The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-07-05
An.lngeniOus:
Woman
A Story Of the Days of
WitChcraft.

Inere was once young man ndmeQ
Conrad who married girl named
Joan. They were vassals on the estate
of baron who owned and ruled over
a great territory. The man and the
woman were both poor. and their
neighbors wondered how they would
get on. Nevertheless they prospered,
and their prosperity was all on account
Of Joan, who was very shrewd. One
thing puzzled those who knew her. She
did everything in way SO queer that
some of them thought her demented.
And yet her acts resulted to her bene-
ct.
One person, and one person alone.
came to understand her-her husband.
ConrNd was stupid man, and it Is
likely this was the reason why he came
to be an excellent auxiliary to his wife
Having no ideas of his own, he was
readily recipient of hers. For ten
years she kept instilling her way of
doing things into him. so that at last
not only could she trust him to follow
her lead, but at times to take the ini-
tiative on her methods.
There was much warfare in small
way In those days, attacks being made
by one suzerain upon another. In one
Of these incursions upon the domain Of
Baron Elginbrod, where Conrad and
his wife lived, Count Hastings, the in
cursionist, took Conrad away with him.
having learned that he and his wife
had accumulated money, and held his
prisoner for ransom.
Conrad was thrown into prison and
told that he should stay there till he
paid the ransom. He remained cap
tive some time, then sent word to his
captor to say that If he would give him
a messenger he would send him to his
wife with an order to pay the ransom.
The count at once furnished the mes
senger, and Conrad wrote the following
message to Joan:
My Dear Wife-I wish you to pay the
ransom demanded by Count Hastings for
my release. l will wait for you to do SC
for one week. One week from tonight II
7 am not liberated will hang myself In
the chimney of the room where am con-
fined. Your loving husband. CONRAD.
This letter was submitted to the count
who read it with satisfaction. 'for," said
he, III the woman is inclined to dicker
as to the amount she shall pay. the
threat of her husband to hang himself
will influence her to pay any sum
| ask" And he doubled the amount de
| manded for the ransom.
| When the messenger delivered the
| note to Joan and she read her hus
bands threat to hang himself she fel
| over in a faint. The messenger die
what he could to revive her and en-
deavored to reassure her by pointin,
out the impossibility of the prisOne
/ hanging himself in the chimney. since
in the FIRST place, he had no rope. and
| In the second place, even II he hat
there was nothing in the chimney t
which he could attach rope.
This seemed to comfort Joan, and
gathering her strength, she wrote he
husband note stating that she woul'
be unable to raise the money requires
for the ransom In so short time, bu
she would do so as soon as possible
She added note begging him not +
hang himself, thus depriving her an
the children of his care and the pleas
ure Of having him with them.
The messenger went back to tn
count with Joan's letter. and 1t wa
read with satisfaction. for 1t was ev
dent that she was so terrified at he
husbands threat, Notwithstanding tn
fact that it would be impossible
carry 1t out, that she would do all
her power to raise the money for th
ransom. So the message was deiive
ed to Conrad, who read it, evidentl
pleased at ths prospect OF getting b
liberty.
A week passed, and the night cam
on which Conrad had threatened
commit suicide unless his wife had b
that time paid the ransom and 81
him free. His jailer, when he brougl
in the prisoners supper and set
down ON the table, said jokingly:
.Well, Conrad, are you going to har
yourself tonight9''
"Why should I? My wife has sa
that she might not be able to raise Il
money for my ransom so soon. but
! am sure she will do so in time. a
aware that she must sell everythii
We have. including our home, TO raj:
no large an amount and l don't e
pect that she will be able to turn 1t q
J into ready money in less than anoth
week, at least"
why. then, did you name perit
insufficient for her to raise the IA
Z som7"
Because did not wish her to 10
5 any time.'
!. well. I'm glad you have no reas'
= to hang yourself. For II you did
should have to sit up and watch "
tonight. and prefer to be asleep
. my bed"
So the jailer left his prisoner to e
5 his supper. and when he returned Co
;. rad was snoring loudly on his cot. ~
! keeper went away satisfied tnat the
i was no danger OF the prisoner chez
: ing the count out Of his ransom by Ii
: ing himself, and he too. beteok hi
!. self to his bed and was soon snori
!. as loudly ns Conrad.
. When the next morning the jail
! took Conrad's breakfast to him. G
- pecting to see his prisoner sitting.
usual, at the table waiting for it.