The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-03-12
the sick, and fighting the demon drink
which fro0upntly aSSailed him,

AS the mllltla came nOiSilJ iHto the WI"
lage Charley rescued man and his
frightened horse from death. The man
proved to be John Brown, now become
a Quack doctor and advertising his
-nostruans by singing comic songs.
Charley, hiding behind some trees,
heard him telling the story Of his old
friend champagne Charley" All day
he had been fighting a fierce battle
with raging thirst and questioning
himself about Rosalie. Could he mar
ry while his wife was still living!
Should he tell her all and let the law
separate him from Kathleen? But
Rosalie was a Catholic and the
Church opposed divorce.
Just then bottle Of whisky fell
from the pocket of a drunken "habi-
tant" at his very feet. With an I'M
controIlable impulse he seized it and
drained it. 10 Portugais followed him
as he staggered home and Charley in
his delirium recognized him as the
murderer he had pleaded for. He
took 10 by the throat, then fell to
the floor. For five days 10 struggled
10 save his life and then carried him
back to Vadrome Mountain. Rosalie
came to warn him that he was sus-
pected of stealing the gold vessels from
the Cathedral in Quebec and trying to
blow up Government House. She hai
hardly finished speaking when the
cure. the seigneur and the Able Ros-
signol entered with two constables.
The able charged Charley with the
theft, which he stoutly denied. 10
called the able aside and confessed
his crime in order to save his friend,
promising to give himself up at the
end of a year. Meantime Charley took
vial of laudanum from his pocket.
but as he was about TO uncOrk it, Rosa
lie sprang from behind a curtain cry
| ing, eff you go. / go also.' Footsteps
were heard and he promised not to
take the poison The able came to
announce that he believed Charleys
denial. His great temptation still re-
NAMED but he found help in R0salie's
eyes. It was the first time he had
Welded to power outside himself.
The cure was planning to give the
Passion Play at the Indian Reserrva-
| ton of Four Mountains at Easter and
| asked Charley to translate the Ger
man text and to make some drawings
| for the costumes He did SO. About
this time Rosalie took her crippled
father to the hospital at Montreal and
4 hc wnrQ
months Of misery for Charley. What
/ could he do? He felt that itshad been
dastardly of him to win her love, when
| he could give her only the empty hand.
4 the hopeless hour, the secret sorrow
lin return. He fought his old enemy
with desperate resolve.
The week before Easter he went to
Montreal with JOS dogs and sled. In
the dead of night he entered the white
house on the hill where Kathleen was
living, made his way to secret cup
board and removed two packets; one
contained his mothers pearls worth
4 ten thousand dollars and the other a
thousand dollars in notes. As he turned
after restoring the panel Kathleen
stood before him in her nightgOwn.
i She4was asleep. Charley followed her
as she walked out of the house, across
the lawn towards the river where the
gate was open. Her life was in his
hands. For moment he hesitated
then noiselessly stole between her and
the gate, closed and locked it. Her
! husband, not fifty feet away, called to
him.
"Hush! She's asleep" Charley whis'
pered and disappeared, unrecognized.
Rosalie's father died soon after this
and she was in for weeks. The Pas
sion Play brought unwelcome crowds
to Chandiere; the last three days
strangers were prohibited. At the
final performance Rosalie chose t.
1 take the part of Marie Magdalen. I'll
was an act Of expiration. After ths
!play ended she received absolution.l
Far away under the trees sat mar
I in misery unreasonable. 1t wa.
Charley. That night he wrote for
long time; then put the paper will
| the pearls and the money in the safe
That same night John Brown la!
drunk in the church. He lighted
match and threw 1t on surplice. Sooi
cries of "Fire" were heard. Charlie!
and 10 saved the sacred treasures
Rosalie went back for the little eros
and Charley dashed in and rescuet
her.
i By his eloquence the people were in
duced to give one fortieth of thei
possessions for a new edifice. tn
. money collected was placed in nj
charge and locked in his safe unde
| the parish seal. While he and j.
! were keeping. guard over 1t, Bill
! Vantage. John Brown and three othe
, rogues. having learned where tn
). money was. entered the tailor's hous
: to- steal it. Billy shot Charley, J
killed John Brown. two Of the othe
!. men fired at Jova and killed him. Tn
! seal was found intact. Rosalie helpe
:. bind up Charley's wound and the cur
: was preparing to give him the sacrs
! ment. Suddenly the bandage slipped
! or did he purposely lett slip:-an
!. ne died faithful in his love for Rost
csy,o ls.,rH ro1rfniYYU In her men