The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-07-22
The Kings
Surgeon
Story of an Escape From the Gull.
lotine During the French
Revolution.
By MOLLlE K. WETHERELL.
By MOLLlH K. WETHERELL.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

One evening-it was the latter part
Of the eighteenth %century-a carriage
stopped at the door of an inn midway
between Versailles and Paris. A gen.
tleman whose dress and manner de-
noted that he was of some Importance
alighted. entered the inn. where the
landlord stood obsequiously rubbing
his hands. and ordered a supper.
While it was being prepared the land
lord was hopping about, now running
into the kitchen to hurry up the cook
and nov returning to the gentleman to
assure him that he would not have
long to wait.
on to the piazza for the purpose of
stretching his legs during his halt.
He found there something that inter-
ested him-a boy about sixteen years
old. pale and cmaciated. sitting in an
invalid chair. The gentleman ap-
preached him and began to question
him.
"You do not seem we'll. What is
your troubley"
MY right leg is drawn up, and l
cannot straighten it. My back. too, is
getting crooked"
How long since this trouble came
upon your
Since a year ago when the young
Marquis of Treville kicked me"
The gentleman's brow lowered. At
that momen supper was announced.
and be went into the dining room.
who is the boy outside with hip
disease and spine curvature?" he ask
ed of the landlord. who waited on him.
HE is my son. s%eigneur."
HE has a fine head and an intel
lectual face. 1t is q pity that he should
suffer thus. He would If relieved
make a good man."
ut was that little villain .Treville."
IF you will send him to me at Paris
l will see il l cannot straighten his
leg and prevent the further, curvature
of his spine. l am the kings surgeon"
"If you will, do that. NJ. lie Docteur.
we will all bless you, but l fear l have
not So much money as you will ex-
pect."
''There will be no money to pay. l
am going direct to Paris. and II you
like ! will take your boy with me In
my carriage. He will travel more COM
fortably ond be less liable to injury
than If he is carried in n of your
country wagons"
When the doctor was driving away,
beside him. made comfortable with
pillows and rug sat Jean Demaurier.
That night he was placed in a hos
pital. and the next morning DR.. Du
Faur began a curse of treatment.
During the nrSt dozen or Fifteen
years the American c%olonists had
thrown of the kingly yoke and become
an independent people With a govern
ment of their own. The French. who
for centuries had been bled by their
kings and their mobiles. ground down
to the very earth. encouraged by the
Americans example. had begun to turn
upon their oppressors. One day a mob
marched by the inn where DR.. Du
Faur had stopped for supper, going to
Versailles to bring the king to Paris.
Jean Demaurier had forgiven the
young noble who had kicked him, but
he had not forgotten that so great was
the power of the %aristocrats that he
had not dared resent his treatment.
He had thrown himself into the u
OF the revolution. and when the peo-
pie marched by his farm he Joined
them. Then when they came back
With the king in his carriage Jean
continued on with them to Paris.
where he became one of the minor
leaders.
Then began that reign Of terror based
on q determination on the part Of q
people who had suffered oppression
for centuries to wipe their oppressors
from the face of the earth. In the
Place de la Revolution they sat up a
machine for carrying out their work.
The prisons were filed with aristo-
Gratis, consisting Of mobiles and their
sympathizers, and whenever the doors
opened out poured a crowd who were
to be eliminated by the guillotine from
the problem Of French politics.
Dr.. Du Faur was not noble, but his
wife was or had been, for he was a
widower, and his daughter had a
ried the young Count Destelles at the
breaking out of the revolution. The
doctor, having been the royal surgeon.
was deemed Of more importance than
the other two and was arrested among
the first. The arrest Of bis daughter
and his son-in.law soon followed.
One morning the doctor was brought
up before the citizen Judge Of his
reimbursement for what was called
q trial. The doctor saw a man ap-
parently not yet thirty sitting behind
q pine table who was to be his Judge.
The man looked at the doctor. and it
was evident that some commotion was
going on within the formers brain.
And well there might. The Judge