Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-09-02

clamped at the orner with iron.
MY visitor, having ascertained that
! was at liberty to receive him, paid
n driver, who mounted his box and
drove off into the fog.
II am, q course. unable here to
set down the exact words which
passed between the Marquis and my
self. I can only tell the story in a
general way, and it was a story which
held me spellbound. 1 can see now
h figure OF my visitor leaning for
ward in his chair, his face pale, lined
with SORROW and yet possessing an
unbendinE dignity beneath mis- mis-
fortunes. He was dressed simply but
elegantly, and he spoke English with
difficulty. It was this. no doubt, that
made his story long In the telling, and
candles had been lit before he left
my Office.
Marie Brissac de Dartigny, sieur
of Chauvlle-sur- Blois,, was, as I sus-
pected on first seeing him, an emigre
from the furies Of the Revolution.
The storm had left him untouched,
and he had remained quietly in his
chateau, hoping for the reaction that
was so long in, coming. With the ex-
ecution of Louis; the old a~ristocra't
hopes died, and rather than leave his
country he decided to- await what he
To- saw was inevitable and to die.
II need be, in the home Of his ances-
tors.
1T was only when his son7-an Of
ncer In the Petit Peres, who, after
taking part in the defence Of the Tul-
leries, was proscrfbed-sent, under
the care Of her English nurse, his lit
tie daughter, a maid of about four,
to her grandfather, that the noble
Evo0 - hann~ 80 -
Still he delayed khe evil day Of depart
ure. GaspArd de Dartigny, the son,
had put Himself at the head OF a
band of desperate young men, most
~, Hike himself. officers in hiding, who
became in their turn the terror OF the
Terrorists . Deputies on their way
home from the sittings Of the con-
vention, officers Of the Public Safety,
al came under the notice Of this band
Of revenge. They were less merciful
in their methods than the Tribunal it.
self. They neither.gaye nor expected
quarter.
"He had. at last, insisted on his
father taking the littlS girl into safe
ty, and had himself. furnished them
with forged passports and detailed
one OF his band to escort them to the
coast /. They were fortunate in evad-
ing the. revolutionaries and reached
rFecamp, where a boat was In readi-
ness to take them over the Channel.
They avoided the main ports and were
landed under cover OF night at the lit
tie hamlet Of rockingham. a few
miles asst of Bfiehthelmstone. Here
they had taken acottage and had
so far been unmolested.
Gradually my visitor led up to the
matter that had brought him to my
office Z hA vfnN hnon Ao@ -
me by RAfriend OF his in Paris whom,
however, he omitted to nzn1e. He
wished to leave in my care the small
chest he had brought with him. The
gallant old gentleman, having heard
that his son had at last been laid by
the heels. had decided to return to
France. The chest. which contained
many valuabies Sand the key to the
hdtng-piace OF the rest OF his1wealth,
he did not think wise to leave in the
care OF q woman and a-child. Per-
spnaily, he had no fear for his own
safety; he had Known Robespierre
when the Tiger of tho Revolution
WIS q lawyer ins Arras, and had on
more than one occasion befriended
him. He thought that he had butte
intercede with the strongest and most
powerful man IN france to bring
away his son into safety. Little did
he know 81 the change the Revolution
made IN MaximiIlian R~obespierre!
Il put the chest In my strong
room. It was to lie there until ne
claimed 1t, or. failing him, he would
leave word as to its whereabouts, and
he instructed that the chest should
be g~iyeniup, and the trust come TO
an end, only whsn anyone giving the
motto OF the family as q password
should appear and lay claim TO Ii.