Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-11-01
A Wife's Revenge


| iOVeQ MS lrleuu OeSuOullHS, anu III III
course of time Desmoulins married hel
He was so devoted to Cateret that Lou
Use thought 1t best not to tell him tina
Alphonse had once sought her hand
and since Alphonse never told him b
was in ignorance Of the fact.
Ten years passed. Cateret had gon
to Paris to live soon after his friend
marriage, the Desmoullnses following
later Both men became leaders In tn,
revolution which was sweeping owe
France like cyclone. One evening
! Desmoulins came across the Seine By
the bridge directly opposite the corps
legislatif and walked toward the Place
de Ia Concorde or Place de la Revolu
ton. as it was then called. At thu
same time Cateret turned into the
| place from the opposite direction. The
two men met at that point where the
! gulllotine was set up and where 1t had
done a great work that very day. Night
was falling, and the Place was desert
ed except for the friends. They stop
ped directly under the instrument OF
death and began to talk.
"Alphonse," said Jean, "this revolu-
ton is like tongue of fame which at
one moment sweeps in one direction,
the next In another. The favorite of
today is the condemned of tomorrow.
you are right, Jean. Do you know
that If either of us has an enemy that
enemy can send the man he hates to
the guillotine."
81 don't like it." replied Jean. "If !
were single like you, 1 would not mind
the danger so much, but 1 consider my
family"
Cateret stood for awhile lost in
thought, then said: IL have an idea.
Suppose we make an agreement If
you are the victim, l will pay your
wife $4,000 francs; If l am the victim,
you pay my mother the same amount"
After some discussion Desmoulins
consented, and the friends went to
Cateret's house, where the contract
was drawn up In duplicate, duly exc
cuted, and each party to 1t took a copy.
Ten days after this agreement Des-
moulins was arrested under an accusa-
ton of having corresponded with the
royalists across the border. he had
received letter from a fugitive, but
no one knew of 1t except his friend
Cateret, to whom he had shown it.
But there was nothing in this, for the
letter, bearing a foreign mark, must
have been opened In the pOstof1ce.
Louise DesmOullns was frantic at the
danger that threatened her husband.
AS soon as she became Quieted she set
her wits to work to discover who the
secret enemy could be. At confer
ence she had with her husband in jail
he told her that Cateret knew Of the
letter he had received from abroad.
Louise, remembering that Cateret had
once sought her hand In marriage, was
seized with a suspicion which she final
~ confessed to her husband.
"Nonsensew said Jean. "There can
be nothing in that, since at my death
Alphonse must pay you $4,000 francs"
And he told her Of their agreement.
She was but half convinced.
Jean Desmoulins died on the scaffold
beside which the agreement had been
made. His wife shut herself up. After
a few weeks she received one visitor,
her husbands old friend, Alphonse
Cateret. Him she saw constantly and
but a few months after her husbands
execution promised him that she would
be his wife. Meanwhile she frequented
the courts and places wherein she
might learn the name Of her husbands
accuser. After awhile she became
known as the widow who was hunting
for one to send to the guillotine. One
day she received a visit from one Of
the leaders of the revolution, who said
to her:
II know who informed on your hus
band. He Is in my way, and wish to
get rid Of him. l will tell you who he
is on condition that you trump up an
accusation against him, leaving me out
of the matter. You will not believe me
without proof. That proof will fur
nish."
TT is. proof alone that wish.
know the man."
How do you know himY
by the instinct of a woman"
"He Isl
"Alphonse Cateret."
"You are right"
The visitor the next day met the
widow In a building where records |
were kept and, being In authority, took |
her to a room where no other man In
France except the keeper could go. He |
took down a volume which contained a |
record of more villainy than any vol
ume in the world and, consulting an |
index, turned to the name of Jean Des- |
There was the charge and |
the name of the accuser, Alphopse Ca |
teret. Louise looked at 1t apparently |
without emotion; her guide closed the |
book, and they withdrew.
The friends Of Louise Desmoulins |
were shocked few months after her
husbands death to learn that she was
to marry Alphonse Cateret and the
wedding day was set Cateret, who did
not know what moment the tide might
turn against him, was secretly prepar-
ing to leave France with his bride. A
week before the wedding was to come
pr the revolutionary committee got
hold OF his intended fight, he was ar
rested, and on the very day he was to
have been married he died on the gull
otlne IN the Place de Ia Revolution.
In the book In which his case was
recorded appeared the name of Louise
Oesmoulins, informer.
BESSIE CHASE HAIGHT.
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