The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-12
The 3lst Of
October,l793
BY F. A. Mitchell

hoac go. ooSueior VINO had
oeen spending an evening at ! atm.
u ~ oail In the Latin quarter Of
raFis. on his way to his hotel IN Tho
noe hivoli crossed the bridge lead;n.
INTO the Place de la Concorde. Inst
- ne reached the fountain midway
between the two obelisks a clock n
oeep tone struck the hour Of 1
something like shudder came over
.ne young man. Perhaps it was the
loneliness. for the Place was deserted
-tnat ls. at the moment. since This
eentrai location can never be said to
u deserted for any length of time
even In the small hours of morning
Perhaps 1t was the contrast between
MS surroundings and the cav scene.
ne had Just left. a contrast heightened
Dy ms knowledge Of the history Of the
location where stood the fountain he
was passing. He stopped and unused.
During the reign Of terror where the
fountain Is now stood the guillotine.
Every day succession Of cart,
Drought victims to this Moloch Of the
revolution. At first the nobility Of
france were In process of removal:
then when factions became Jealous of
each other the party in power removed
those who were its rivals. For awhile
hooespierre was virtual dictator and
decided who should be executed. The
leaders Of the Conservatives. the
Girondists. he sent after those of royal
and noble blood. Then a new faction
gained the supreme power and sent
Robespierre after the Girondists.
While Goodwin unused there was no
sound but distant cab rafting over
the stones or a shout of laughter from
cafe on the Champs Elysees. And
even then came at intervals the thought
that be was alone But suddenly
ne caught sight through the spray OF
the fountain Of a woman's figure on
the other side of the basin. Impelled
by curiosity he moved around to where
she stood. What was his establishment
to see one whose features. indicated
that she was lady. Her dress also
bespoke her rank. The costume was
In the directoire style which was in
vogue some zine ago. She was very
pale.
1t has never been permitted to Pari
sian ladies to be on the street alone
even at midday. As for lady being Out
unattended at o'clock in the morn.
ing. such thing was unthinkable. and
yet the American was positive that
the person he saw on the other side
Of the fnnntain was lady. Her fea.
lures were French As to her costume.
though it was in style in vogue q
hundred years lefore-a style that had
been revived--the collar and cap were
those worn ut the close Of the eight.
eenth century.
"NIailame." exclaimed Goodwin
surely you have been. through some
error on the part Of your escort OF
your coachman. caught out alone. VIII
you permit me to call carriageT
What day is this?" asked the lady.
"Day Of the week or the month";"
1.-THE month"
This is the 31st Of October"
do you hear them singing?"
Surely this woman had lost her rea
son and. having eluded her keeper
had wandered forth In the night
Goodwin was Mt a loss to know what
to do-whether to call the police or q
| cab.
There are only three voices now.
continued the woman. milne was one
of the first to be stifed."
wont you take my arm. madame?
said Goodwin. extending 1t. 1.-THE
night is chill. and you do not seem te
I, be sufficiently clad"
snow there are two" was the only
reply.
II beg of you come with me-for 9
little way-to The Rue Rivoli. We VII
find cab there"
"Now there Ia one"
Goodwin was badly upset. Alone In
Paris with crazy woman between
and 2 In the morning, be would have
left her, but this would be desertion.
He could not bring himself to do It
Fortunately a cab came across the
] bridge. When 1t arrived opposite the
fountain he ran out to call the driver
As he started the lady he was leaving
said:
Now, there Ia none.
The cabman stopped, and his can
was empty. Goodwin returned FOR the
lady.
She was gone.
An in SILVER. Goodwin got into the
cab and was driven to his hotel.
The next afternoon he walked OUT
,hroueh the Place de Ia Concorde. The
dav was bright and the space was nu-
Cd with carriages and pedestrians. He
stood nv the fountain on the exact spos
where be had stood the night before.
Had he been dreaming!
Three wears later he was reading Z
history Of the Girondists. The last
paees of the book gave an account OF
how they died on the guillotine singing
Tho .yarseillaise. the volume Of SOUND
growing less till the last one sang
slona That single voice stilled. all
had persisted. Turning to the date Of
th,. one of the most dramatic scenes
Of history. Goodwin noticed that II &C.
curred on the 31st of October, 1I9S.
On to the time of reading this &C
INIT Goodwin had frequently spoken
e. his friends of his adventure that
n,gbt in the Place de la Concorde'
vbicb q century before had been call,
"a 81. place de Ia Revolution. Aftef
having Informed himself OF the rate
Of the Girondists he never again meu.
Va - A. - affeo6 tn that