The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-07
LES MHSERABLES
By VICTOR HUGO
CONDENSATION by Nathan Haskell Dole.)

About the time of the French revo-
luton, Jean Vatican of La Brie, day
laborer, earned a scanty living for his
sister and her seven children. One
time, when the family was starving,
he stole loaf of bread, was caught
and condemned to the galleys for five
years. Twice he attempted to es-
cape and failed. He was a convict
for 10 years. When he was dis
charged in 1915 he was wicked, silent,
chaste, ignorant and ferocious; his af-
fectionate nature had been poisoned
against society. But he had taught
himself how to read, and he had
| thought.
Refused shelter or food at tavern or
private house, he came to Monsigneur
Myriel, Bishop of D., in the
foothills of the Alps. He was treated
like a prince; but in the night he
stole some of the bishops silver plate,
was caught as he made off and was
brought back to the good bishop, who,
with smile, assured the gendarmes
that the articles were not stolen but
given. Adding two silver candle
sticks, the bishop said to him. Take
them and become an honest man. My
but to good l have bought your soul
of you. I give it to God"
AS he fled, he yielded to one last
temptation to do wrong; he took from
hurdy-gurd boy a two-franc piece,
but almost Immediately, filled with
remorse, he tried in vain to find the
boy. Two years later a stranger,
dressed like a working-man, arrived
at the little city of M-sur M.
Just as he arrived a fire broke out in
the Town Hall and he rescued two
children belonging to the captain of
tae police. This saved him from hav-
Ing to show his passport. He made
an invention and soon became pros
porous. He built great workshops, en-
dowed a hospital, founded schools
paid high wages and was made mayor.
Employed in his factory was Fan
tine. a girl who had been deserted in
Paris by an unworthy lover. She had
left her baby Cosette, with a crafty
and hideous pair named Thenadier.
When 1t was learned that she had an
| illegitimate child. she was discharged
without the knowledge of NJ. Made.
leine, the benevolent manufacturer,
and was reduced to such poverty that
she could not pay the Thenadiers, who
| took Cosette's clothes for their own
girls and wrote Famine for more. The
girl sold her beautiful blonde hair;
| then they informed her that Cosette
was i'll, which was lie, and demand
ed 100 francs. To obtain this she
sold her front teeth to a travelling
dentist; then she went on the town
and when a dissolute dandy, to annoy
her, put snow down her back, she
scratched his face and was arrested
by Javert, inspector of police, a bru
tai and over-officious tyrant, who had
been attached to the galleys when
Jean Vatican was there and suspect
| ed the mayor Of Nj of being the
| former convict. The mayor freed
I Famine. She supposed he was the
! cause of her misfortunes and spat in
his face. He took the affront meek
| ly and investigated her complaint.
She was i'll Of consumption and he pro
vided for her and promised to look
out for her child.
About the same time the police ar
rested another man who three form
er convicts swore was the missing
Jean Vatican. Jean Valjean's con-
science would not allow an innocent
person to be punished in his place
Surmounting extraordinary Difficult
ties he went to Arras, where the trial
took place. and just as the judge was
condemning the wrong man, he con
fessed he was the missing convic,
that had robbed the bishop and the
hurdy-gurdy boy.
! The Judge let him go; but Javeri
was implacable and apprehended hin
at Fantine's death-bed He was
lodged in jail, but having enormous
strength, he broke out and returned
to his house to secure his great for
tune. He had time to hide his mon
ey in the haunted forest of Monitor
neil, but was captured once more anC
sent to the galleys for life.
Nine months later at Toulon h
broke his chain and saved the life o.
sailor who was hanging head dowr
from the topmast of a ship, but he
himself either fell or jumped off from
the spar and was reported drowned
| The Battle Of Waterloo had taker
place and the Thenadiers, who hat
been guilty of robbing the dead on the
fatal field, kept wretched inn a
Montfermeil. They treated Cosette
now eight years old, with great cru
city. Christmas, 1928, was the climax
Of her Indebtedness; she was sen
after dark to fetch water from
spring in the dreadful forest A poor
ly dressed stranger, passing. carried
her heavy bucket. At the tavern h,
protected her from her mistress
threatened punishment, and the mex
morning he paid Thenadier 1900 franc.
and took Cosette to Paris, where b,
I occupied tumble-down habitatiol
Just outside of the city; the gloom
lest place in all the gloomy boule
ward. By day ugly, at twilight lugu
brious, and at night sinister H,
thought himself secure there, but hi
! benevolence made him conspicuous
and the old care-taker, being full O
envy and uncharitableness, grew sus
| ,io;4pc 1f har loHoa,-