| Show AM OLD TIME TRAGEDY in the year 1805 when general junot was governor of pan a poor mason inhabiting ha that city was retaining one evening from bis days work through the champs Elya ees when be was accosted by three men whose features the darkness of the evening prevented him from they asked him if he were willing to come them forthwith for the purpose of executing a work in masonry which ib was necessary should be completed before the morning he expressed his readiness to do eo provided he was well paid for it they then promised him 25 napoleons as his reward on condition that be would consent to have bis eyes blinded and would come with them without an delay the mason acceded to the proposal and a handkerchief was bound over his eyes the men then led him along at a quick pace tor some time at length they stopped and told him be was now to get into a carriage having placed him in it and got sn themselves the carriage drove oil with rapidity for a considerable space ot time they rolled ovar the stones but afterward left them and appeared to be passing along a cross road about an hours drive brought them to the end of their journey the carriage halted and the mason was taken out of it he was then led through various passages and up and down staircases probably for the purpose of rendering it the more difficult for him upon any future occasion to trace bis way when aba bandage was taken from his eyes he found himself in a room illuminated with many wax candles and hung with black cloth the floor the wall and the ceiling were alike covered with these mournful hannings hangings hang ings and no part of the apartment was without them except one large niche in the wall near which were placed stones and mortar and the necessary implements for making use of them the mason waa astonished and alarmed at all he baw he tamed around to seek an explanation but found himell entirely alone he had fulla leisure to examine the funeral ornaments by which he was aur rounded but at length be heard a noise and a portion of the hanging being lifted up discovered a door which was thrown open through this entered a number of men in black cloake whose faces were concealed by masks they entered dragging with them a beautiful young woman whose disheveled hair streaming eyes and disordered dress proved at the bame time her misery and the compulsion under which she was suffering As soon as she was in the roam ehe sunk on her knees before her masked conductors and implored them in the most moving manner to have pity on her but they only replied by shaking their heads she particularly addressed herself to one of them who from big gray hairs appeared to bo older than the rest she embraced his knees and with sobs and cries besought ahls mercy to supplications ions no answer was K lvin but upon a bignal made she was dragged forward and in spite of her screams and resistance waa forced into the niche where eho was bound with cords the gray haired mask then desired the mason to begin his task and to wall her ap but the poor man horror struck with what he had ee enand affected beyond measure with the imploring lamentations of the lady who besought him not to be an accessory to eo foul a murder refused to proceed upon this the masks began to threaten him the mason tell on his knees and entreated to be permitted to depart but the masks drew their swords from beneath their cloaks and told him with imprecations that if he continued to refuse to perform what be had promised instant death would be his portion while on the other band it he obeyed bis reward should bo doubled the poor man thus intimidated commenced unwillingly his horrible task but stopped from lime to time and requested to be permitted to desist the isacke however him the whole time with their swords drawn and obliged him to proceed until at length while the shrieks of the victim became every instant more dreadfully piercing aa the wall rose upon her which was to shut her out from life the tragedy was completed and tho nicho waa hermetically sealed with solid masonry the mason threw down his trowel more dead than alive the gray haired mask put fifty napoleons into his hand ilia ayea were again covered anil ha was hurried from the room in which the cene had taken place As on hla arrival he waa carried up and down through various passages and then put into a carriage the carriaco carri aeo was whirled along as rapidly as before and after the stated period the baioa foard himself with bis eyes uncovered on alie spot in the champs where he had first been met and alone the night was now tar advanced or rather the morning was approaching the man waa and bewildered with what he had witnessed but after a short time he recovered abo use of hii intellect eo tar as to determine to go forthwith to the governor of paris having with difficulty got admission to junot bis tale WAS at first but the fifty napoleons which he pro deuced and still more the unvarying ac carcy with which be related the diner eat of that dreadful night at length kinod him oure h 1 alv diligently for some weeks in tracing the scene of the crime and the perpetrators of it various houses within a certain distance of the capital were searched and the walla of the booma were inspected to eee it any marle of fresh stonework could be the principal house agent of paris the letters out of carriages and horses the guards at the barriers barri eres etc were er in the hopes of finding some clue but entirely without luccese suc cese this mysterious murder remained and still remains unexplained and unpunished but conjecture mae ined it to have been an act of family vengeance according to this solution the mass were the father and brothers of the unfortunate lady who was considered in borne way or other to have dishonored her race they were also supposed to have been strangers from some distant part of the country who had come to the neighborhood of paris for the purpose of completing this vindictive act and had gone away again after its perpetration |
