UNKNOWN

Evening Star, Issue 13016, 29 July 1908, Page 9

UNKNOWN

A story of tho irony of fate » told by the provincial newspapers, showing how trutli can sometimes be stranger and more tragic than the boldest iicuou. There was once a notary's clerk, called T.emc-icier, whose master died too suddenly to realise his expectations, and left him penniless in the world. He found, however, an accountant's place, wliich gave him enough to live upon till the bank broke through unfortunate speculations. Nat being ashamed either lo hog or to dig, the wi-t'-h.-d youth was in turn a gardener, a porter, a carter, and anything else which eu.bkd him to buy bread; till, after fifteen years of this hand-to-mouth struggle, he returned to h : s native village at Breval, near Nantes, and was taken in by a charitable soul. In vain he sought for work, and the day ciimo nearer and nearer when he would have to pay or go forth again, a wanderer. Ju the morning an imperative knocking at lie door announced the emissaries of the law. The wretch', d Lcmerc'er barricaded hi-uso'f in. and then, tearing up his shirt, lie attempted to hang himself. The improvi i;d rope broke, ard the summons at th<* ■.lo-r g: c-w louder. Ke added a piece rf cord (o his knotted slurt, and again hanged Mm-

"If. Two or three moments later the visitors, with the help of a locksmith, broke open the door and cut Lemeicier down, but he was dead. The intruders had come not to arrest him for debt, hut to announce ilnu somebody had left him a legacy of £I,OOO.