Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-01-24
CHAPTER xxIv

eeAlioie week. Tdrls was In names, a
cloud OF smoke and canopy of FIRE hung
over the doomed city. All night the sky
mad been one lurid crimson sheet, and
even the rising king OF day had not been
able to entirely chase away the blood
red hue of the armament.
Barricade after barricade was taken by
the soldiers of France, who paid with
their blood the price of the rescue of an
awe-stricken populace The revolution
lists who had intended to make Paris
their booty and France their plaything
were being driven from street to street.
from barricade to barricade, from house
to house, until at last only the north
eastern portion of the city remained in
their clutches. But they did not mean to
die without revenging themselves upon
the innocent, helpless beings whom they
held as hostages.
Nigh on three hundred prominent citi-
zens, headed by the Archbishop of Paris
and the vicar general of the diocese, had
boon imprisoned as hostages As bit
| by bit of Paris was wrenched from the
hands of the Communards, these were
taken to the prison of La Roquette,
Henri among them.
Helene passed her days in endeavor-
| ing to beseech the granite hearts who
governed Paris for mercy for her hus-
band. Her nights were endless hours
| of agony of waiting, when heaven seem
| ed to have closed it's portals to her
prayer, and even her scalding tears left
| her heart shivering. frigid as ice.
When at last the crashes of the can
mons of the regulars, and the volleys of
| their rifles, told her that the end was
coming. new dread sprang upon her.
| What if the reyolutionists were to carry
out their threats to murder those poor
men whom they held as hostages?
She flew to the Conciergerie, and ar
irving there just in time to see a score
or so of open carts, guarded by motley
crew of soldiery, being taken along the
road by the Seine. In answer to her
question whittier the miserable wretches
We're being taken, she was told to La
| Roquette. To La Roquettel That surely
meant death.
La Roquette was the prison Of the
| condemned. The guards pushed her
roughly back, when she attempted to get
near poor Henri. He saw her from the
distance of a dozen PAGES, and smiled
sadly and kissed his hand to her.
| Once more she FASTENED to the Hotel
de Vile, where for the nonce she found
one of the Central Committee, more light
hearted or more reckless than the rest.
$50 your husband is at La Roquette,' -
he said, 'and you want to go to him
there, my pretty lady. We will show
you that we are gentlemen, and that we
do everything we can to please pretty
| ladies. You shall go and see your hus-
band. l wish l were he"
The paper was signed and in Helene's
| hands. She reached La Roquette, and
| her pass procured her entrance. She
| had to wait hours, however, before she
was allowed to see Henri.
At last one of the keepers came and
| called her name, "Citizeness Sainton!'
and after tramping with the man up
staircases and through corridors which
| seemed to her to be without end, she
was thrust into big room with bare
stone walls, and two little windows
| guarded by bars of forbidding strength.
There were other ladies there as heart
broken, as sorely stricken as herself,
seated with their husbands on the rough
| wooden benches. Henri met her, and
she sank into his arms like stone that
| is dropped into the water. Cold as ice,
| and seemingly lifeless, he clasped her to
his breast
Don't grieve for me, my dear" he
said. Il know what is going to happen
to me, and l am prepared. But you must
not suffer for having Joined your fate to
mine. This will soon be over, and then
you can go away to your own country.
l know there are other men who love
you, perhaps quite as well as myself
| perhaps better, if that be possible
one of these will make you happy"
NO" she said, ''surely they would not
dare to murder you. You have done nc
| wrong"
THAT is no reason" he replied. 81
am rich, you see, and that is my crime.
My wealth brought me the happiness of
your love, alas to be lost so SOON"
Thus they sat, hand in hand, for an
hour perhaps. she leaning her wet cheek
against his, he comforting and soothing
her in her sorrow. Then the jailer came
visit was over, and that she must go.
Let me stay only little while l pray
you, let me stay" she pleaded.
The man replied that it was impossi-
BILE. The others all left the room by
twos and twos, the men to return to their
cells, the women to go forth into the
burning city. One of the officers of the
jail returned at last with the jailer, and
found Helene with Henri.
''You must really go, citizeness," he
said. when the door of this corridor
closes, you will no longer be able to
leave. Make your choice. Go! For
you can only stay here as prisoner"
"Goodw replied Helene. rising with
the dignity of a captive queen. CLOSE
the door. l will stay as a prisoner
Monday had passed, and Tuesday was
gone, and it was Wednesday evening.
Huddled in one corner of the prison yard
stood some four or five score doomed
men, while little further away a COM
pany of Communist infantry were drawn
up facing the high gray-stone wall of
| the yard.
An officer called out a list of names,
commencing with that of the Archbishop
OF Paris, and following it up with those
of about a score of ecclesiastical digni-
| taries.
The archbishop, still in a portion of
his robes, bare-headed and smiling calm
| lY Ike a martyr of old. walked slowly
to the wall, and placed himself there.
The others followed in his footsteps, and
row of priest-martyrs faced the mus
'lets. The archbishop was standing with
one hand raised, blessing his murderers,
| when
Ready FIRE. cried the officer. And
the score or so were dashed to the
ground by the iron hail, while the gray
stones were despatched with red
blotches.
Another list of names-Henri's name
| this time among them. Helene. who had
been standing with Henri. clasping hand
| in hand, chung TO him. A soldier gripped
her by the neck. and flung her aside, as
! If she were a log.
Half stunned and sorely hurt, Helene
dragged herself to her feet and few to
where her husband was standing among
the pile of the dead, and locked her
arms around his neck
''Citizenessr' cried the officer. "Out
of the way, or it will be your own fault.'
~ shall STAY here with nv husband,