Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-30

neighborhood. The place was
the little French village OF
Saulnlerville, on St Mary
Bay, an arm on the Nova Scotia side Of
the Bay of F'undy. Apart from the beaten
track Saulnierville stands in the heart OF
the district now occupied by the re
turned Acadians," the descendants OF
those oompatriots of Evangeline who
found their way back to this part OF their
adopted country after their expulsion by
the English in 1856.
No? 1t is a strange story" continued
the ST. Johns lady at the table Of the
quaint little boarding house, or ''hotsl, 4"
and there was a stir of interest among her
few listeners as they requested the telling
About forty years ago." this lady pro-
ceeded. "a large ship was seen sailing
along close to the little strip Of land out
there which forms st. Mary's Bay. This
ship was different from those usually seen
hereabout and at once attracted attention.
Some say she was a man-o'-war, others
a pirate; but whether or not there is any
truth in these rumors this much seems
certain-a ship of some kind hove to in
plain sight Of that strip or land. the ship
boat put of and made for the shore. and
there. above the high tide line. 1t apparent
~ deposited something and then hurried
back to the ship, which Immediately sailed
away. This incident was seen by some
fishermen.
The next morning, | understand Il
one Of the fishermen went down IN tho
shore where the boat had landed To sec
what II had been about. As he approacba5
the spot he saw an object which he AZ Grst
thought was bundle of clothes. Az no
looked this object seemed to move. Tho
fisherman, alarmed. returned for a com
panion, and together they went to irysstI-
gate. The object was then seen to be n
man. by his side was rug of water and
a package Of ships biscuit
Near him, according to one report wera
the remains OF a fire. At any rate the
night had been cold and the man had suf
fered severely from the exposure partIc,I-
larry because OF the fact that both Of his
legs had been freshly amputated He only
moaned in answer to the questions OF the
fishermen. They took him to house
wrapped him in blankets and soon ap-
parently had restored him to-a compare
lively normal condition. They again asked
him who he was and why he had been left
in that way.
He then made one reply, a word-or Il
may have been two words-which sounded
like 'Gerome.' He either would or could not
say anything else. He was treated by a
surgeon and visited by a French priest,
but they. too, were unable to get him to
sneak. Finally, when ne had sufficiently
recovered, he was taken across the bay to
these French settlers in the hope that
some one might be found who could con-
verse with him. Attempts have been made
In many languages All have failed. In a
word he has been taken care Of by these
people ever since, and the mystery Of who
he is and why ne was abandoned, APP
parently 30 wantonly, is as deep as ever
When the case became known the Nova
Scotia government made an allowance "a
"A French family to take care of him He
must now be nearly eighty years OF age
He is known by the name which they
ha being found,
'Ger6me.' "
The desire 70 learn more OF this strange
ha pening was altogether neutral Nor
could the impulse 20 go see the man him
scr be dismissed as idle curiosity. The
next morning as we drove toward the
hors, where Gerome lived, along the bare
but beautiful shores of st. Mary's Bay,
whore over three centuries ago watchers Of
arc her race saw other strange ships. those
% DE Monies and Champlain, l asked our
diver, a very intelligent French Acad.2h
v-7o had always lived In the neighborhood
what he thought OF the story and II ne
I'm any Idea OF Its solution.
HINT OF MALTA REVENGE.
"Well, now, It is hard to say" he replied
nosdlrg his head slowly for emphasis
Same say one thing and some another
Sn,ne say Gerome was found away bach
about 1862, so some say he was a spy II
your war; then / hear he belong To wha'
tortured but his life spared when he prom
IS, never 70 speak again. don't know.
have seen him many times. He lives nov
with one OF the Comcau families. A. ITS
he live with a man they can me nus
sion'-though he was Corsican. Inc Rus
sr1n's real name was John Nicolas anc
thrv calls him the Russian because M
cs 1pal from that war and came 10 thi
gentry He Is dead now. / often thlnl
nar1aDs Gerome could speak. l don't kno"
Maybe ue speak Just at the last oetore ~
90. MI.
We wound slowly along the bay. Ther
was something dramatic In TINS sltnalloI
Tba truth might be almost commonplace
~, % know IL opened the door to hmltles
specu,,,tlon. II seemed cruel In way
force ones self on this mans attention
make "A spectacle OF him. He might oe
man of Intelligence ana rehnehent, w ~
,h,,,.h silent would resent Intrusion. ~
,h. orhar hand. there was the posslpAlt
tbat no might speak; that the truth mlsn
he learned and an aWiul WINS -.
riphtcd Then the long years OF sIIo' ~
a7gnf have numbed him 70 such an eA
80 mat ne was beyond suffering. lie Wa
no doubt but a mummy, the she" u
a.. srauv drew rein before neat Itl
house standing some distance oe.h i, w.
~. ro,d on the top OF hill oyerlooh''
'he -, Our driver went TO inquire
40 corld be seen. The front oooI
w. =, stood open and in the haIi oe
- rxo Htte children could oe So -
SoIu 7,ra.r laughter tended 10 AeeeH
80 me silent tragedy within
me driver emerged from The house 9nn~s an =,
-. Ne could go in, We We're I'
'st,.s5 m The door by pleasant spoAe
800 voung woman, the mother OF "a %
10 children. Her mother-in-la% anu ,lena ~
srsnd VINO completed the housen OF
~, absent This young woman "a
Iyed here with GeToms since nee y nSr | pT,
rasS 10 . ne now greeted us she led n
MO neat though rather bare ri
men al the end OF the han, a A. ARG LS5m coo
s,,,,s occupied the centre OF the room n.
s'oEe "a ne chair completed the turn
taPe We we're not at ars5 aware ava 70 81 au q
prr'en, ,,oueau about him We ma
uou I,,.5 mast he stove. but now, as
,,,,,t ward H. We saw with s taIl ~. 80
- setting there beside II, 50 close .h'
NJ va 49,, hidden from the entranS
NJ no -,Snt OF aim was double shock. ~
NOT only had We not expected -