The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-09
selected STORY,
MY BRASS VALISE.

lise, certainly large enouSn, an" s+,,dc Lob
denied. that in the way OF bands, STUDS, locks,
and Sn.tort-covers for key-holes, it had a
som.1h.t unusual quantity of brass about it.
Iwss standing on the deck of the steamer
which was lust about to leave for Dover, talk
ins to my friend Jean Cabouet, and my va
lie. which had successfully and easily passed
ttA once difficult barrier of the custom-house
vss lying at my feet h ,egst.gyfa- .szro
~ friend Jean Caboulet, whom | had
known in New York, had been of great service
- me in my short sojourn in France. had
R)snt few days with him at his residence in
CalaA when / first arrived on the Gallo
shores, and l would have been at his house
the preceding night, had l not feared neon
<sniencing his wife, who was good woman
With large family, and not much room IoF
them ALL So i bad gone to the M--hotei,
when 1 reached Calais the evening before,
but Jean and had been together the most OF
the Slav. and he was now sending aiiectionate
rsmembrances to number of our mutual
American friends While we were talking
(JeaH was in hurry, for the boat would soon
start,) man in blue cap, and with great
strap round his waist came up to me, and po-
Itey offered to remove my valise, and deposit
it with the rest of the baggage. Ia
NO" said |, 81 wish to take care of it my
SELF Leave it where it is."5-. id .f
but, Monsieur" said the man. sit is in the
way. Baggage is not allowed here. l will
just remove it to place of safety" And, SO
saying, he took it up, and carried it to the 9th
er side OF the boat. s5g- s..I 1Zl zYJT
was too much engaged in my last adieus
to my friend to instantly resent this liberty
but was very angry, and the moment Jean
Caboulet had left me the second time The had
run back to give The address OF a French lodg-
ing house in London-he was always giving
me good ideas), went to regain my valse,
and 10 abuse the man who took il. l did n OF
INN n lot cnn ], l,,,%
crossing the deck, to look landward, Il perceiy-
ed the rascal in blue cap, and with strap
around his waist, standing at the other end
OF tue pier, earnestly talking to a woman in
wooden shoes, and at his Ieet was nv valise
instantly rushed off the boat, although some
people shouted to me, and was at his side in
a moment. Without breath to speak, made
snatch at my property, but he had his hand
on y Inc instant touched it, and turning,
and recognizing me, he bowed and said,
9Ah! it is Monsieur! But no ! | will car,y
1t for him.. - - io Z. - tLu =
"Scoundrel" gasped. "Give it here The
boat is offft g,v ~ =
oy no means-it is my place. will dart r'
Ana he yer&ed it up by the handles.
but, Monsieur" said he, with an air Of
profound dejectlon, as he turned towards the
pier,,"the boat has gone" .I',l9 -
sure enough, 1t had gone, and, had been
on the end of the pier, nothing but a sprina
OF titty feet would have taken me on board.
Beast! Wretch" l cried SLOW dared
you carry this off the boat! Scoundrel! am
lett, but you shall pay dearly for this"
1.-The skies" he calculated. "The boat is
gone, and 90 am left! did not know the
time. What shall l do? l would not let
Monsleur's yalise so out of my hands-Oh.
pardon! pardon, Monsieur! but here is a la,
dJ! Monsieur will not use such language"
was about to use still stronger language
notwithstanding tde presence OF the woman
IN the wooden shoes, who stood listening at
tentlvely TO my earnest words, but at that mo-
ment upAcame my friend. Jean Cabaulet. He
had not gone far, and had happened to see me
run of the boat. / hurriedly tod him of NV
misery, and of the heartless conduct of the
villain before us-who still stood with an ex-
preston OF deep concern on his face, and his
eyes On the valise, as though he would be glad
TO, swim with me and it to the now fast re-
treating steamboat. ga l.f lll-,lI' f'''. :.
Caboulet instantly suggested the police, but
hot as L was, whispered to him that he
should remember could not call up the DO
lice. @ b9ish sosisi~ Ai s''A 0I =
mo, no! 1t is true-you have reason.
Come! This man lis wretch, but / shall
have my eye on him. He shall lose his place.
Get away, cOQuin! and thank your stars that.
Monsieur is SO mercifll-I shall remember
you. Come, my friend. All you will carry
it yourself. Then we will go to my bouse-
No? Then to the hotel. The skies but that
Wretched man has done me good turn.
This night we shall pass together" ~ p
SO together we returned to the M hotel
Had the situation been different, would
have been ready enough to give this man in
charge of the police, but under the circum-
stances inwhichI was piaced, l did not wish
the smallest finger of the most unimportant
hand OF Imperial justice to touch my valise
for the bottom of 1t was nearly full of little
red pamphlets, bearing "La Lanterne" very
conspicuously on their covers. had copies
OF nearly all the Numbers, and placed partc
ular value on those which had just been pot
under ban. 1t was by the merest GOOD luck
that had been able to buy them, aud I had
set my heart on getting them safely over the
channel SO the impertinence of man in a
blue cap was not to be allowed to interfere
with an enterprise like this.
ct al an Us sald ambrose. the garcon, smiling,
am glad to see it again-thiS good yalise Of
brass" And he carried it up into the room |
mad mad since my arrival the night before.
My friend and myself walked, and smoked.
and talked until was cooled down to about
my usual temperature, and then we dined.-
we had an excellent dinner in cool, little
room overlooking the street. The lamps had
just been lighted below, and was biting the
end on a cigar, when, elancing down on the
opposite side of the street, who Should 1 see
picking bis way over some rough stones, but
the fellow with the blue cap, and ia his hand
-my vaIise !iaHgis os pGi- !, ssI ~ fTr -
sLook there p shouted, springing to my
feet, and Jean Caboulet's head was out of The
window in an instant. The man had lust
passed under lamp, and we both saw the
vance as plainly as could be- '' '='''i' -"
PTS yoursl'. cried Jean, and we rushed
down stairs. Further than that, Jean, who
was fat, could not keep up with me- and
without my hat, and alone, pursued the dis
turber OF my peace, and my valise. He was
turnin9 corner little above the hotel, and
when bad reached it he was gonn! ssooG
gazing wildly about me, and directly Jean
Caboulet came, up and brought me my hat
ne STARED In my amazement, and, together
We questioned some boys fl5 81" SO o'a. ~
they % '0 '''''' '"''
-, o." cried, "a leather yalise bound with
E'oh,i my friend,n said Jean Caboalet. put.
ting nus hand on my arm, ''let them call it a
brass valise if they will, so that they tell us
what has become of it.'' Fl. 80. ssIrrf :. ~ -
Ihey had seen such man carrying such a
vallse turn in that big house where the porter
smokes BY the door, We went there. =.
us it Pierre Bate that you WISH" said
me por'er. he has just gone in, but you
should not come here for him, at this hour
out he is there. See him and let him talk for
LETT "sst,. ~ - WI ~ 'ne
we hufrr ed up stairs, and, without knock
ine, pushed open the door to which we had
Deen directed, and, in the middle of the floor
OF large room, plainly furnished, we saw. in
the act OF taking off his coat, the man who
mad gwen me all this trouble. He looked nj
terly aStCunded at the first sight of us but he
put on his penitential countenance immedi
ately, and only grimaced little, when I took
MN 6y the collar, aud shook him in nv race.
our property, MOnsieurr' he said in an
swer to our objurgations. ''What propertv
does Monsieur mean? l am not a tbief.n
Enragedbeyon measure seized him nv
the collar and shouted at him: "My yaise
you scoundrel! Give it up this instant or
mto the hands Of the police you go!~
AT this my friend, Jean Caboulet. made
Wln MS eyes, shoulders, and mouth gesture
OF surprise, but cried, "Yes, the police. T
Know what you mean, Caboulet, but 1 don't
care Gale now. shall have my satisfaction out of
tuis 'ellow 1t never see the contents of the
valise again." ''' Vi 'i'o
h;s v vdiiseH said the man. II gave Monsieur
ho vaiise IN the street, ad. -G.y..t -I.. /, N
cur pune uu need not pretend Ignorance said
we potn saw you walking Of with nv brass
Dounu rsnse. Cabonlet, will you call to the
porter TO fetch policeman ?n ''0
NAniN said the man, "Monsieur oh q roes M
With stealing his yalise. Let il he 60 .v inL
for the arrest. l am content. - ~ '''' "'Sii
He stood very quiet while Jean f,obo,,,o.
was gone (ior it appeared he had to 90 ottar
the policeman himself but directly he said 70