The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-08
The 3lst Of
October,l793
By F. A. Mitchell

In the autumn Of 1873 Charles Good
win. an American bachelor who had
been spending IN evening ut stu
dents ball In the Latin quarter Of
Paris. on his way to his Aptel In the
Rue RivOli crossed the bridge leading
into the Place de Ia C0nc0rde. Just
a. be reached the fountain midway
between the tive ObeliskH ciN'k In
deep tone struck the hour Of I.
Something like u siludder came over
the young man. Perhaps 1t Was the
loneliness. for the Place WAS deserted
that Is. ut the nument. since THIS
central location can never be said to
BE- deserted for any length of time
even In the small hours Of morning
Perhaps 1t was the contrast between
his surroundings and the gay scenes
he had just left. a contrast heightened
by his knowledge Of the history Of the
location where stood the fountain he
was passing. He stopped and mnsed
During the reign Of terror where the
fountain ia now stood the gnillotine
Every day succession Of carts
brought victims to this Moloch OF the
revolution. At first the nobility Of
France wera in process Of removal:
then when factions became Jealous Of
each other the party in power removed
those who were its rivals. For awhile
ph x-tw tat tnr nd
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 Gir0ndists
While Goodwin unused there was no
sound but distant cab rafting over
the stones or a shout of laughter from
a cafe on the Champs Elysees And
even then came at intervals the thought
that he was alone. BUT suddenly
he caught sight through the spray of
the fountain OF 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 Mt midday. Al for lady being out
unattended at O'Clock in the morn
ing. such a thing was unthinkable. and
yet the American was positive that
the person he saw on the other side
Of the. fountain was lady. Her fea-
lures were French. As to Tier costume,
though 1t was in style In vogue
hundred years befOre-a style that had
been revived-the collar and cap were
those worn ut the close Of the eight
zenith century.
Madame" exclaimed Goodwin.
surely you have been, through some
error on the part Of your escort or
your cOachman. caught out alone. Will
You permit me to call carriage"
"What day Is thisY' 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.
AVx,s, <n yhok
to do-whether to call the police or a
cab.
There are only three voices now"
continued the woman. mine was one
Of the first to be stiHed"
Wont you take my arm, madameT'
said Goodwin. extending 1t. "The
night Is chill. and you do not seem to
be sufficiently clad"
NOW there are two" was the only
reply.
Il beg Of you come with me-for a
little way-to the Rue RivOli. We will
find u cab there"
Now there In one"
Goodwin was badly upset. Alone In
Paris with n crazy woman briween I
and 2 In the morning, he would have
left her. but this would be desertion.
He could not bring himself to do It.
Fortunately 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:
Nov, there Is none"
The cabman stopped. and his cab
was empty. Goodwin returned for the
lady.
She was gone.
All in a SILVER. Goodwin got into the
cab and was driven to his hotel
The next afternoon he walked out
through the Place de Ia Concorde. The
day was bright and the space was ILL
ed with carriages and pedestrians. He
stood by the fountain on the exact spot
where he had stood the night before.
Had he been dreaming?
Three years later he was reading q
history of the Girondists. The last
pages Of the book gave an account of
how they died on the guillotine singing
the "Marseillaise." the volume Of sound
growing less till the last one sang
alone. That single voice stilled, all
had persisted. Turning to the date Of
this one of the most dramatic scenes
Of history. Goodwin noticed that 1t &C.
Cured on the 31st Of October. 1893.
Up to the time Of reading this ac-
stunt Goodwin had frequently spoken
% his friends Of his adventure that
night in the Place de la Concorde.
which a century before had been cali
al h. plnn1. d. L. A