The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-03-02
CHAPTER XIV.

which Frenchmen to this day call ''the
terrible week." Peris was in flames
cloud of smoke and canopy of fire hung
over the doomed city. All night the sky
had 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 bv
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
been imprisoned as hostages AS bit
10y 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 its 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, a new dread sprang upon her.
What if the revolutionists 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 a motley
crew of soldiery, being taken along the
road by the Seine. In answer to her
| question whittier the miserable wretches
| were being taken, she was told to La
Roquette. To La RoQuette! That surely
meant death.
La RoClette 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
| 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, land you want to go to him
| there, my pretty lady. We will show
| you that we are gentlemen, and that we
Il al.
ladies. You shall go ard see your hus-
band. l wish / 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 a 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. II know what is going to happen
to me, and / 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
| i know there are other men who love
| you, perhaps quite as well as myself
| perhaps better, if that be possible-and
| one of these will make you happy"
NO." she said, surely they would not
dare to murder you. You have done no
wrong"
THAT is no reason" he replied. Il
am rich, you see, and that is my crime.
Ny 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
again, and told her that the time of the
visit was over. and that she must go.
"Let me stay only a little while pray
you. let me stay." she pleaded.
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. "HThen 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 a prisoner"
"Good!" replied Helene, rising with
the dignity of captive queen. "Close
the door. l will stay as prisoner
Monday had passed, and Tuesday was
gone, aud 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 list of names,
commencing with that of the Arehhfshop