The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-08

time covered St. Michaei's Bridge, La Esmeralda sat talking with Phoebus de Chateaupers while through the cracks of a crazy door of q small closet the burning eyes of Dom Claude Frolio re- garded the lovers.
 Captain Phoebus," said the girl '1et me talk to you. Just stand up, and walk. I want to hear your spurs rat tie. Geminil How handsome you are"
 "Ah," said the dandy, you should see me in my state uniform"
 DO you love meY' suddenly askel
 DO IT. exclaimed Phoebus. "why, of course; better than life"
 '@Then marry me"
 "Phoor said the captain. What should we marry for7 An, Inademoi- selle. I see that you do not love me" :. Not love him." cried the giN. and she arose to throw her arms around the neck of the young soldier. As she did Sd. a horrible head appeared over the captains shoulder; livid, almost green, convulsed face with the look of the damned in 1t: At the same instant a dagger descended on Chateaupers.
 The girl swooned as her lover fell to the floor. When help came they car- ried away the captain. bathed in his blood. and took the girl to prison charged with his murder. They had found only these two in the room, but through an open window looking on the river they saw a cloak floating on the water. The old woman who kept the place swore that when the captain entered shortly before La ESs- meralda came in, he was accompanied by a monk with fiery eyes who had not gone out. He had vanished then, they said; 1t was the Goblin Monk of Paris in league with the Egyptian sorceress to slay Phoebus de Chateaupers. They tried the gypsy girl and her goat, which had been arrested along with her, for sorcery and murder ac- eording to the law of those times, which often put animals as we'll as human beings in the criminals dock. Poor Djali, the little white goat with the gilded horns. was solenlnly pro- nounced to be an evil spirit, fin league with the soroeress and both were sem fenced to death. At first La Esmeralda had denied everything, but the hor- TOTS of the torture chamber overcame her and she cried out: "oh, confess! Anythingl Anythingl< = Only kill me and do not torture me. Phoebus. my Phoebus' Art thou indeed dead? Then I would die, too."
 But Phoebus de Chateaupers was not dead, Such men as he are hard to kill. He reQovered from his wound and went quietlyAto join his command, then stationed In the country at a distance from Paris. Soon after the condemna- tion of La Esmeralda the authorities knew that the captain still lived, but such a mere detail could not alter the stern course of medieval justice. So the poor gypsy girl was cast into dungeon, whore she was to be confined for a certain time, after which she was to be taken to do penance before the Cathedral of Notre Dame and thence taken to execution.
 The day before the girl was to be executed a black robed figure bearing a lantern came to her dungeon. It was Claude Frollo.
 solemnly and silently he stood before the startled girl. The apparition of that man whose presence was always so fatal to her, aroused her from her torpor. ''Who are you, wretchT cried the girl. What have done to you that you persecute me thus7"
 In hollow tones the visitor replied, q love you"
 "Ah. what lover calculated the un- happy creature.
 "The love of the damned" replied Dom Claude. Listen. l was happy, l was innocent, until I saw you. You have been to me an angel, but one of darkness--of fire, not of light. You have charmed me-turned my brain. But I will give up all for thee here and hereaILers l can save lue6s 1 Cdn ECb- cue thee from this place. Fly with me. Say thou wilt be mine. Mercy, maiden, mercy!" And as she shrank from him in scorn and loathing the man rolled on the floor and beat his head against the stones.
 At last the visitor sprang to his feet. He picked up his lantern, and shouting out '.I tell thee Phoebus is dead" fled in the stone stairs. Captain Phoebus knew nothing of the arrest and trial of Ia Esmeralda. He considered that he had been drawn into a snare, was well out of bad scrape and asked no questions. Two months after his ad- Venture on the bridge of st. Michael the gay captain came swaggering Into Paris and was seated with his be- trothed, the beautiful Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier, on the balcony of her mothers mansion, opposite the cathed- ral when a great crowd came into the Place. In it's midst was--the gypsy girl, clothed with single white gar