Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-09-03
The
STRANGER
|. He Formed a Plan Which He
Carried Out Successfully.
By P. A. MICHEL

n the north OF rTduce. IuOuSu nt
,ived 200 years ago, his vineyard Las
<emained a vineyard ever since.
Martins daughter, Marie, was a love.
Il uirl of nineteen. In the autumn after
tba grapes had been gathered and put
through the wine press her father al
Ways gave a fete, inviting his neigh
Aors. and Marie, dressed In the cos
hume of the period, was regarded as
he prettiest of all the girls who danced
il the great room over the wine cell
lars.
One autumn a young man from Paris
Intended a dance given by Marie's
father, saw her and fell violently in
love with her. Marie was pleased to
make a conquest Of one from the
city, but, being a bit ~coquettish, only
half encouraged him. However, she at
asst reminded him that a French girl
hid not dispose Of her hand; that rested
with her parents. The young man,
taking this for consent, went to Val
kier and asked for Marie's hand.
81 don't know you, monsieur" said
Martin, 'or anything about you. What
Is your occupation?"
Jules GARNER, the person In question,
had not cared to give his real name,
and he did not now care to give his
occupation. Nor did he wish to admit
that he preferred to withhold either.
The stranger prevaricated. He said
he was an artist, and SO he was, for
he was a mar of great versatility, but
this was not his profession. He possess
ed a rift that had made him celebrated
In Paris, though it was not of such a
nature as would extend his renown to
the provinces. The old man then ask
ed him If he had any fortune, and Jules
admitted that he had not more than
10000 francs $4,000, which was d
beggarly sum to put up for the daugh-
ter Of a prosperous wine grower. So
the sutton was rejected. He said good
BY to Marie, who was loath to part
with him, for she had been more i'm.
pressed by him than she had realized.
But she could not give herself to him
without her fathers consent, and her
father had declined bis proposition.
Not long after Jules departure the
wine grower was riding on a road
leading through some wooded property
he owned and which he thought Of
& clearing to add to his vineyard when
he heard a shout for help In a thicket
~Dismounting, he went to where the
sound had come from and found a man
who had been stabbed to the heart
On looking closer at the body he saw
that the murdered man was Francois
Marcelle, a former workman in his
vineyard, with whom he had had an
alteration and whom he had dis.
charged.
1t occurred to Martin that If caught
over the body of Marcelle, with whom
he had quarreled, he would be sus-
pected of the murder. He hurried back
when he heard a voice almost beside
him say:
what is your hurry, my friendi
Wait a bit. l have something to say to
you. I heard a cry for help a moment
ago, and now I find you coming from
where 1 heard it in hot haste. Have
you had a fight with any oneT
Martin was so impressed with the
danger he was in that he stammered in
his account of what had occurred. The
man proposed that they go together
and have a look at the body. Martin
reluctantly consented. Indeed, had he
been guilty Of the murder he could not
have demeaned himself in a manner
better fitted to indicate his guilt. He
was pale, trembling, and his teeth rat.
tied with terror.
During the day the body was re-
moved, and at nightfall gendarmes
came to Martin Walkers house and ar
Marcelle, and, there being no Jail In
the vicinity, he was removed to a
n~eighboring town. The public prose
cutor entered a charge against him,
and a day was set for his trial.
There was never a palmer case based
on circumstantial evidence than the
state against Martin Walker. During
MS quarrel with Marcelle he had been
heard to say, go away from here, and
as you value your life never again set
root on my property" The man he
mad met when coming from the thicket
testified that he was In great excite
ment. The trial was brief. Notw1th-
Standing that the accused was a prom.
inent man in the community he vas
aoJudged guilty and condemned to
death.
Martins jailer. having little to do,
occupied much Of his time in working
OUT chess problems, for he had a great
fancy for the game and played so we'll
mat he could not find an opponent
worthy of his skill. One day he was
sitting over a chessboard trying to
|cneckmate himself In a definite num-
oer OF moves when a young man en-
tered.
You are, l believe" said the new
A|M