Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-03


 his armchair, which he resumed. Monsieur the Abbe Edgeworth," he said, having stood on the scafeold with our martyred sovereign as priest and comforter, is eminently the one to conduct an examination like this which touches matters of conscience. We I leave it in his hands" 1 Abbe Edgeworth, fine and sweet of presence, stood by the king, facing Bel lenger and the idiot. That poor crea- ture, astonished by his environment, gazed at the high room corners or smiled experimentally at the courtiers, stretching his cracked lips over dark l ened fangs.
 "You are admitted here, Bellenger." said the priest, ''to ansWer his majes- l tvs questions in the presence of wit nesses."
 T thank his majesty" said Bellen- ger.
 The abbe began as if the idiot at tracted his notice for the first time.
 ''Who is the unfortunate child you hold with your right hand?"
 .''"The dauphin of France. monsieur the abbe," spoke out Bellenger, his left hand on his hip.
 What! Take care what you sayi How do you know that the dauphin of France is yet among the livingg' Bellengers countenance changed, and he took his hand of his hip and let 1t hang down. 'I received the prince. monsieur, 1 from those who took him out of the Temple prison
 And you never exchanged him for l another person or allowed him to be separated from your
 Bellenger swore, with ghasfly lips, Viewer, on my, hopes of salvation, monsieur the abbey'
 Admitting that somebody gave you this child to keep-by the way, how old is he?''
 l About twenty years, monsieur"
 What right had you to assume he was the dauphin?"
 T had received yearly pension, monsieur, from his majesty himself for the maintenance of the prince
 "You received the yearly pension through my hand. acting as his maj esty's almoner. His majesty was ever too bountifuI to the unfortunate. He has many dependents. Where have you lived with your charge ?''
 ''We lived in America, sometimes in the woods and sometimes in towns
 Has he ever shown hopeful signs of recovering his reason?''
 Never, monsieur the abbe."
 Having touched thus lightly on the case of the idiot, Abbe EdgeWoRth turned to me.
 The kings face retained it's granite hardness, but BelIenger's passed from shade to shade of badled confidence, 1 recovering only when the priest said:
 ''Now look at this young man. Have you ever seen him before?'
 ''Yes, monsieur, have, both in the American woods and In Paris" .. v, What was he doing in the American stvSoods? .s..1s,.
 Living dn the bounty of one Count de Chaumont, friend of Bona parte's.'
 'eWho is he7''
 "A French half breed, brought up among the Indians"
 What name does he bearf' ''He is called Lazarre.''
 "But why is a French half breed Enamed Lazarre attempting to force himself on the exiled court hero in Nit tau?'
 People have told him that he resem- bles the Bourbons, monsieur"
 "Was he encouraged in this idea by the friend of Bonaparte whom you mentioned?"
 'I think not, monsieur the abbe. But heard Frenchman tell him he was like the martyred king, and since that hour he has presumed to consider him. self the dauphin.' 'Who was this ErenchmanT'
 'The Duke of Orleans, Louis Phi l lippe de Bourbon, monsieur the abbes" There was an expressive movement among the courtiers.
 Was Louis Philippe instrumental in sending him to FranceY'
 "He was. He procured shipping for the pretender."
 When the pretender reached Paris what did he do7'' "He attempted robbery and was talk en in the act and thrown into Ste. Pe- lagfc. saw him arrested l What were you doing in ParisT'
 'I was following and watching this dangerous pretender, monsieur the abbe.'
 '.Did you leave America when he didY'
 -"The evening before, monsieur. And l we outsaiIed him."
 "Did you leave Paris when he did?'
 'Three days later, monsieur. But we passed him while he rested"
 "Why do you call such an insignin- cant person a dangerous pretender?"
 "He is not insignificant. monsieur, as { you will say when you hear what he did in Paris"
 'He was thrown into the prison of Ste. Pelagie, you told me" 9But he escaped by choking sacris- tan so that the poor man will long bear I the marks on his throat. And the first thing knew he was high in favor with %%n RFa vsrySr3c sSs1 ToYaeswr ard