The Bolivar County Democrat., 1920-06-05

to Arras, where the trial took place,
and just as the judge was condemning
the wrong man, he confessed he was
the missing convict that had robbed
the bishop and the hurdy-gurdy boy.
The Judge let him go; but Javert
was implacable and apprehended him
Mt 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 fortune. He had
time to hide his money in the haunted
forest of Montfermeil, but was cap
tured and sent to the -galleys for life.
Nine months later at Toulon he
broke his chain and saved the life of
a sailor who was hanging head down
from the topmast of ship, but he
himself either fell or jumped off from
the spar and was reported drowned.
The battle Of Waterloo had taken
place and the Thenadiers, who had
been guilty of robbing the dead on the
fatal field, kept wretched inn at
Montfermeil They treated Cozette,
now eight years old, with great cruelty.
Christmas, 1923, was the climax Of her
wretchedness she was sent after dark
to fetch water from spring in the
dreadful forest. A poorly dressed
stranger, passing, carried her heavy
bucket. At the tavern he protected
her from her mistress threatened
punishment, and the next morning he
paid ThenaGier 1900 francs and took
Cozette to Paris, where he occupied a
tumble-down habitation just outside
of the city; the gloomiest place in all
the gloomy boulevard. BY day ugly, at
twilight lugubrious, and % night sin
lister. He thought hi-iself secure
there. but his benevolerce made him
conspicuous, and the old care-taker, be-
ing full of envy and uncheritableness,
grew suspicious Of her lodser.
One day he saw Javert. He took
Ccsette and again fed. But Javert
was on his track. Only by unex-
amrled adroitness and by his colossal
strength did he escape by climbing
over a high wall. He found himself
in the garden of the convent of the
Petit Picpus, where worked Pere
rauchelevent, whose life M. Madeleine
has saved when he was mayor Ct
NJ. The gardener, out Of his graft
tude, got him appointed his assistant
by representing him to be his brother.
Cosette was taken into the convent
school. She grew up into charming
girl; beauty suddenly came to her like
the blossoms to cherry tree in April,
and Jean Vatican, happy in loving her
as his daughter, as his granddaughter,
as the only woman he had ever loved,
guarded her as a sacred treasure.
He had coed reason 10 be wary. for
the Thenadiers had come to Paris and
ioined band of robbers; and Javert
never forgot. He had several desper-
ate encounters with ther. On the enc
side outlaws; on the other undertaking
law personficd. He took part in the
abortiye revolution Of 1880 and saved
Javert's life, at last wianing the ad-
miration of hat implacable and fatally
honorable man.
But there was one danger from
which he could not protect Cosette:
the most beautiful thing in the world,
which nevertheless seemed to him his
worst eneniy-lOve.
Baron Marius, the stn of man
whom Thenat,ier had ro, o,bed at Water
loo and incidentally saved from n
terrible death, had been turned out Of
his house by his royalist grandfather
and was earning poor livelihood by
literature. He saw her and they met.
Their lovc>went through more than the
usual vicissitudes During the insur-
rection Jean Vatican carried the youth
through the mazes of til" Paris sewers
and brought him desperately wounded
TO his grandfather's house. The old
man relented and consented to tbs
marriage. Jean Vatican gave Cosette
a dowry of about 60O,GD francs. In
order to have. consci ance perfectly
clear he told his life st.ry to Marus,
who, not understanding the grandeur
Of the spirit that had naver done any
thing but good. allowed him to go away
with broken heart T.;enadier. how
ever came to the harOs to blackmaii
him and unconsciously :evealed what
a noble life Jean Val. ian had led.
MariuS, taking Cosettl FASTENED to
the old mans death-bed and gave MN
cne last taste from the cup OF happi-
ness. He died in their arms.
Victor Hugo calls "L&s Miserables-
"a drama in which the hero is the
Infinite, the second chatlcter is Man."
1t is in reality melodr.,ma in which
are mingled scenes of history, host or
characters from the hiei ast to the
lowest, imrrobahilities Which strain
ones cretlulity vast am.'Int or rare
and curious information OH all sorts
of subjects. dissertations on philos"
ply. science, politics. and religion. IT'S
treatment of social injustice had
powerful influence on public opinion
not only in France but In many
countries. It has been ali epoch-mak-
ing hook.
Copyright, 1919, by the Post Publishing co.
(The Boston Post.