Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-18

(Guy de Maupassant. 1s5o-1s93, was a
French novelist and writer Of short :4 STORIES S
author Of "A Piece Of String, The Neck
lace" THE Coward" etc.
When the republic was proclaimed
in France and Napoleon was no longer
on the throne of an empire, the Ell
fects of the cataclysm were felt
the most interesting aspect OF the
changes was peculiarly illustrated by
what occurred in the little borough OF
Caneville.
The mayor was a small, thin little
man, Royalist. His town enemy was
the DR.. Massarel, who ministered to the
ills of the body and wanted to minister
to the ills of government as well. Or
Massarel was the head of the Republic
an party in that district. He was also
the organizer of the local rural militia
which was to save the country.
When DR.. Massarel received news OF
the proclamation of the republic ne
had So soldiers under his command,
thoroughly drilled and ready, as he
supposed, to give their lives for the
cause. He Immediately sent out the
call to arms, for it. was necessary at
once to depose the Royalist mayor and
take the supreme authority into ms
own hands.
The mayor, with two guards, barri-
caded himself in the town hall. He
refused to come out, even when ordered
to do so by DR.. Massarel and his MI
litia. And though Dr. Massarel COM
manded one of his men to proceed
against the town hall, the man was
too prudent to obey He did not want
bullet in him. Not he, and he knew
4 Iaa x,NY.tc rS{c ChnfE
There was nothing left for the COM
mandant to do but draw his saber and
advance himself to about half the dis
lance between the two buildings where
the enemy was barricaded. Waving the
saber above his head, DR.. Massarel
shouted with all the force Of his lugnS
Long live the republic! Death to
traitorsI'
Thereupon he turned on his heel and
rejoined his officers. But that was all
what else could be done? The mayor
dared DR.. Massarel to try and make
him leave the town hall before he had
received orders from higher up. If the
doctor ordered an attack the men
might not charge. That would be ridic-
ulous. Besides, perhaps he did not
have the authority.
An idea came to him. He went to
sage outlining the situation to the lord
mayor of the Republican government at
Paris, and to the project of the Seine
Inferieure at Rouen, and to the new
Republican Subprefect at Dieppe.
While waiting. the doctor set guard
around the town hall. He put pickets
all over the parish, as though he ex-
pected some kind of an attack. About
9 o'clock that night the doctor was
startled, when he tried to effect a per-
sonal entrance into the town hall, by
a loud Who's there?" After that
fright he decided to let matters rest
till the morning.
At last a reply came to the doctors
urgent telegram. 1t dismissed the
Royalist mayor and told him to stand
by for later instruction. A messenger
under a flag of truce, communicated
this intelligence to the mayor. The
mayor evacuated the town hall, though
under protest, and disappeared. Dr.
Massarel was now provisional mayor OF
Caneville.
The doctor turned to the crowd In
triumph. He shouted: "Hurrah! Hur-
rahl The republic wins all along the
line! But the crawd showed no emo
ton whatever.
The doctor tried new tack. 1.-THE
people are free! You are free. all OF
you, and independent. Be proudr'
| The inert toWnspeople merely stared
at him. There was not even the glim-
mer of pride in their eyes. Nh.
| DR.. MasSarel surveyed them with as
tonished eyes. Their indifference amazed
and puzzled him. He tried to think of
some way he might arouse them to some
display Of interest or enthusiasm. Sud-
denly he had an inspiration.
| Lieutenant, bring me the bust of the
ex-Emperor which is in the debating
room of the Municipal Council, and
bring it to me with a chair"
| The bust and chair were brought. The
doctor put the bust on the chair. Then
he stood back and addressed the statue
OF the ex-Emperor in these words:
"Tyrant? Think how you have fallen
fallen into the dirt and mire. The
exhausted fatherland was expiring un-
der your iron heel Now avenging des-
tiny has struck you down-you are de-
feated at last! You are vanquished,
prisoner, and on the ruins of your
crumbling empire the young and radiant
republic, taking up your broken sword
rises" =
At this point the patriotic doctor
paused But there was no applause. NO
single word of encouragement came
from the silent faces around him. The
peasants seemed bewildered by this dis