The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1905-11-24
A ROSE OF
NORMANDY
WILLIAM \. 4. WILSON
= &
CHAPTER 1.


"a wuicn A PRISONER ESCAPES
ANp a sJLiLoouY - INTER-
hilTEE
The sun shon. fail IN France n
bright Juno day In the yea. Of our
Lord. i67sSapd TIE thirty-nfth o, III"
rclEn u that Louis whom men called
Great" And nowhere was tho sun
lirht faircr than In the capital city.
shctc the presence Of n conquering AMI
.'cisure-lovins monarch and his be-
Nillcrlng court attracted tho brayost
and rayost Of NIL Europe.
Tho streets Of Paris rcsoupacd on
fho self-samc day to the prancing and
PAVING OF war horses. tho gay fanfare
OF tmmpcts announcing tho return OF
n Victorious general from the Neither.
lands. or the Tumbling OF tho great
coach Of state rs the King himself
hurried on TO take part In some fan
tas'if dance or ballet ut the palace.
~siorpiag, ~perchance. Mt the cathedral
door to offer thanks with all tru.
loyal subjects and Join 10 some great
'Te Deum' sung In honor OF another
battle won.
Amllst such confusion tho ordinary
analrs Of life aud state went on ms
ilon'k naught but the hamdrum
plans OF u peaceful nation were afoot'
People lived and died a natural death
tOy0a sionally); they ate. drank. and
,lsnt through II all. The dead were
hurled aud tho living blest, much tho
same rs they had been since first the
church splrc and the d~ark-robed priest
hal sung fseded the old sayagc faiths.
Eycl the millstoncs Of justice Chat Is
to say. the KING ground silently I'M
Win their accustomed i%ineness. while
1AS ax. the rope, AMI the wheel did
their Kind work In ending prisoners
Of state to II country where lettres de-
cachrt were unknova
Ills most christian majesty believed
In the deterrent effect the sight OF the
Lnal act In the drama OF q criminals
lfc had upon all good citizens. He
likewise wished at times that his peo--
ps, even those OF the lower classes.
should be amused. Accordingly he
achieved these Two cnds by frequent
public executions In the Place do Ia
oreye. This. being u commodious
square hard by the Pont Notre Dame,
was well adapted TO q large audience.
While the balcony OF the Hotel dc
Vile ut Its southern end afforded an
excellent pedestal on which tho king
and the beauties and ~gallants OF his
court could show themselves when
ever IN execution OF especial impor-
tance took niate.
IN the lay with which this nara
i've opens the morning had worn away
until the sun with vertical rays beat
down upon the heads OF the spectators,
There had been three instructive and
successful executions thus far. The
hrSt wretch was broken on the wheel,
The second hanged. md tho third torn
'o pieces by horses. The king and
court party In the gallery had departed
after repeated half-suppressed ex-
pTcnsions OF cnnui at the end OF this
u''' act. and there remained but one
ioor devil Of n nameless fellow TO bc
dispatched by the knife.
n raised platform occupied the cen.
yer OF the square. About It vas drawn
up q double line Of soldiers. some
mpleh with halberds. others will
m'S""'s' who kept the people fror
VIo"dins too near. From the scairoit
" narrow Ian. was kept open by 9
Nomlany OF s,sncrs 20 u cart. OF
"nieh the condemned had ridden Il
me scene OF tnelr execution. and OF
.nlch they awaited In Silence theil
,uIn, Every other availas lie inch wa,
.eenpieh by o Hehse mass ~ perspiring
.u,u'ns huU.ra'ty. who good-humor
s,"y en,oyef the scene. despite IN,
neat an, prsn.
.v~ to !" noticed by . careful
oose''tf that Ssither witty nor con
,hr" was anywnere manifested for tn
''sady sxssrtsd. even thousI