Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-29

completely IN Wh1te, VIII dis neau suI
mounted with huge cook cap, the top o.
which he afectedly wore inclined 70 the
night, which gave him something the ap
pearance Of thrice bleached Highlander
he had smooth, full, round face, with
small, brown eyes and red lips. His dress
and skin had foury appearance, as wei
as his eyelashes and hands, but. az thii
was in consonance with his business, nc
one objected. His wife stood by MIN
putting various packages into q large
basket, which being arranged TO hel
satisfaction she pushed over to thin
sickly looking, hollow.cyed boy, VINO
seized II bravejy, a. III hurry TO be gone
"Well, young spider.legsi" cried Cha
bussal, gruffly, what have you gotr
Everything, SIR, replied the boy
hesitatingly, moving slowly away
Have you got Perrin's rolls, JarDolo
! creamcakes, and Purdy's macaronies, eh p
The lad received surreptitious nod
from Chabussaps wife, and he replied in
stantly that he had, and followed it up by
asking timidly If he might be gone ten
minutes over his time. He had never
asked such question before, and was led
TO do 30 now by. fancied humor ana
| good. nature In his masters rare tndul.
gcnce in calling him by any other name
than idiot.
As soon as Chabussal could recover from
his surprise and indignation, he leaned
over the counter and shook his fist at him.
"No, sir! If you are not here on your
| time, I'll cut your head OIL
Gan right, SIR" rejoined the boy, meek
ly, but with touch Of deep disappoint-
ment.
"Do you mean that it will be all right
for me 70 cut your head of, or that you
will be back 2"
IL shall certainly be back"
Chabussal then nodded significantly,
and the boy shut the door behind him and
went away. There being nothing par
ticular to do, Chabussal tell to musing,
which employment also engaged his wife,
and they both gazed at the door through
which the Lad had passed, 1t being the last
thing which attracted their attention.
Chabussal originally might have been
very delicate and refined child in his
feelings and spirit, but, as he quilted that
stage Of his growth and became boy, he
also quilted his innocence; while the In
nocencc and the proportional fineness OF
his character ut that age were duly ex-
changed for coarser grades as his bulk
and stature increased; and, therefore,
when he finally lost the poetry Of his
form, and became the giant that he was
at present, he also exchanged all the
poetry Of his soul for manner common
among swine and brutes.
Annette" growled he, presently, "what
mess we made OF bringing that young
rubbish from France /"
"Perhaps if we had given him the fine
clothes and horses, and chambers we
promised, he would not look 30 longingly
back at those which he left" replied she,
sturdily.
"But the speculation looked fair, did it
nots True, he was no great favorite, but
public opinion ought TO have made them
offer decent reward (; but, just think OF
it-only five thousand francs for their
own flesh and blood! the inhuman brutes |"
His wife gave him q sidelong glance,
while smile crossed her face but he
was perfectly honest.
"He Is weak one" observed Chabus'
sal, re1ectively.
"Yes; but he Is growing, and will soon
be strong. And, mind you, love him, IL
you do not; only he ought 10 have been
girl, and not be Obliged to become q
great monster like yourself"
"Yon are complimentary" returned
the other, with grunt like pig. He
then looked vacantly before him for some
moments, as II thinking Annette, you
noticed that he asked me . favor TO-.
nightf"
She nodded.
"That has given me hint that the boy
Is growing, as you say. Now, what do
you think Of sending him hack to France,
II they will pay us for the trouble OF ind
ing hint For, you see, II we do not, he
will be starting off on his own account,
one of these fine days, and 80 prevent US
from turning an honest penny"
The idea was new one to both, and
they looked at one another, q little startled.
Before either could again speak, q man en-
tered the shop, and, approaching the coun-
ter, made a purchase of some jelly. He
was as stout and as heavy as Chabussal
himself, but appeared to be a gentleman.
He was florid and wore glasses, and had
an extremely gentle voice, which induced
madame to look at him twice, whereupon
she went and hastily concealed herself
behind the screen of her desk, trembling
like leaf. He turned to depart, but re-
turned to Chabussal, with smile.
Excuse me-" said he, shut should
ike I'D ASK you tnIeo qucstiOub, WHICH ]
invariably ask all Frenchmen. Did you
ever hear Of person whose true name
wss Jean Vernet," (Chsbussal nearly
sank upon the fioor), "a woman nance
Annette Noir, or young boy namet
Ernest Nardin?"
Chabussel stealthily glanced towards
the desk, shaking his head thoughtfully
No. he never had.
"Pardon me for asking" said tn,
stranger; shut have an excellent rea
son. / am at this moment engaged II
searching for the boy, who was abducted
or seduced from home by tho other two
and who has become extremely rich b.
the death OF his father by over eating, or
more politely, by spoplexy, and the de
cease Of the remaining children by indi
gestion, induced by the habit Of tryins
impossible dishes Invented by the parent
I am about despsiring, for the wretche
have hidden him. It would be forum,
for his restorer."
Chabussal moistcned his dry lips will
his tongue, and when he could trust him
self to speak, asked, with the least posi-