before you
when you sat at one end of the break
fast table and your daughter at the
other?"
"No," replied the count; 81 don't re-
member"
'It was the morning, mademoiselle,
before your birthday. You chose for
your gift my pardon"
snow remember" said Lizette.
'Tn return 1 give you for your next
birthday your life and the life of your
father"
Lizette, her eyes swimming with
| grateful tears. put out her hand.
"Was 1t only for this that you have
returned so much?"
''The count gave me the birds for my
dear mother"
"All this is very little for two lives.
I wonder that you remembered u.s.
'That morning took an image into
/ Il AI,,A II, n