The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-05-06
THE
SCAPEGOAT

citizens, here is a letter from the
Prussian commander. He asserts
that we have given shelter to the
francsticeurs who have assassinated
yes. he says 'assassinated'-one OF
his sentries, and he is determined to-
have a life for a life. Tomorrow at
daybreak a man must be handed
over to him to be shot He leaves 1t
to us to find the victim; but a vic
tim he will have. There is no way
out of it. AS you know, our troops
have temporarily retired for reasons
of strategy, and these pigs of Prus-
slams are all around us Therefore,
/ have called you together to decide
what we are to do"
CONSERVATION reflected itself on the
faces of the councillors. The mayor,
q hard-headed, blue-smocked farmer
looked at them inquiringly. Fertin,
the blacksmith, whose injured right
arm had kept him in the village,
clenched his fist. Longpre, the
schoolmaster stared blankly across
the room towards the mantlepiece,
whence a dilapidated bust of the van
quished Napoleon III surveyed the
scene with sardonic Indifference. Sa-
boted feet ratified uneasily on the
brick floor. The smoky petroleum
damp, hanging from the ceiling, cast
a sickly glare over five perturbed
faces.
Come, follow citizens" the mayor
continued, "our time is short. 1t is
Q o'clock already"
"How many men are there in the
village?" asked Longpre.
None but ourselves" replied the
mayor. "All the rest are with the
troops or the francs-tireurs."
Then it will have to be one of
us?"
Eyes"
zone might draw lots" observed
the mayor in a tone which implied
that the indefinite pronoun did not
apply to him. 'As no one offers him
self, don't see what else there is
to do"
The councillors felt obscurely that
their chief was taking an unfair ad-
vantage of them. He would certain
ay claim his right to manage the op-
Grafton he had proposed; and they
knew him quite well enough to be
sure that he, at any rate, would not
be the victim. They groped about in
their minds for a back way out of
the difficulty.
A painful silence was broken by
the voice of the adjoint.
What about Pere MARTINI" he
said interrogatively.
Pere Martin was the black sheep
of the community. He was an incor-
Tigible old reprobate, who mad lived
in a wretched hut on the border of
the forest ever since he returned
from the Crimean campaign, with
grizzled beard, and a confirmed dis
like for regular work.
The mention of his name relieved
the tension at once, and a murmur of
approval rewarded the adjoint The
tmayor, with inward regret, gave up
the prospect of seeing Cauteleux
j draw lots with the others, and deft-
! ly placed himself on the side of pub
lie opinion.
''The idea is good" he said, "but
how is it to be carried out? Pere
Martin is as obstinate as a mule, and
might object"
at is simple enough" replied the
adjoint. You, as mayor, have only
to appeal to Pere Martins patriotism,
and tell him the Prussians will burn
the village if he doesn't help us out
of the mess. Why should respectable
citizens and fathers of families, such
as ourselves, be murdered for the
sake of such old vagabonds as Pere
Martin, who pays no taxes?"
eve had better get hold of him
first remarked Mercier, the inn
keeper, He may be roaming about
the forest, and where shall we be
them"
quite true" said the mayor, who
had no wish to tackle the intended
victim alone. I'VE will all go in a
body, and lose no time about it. The
sitting is closed"
The council did not enjoy the walk
TO Pere Martins hut. There was a
biting wind; and as they trudged
over the snow their teeth chattered
partly with cold and partly with the
knowledge that a bullet from some
suspicious German sentry was quite
within the range of possibility. Be-
sides, there was a prospect of not
finding Pere Martin, in which case
the position would be decidedly awk-
ward.
A faint light shining through the
window of the old soldiers hut re-
assured them as they drew near; and
when the mayor lifted the latch and
entered, they marched boldly in be-
hind him. Pere Martin was quietly
enjoying the society Of a pipe. The
mayor noted this with satisfaction,
and promptly stated his business.
Pere Martin listened with much gray
ity until he grasped the proposition
that he should offer himself as a
sacrifice for the commune. Then he
smiled sardonically and shook his
head.
But think of the consequences.
my dear fellow-citizen," urged the
mayor. you are the only one of us
without wife or children; and, If no
pne comes forward, our houses will
pc burned and We shall all be ruined
and perhaps shot as we'll Anything
we can do for you, OF course"