The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-10-14

the Wretches have hidden him. L
would be fortune for his restorer.'
! Chabussal moistened his dry lip:
with his tongue, and, when he could
trust himself to speak, asked, with
the least possible interest in the
world, how much that might be.
"Almost any thing" replied the
other, opening the door; "any thing
the lucky fellow would mind asking
Adieu! 1 will come tomorrow"
Annette? Annette!" roared Cha
bussal, "who the devil was that?"
Pale as a ghost she came from
behind her hiding place, ,Wringing hel
hands.
ooh, that is our masters bosom.
friend, NJ. Viol, and he is coming
again tomorrow"
They looked at one another in as
Itonishment. Avarice burst into
Chabussars face in the shape of q
smile, and he claped his hands with
, a sounding blow upon his hips, which
resulted in enyeloping him in a
cloud of flour. Before he could
speak, the boy returned from his er-
rand, entering a little more hurried.
ly than usual, which fact was by no
means lost upon the other two, and
he was ordered to close the shop in
stantly, while they retired to the
back-parlor-a couple Of conspira-
iors.
The boy sprang to his work with
the air of one who had something to
communicate, or ask, on it's compile
ton, His shutters flew into their
places with an unexampled rapidity,
his wrapping papers were quickly ar
ranged against the morrow, his door
locked, his gas extinguished, all in
in half his usual time, and he pres
ented himself to his two friends.
Madame" he asked, "who was
that gentleman who just left here?'
His question was answered by
Chabussal, who turned upon him
sayageIy, and gave him a blow upon
the head which sent him flying half
senseless into a corner among some
dust pans and brushes.
"Why did you do that?" demand
ed madame; fiercely, of Chabussal.
Cant you see how small he is? how
thin his legs and arms are? that his
head is no bigger than your two
fists? I wish the rats had your"
Chabussal, standing over the pros
trate boy, did see it apparently for
the first time in his life; and, stoop-
ing, he raised him to his arms by
the collar, and went and sat down by
the fire.
One of the subtlest powers which
Nature bestows upon US is that of
touch and contact. Chabussal nev-
er felt it's influence until the moment
he placed the lads head upon his
shoulder, and put his huge arm about
him. 1t reduced him to silence, and,
in gazing over the boys head at the
fire, his lips slowly sank upon his
smooth hair, and there they rested,
while he thought if it would pay bet
to be kind to him or to be harsh;
much wishing it could be the for
mer, now that he found it so pleas
ant. He so decided, and he looked
at the quivering eyelids,
and he saw tears trembling upon
them.
Earnest" said he, in q whisper,
''what are you thinking about"
"Of dear France" murmured the
boy, with a low sob, the tears break
ing themselves on ChabussaPs hand.
Madame came and stood by.
"And supposing thought Of
sending you back to France, what
would you do for me?''
"Oh, monsieur" cried the boy
raising himself and looking Chabus
sal in the face could worship you!
You are not plaguing me, are you?"
Would you tell two lies to get
back to France and be richP
"Two lies" repeated the boy, in
will they hurt any
one?"
NO" said Chabussal, mot in the
east-merely for FORMS sake"
"Well," reioined the boy, after a
long pause, "for FORMS sake, 1 think
would. What are they, monsieur?
"I will tell you tomorrow, Earn
est, replied he smoothing the boys
lair with his enormous palm, "and
tomorrow you must not stir out of
his room. I was wrong to strike
you; 1 thought you were imperti-
lent. That wretch that you saw go
out of the shop. a moment ago, is
5he tax collector"
"Ah," replied the lad, quietly, his
head filed with the visions of home;
4 thought he looked like NJ. Viol."
Wary Chabussal! Wary madame
,ould the tax-cOllector have looked in
lpon you and overheard your coun-
Ill, where an ingenious network of
alshood was agreed upon, by which
he boy was to beturned over to him
or a frightful sum, much doubt if
ne would have thought you far re-
moved from a pair of knaves. A
mythical friend, an acquaintance,
vas to appear upon the scene in
lame; Chabussal was to recall to
lis memory that this parsonage
Knew of the whereabouts of just such
triumvirate as NJ. Viol described. |
Ie was to agree to put himself in
With this party, and, after many ter
'ible risks and frightful troubles,
vas to produce the boy upon the
payment of the stipulated sum. Ear
Y on the morrow, long before the
customary throng began, N. Viol
presented himself. Madame preci- |
3itately retired behind the screen,
md her worthy husband, fat and
good-natured, and in immaculate
White, lied for twenty good minutes
to the plan. NJ. Viol be-
,ame much excited, and leaned upon
he counter with a pair Of eyes fixed |
lpon Chabussal, in a manner that
made it extremely difficult for him
% retain his presence of mind. |
Again, in the afternoon, NJ. Viol
came; this time, of course, after the
had disappeared. He natu-
,ally grew more familiar with Cha
1ussal, and began to ask questions
which were very annoying and dis
pleasing, SO much SO, indeed, that
fatty declined to answer
- g EboD, If ,ryOrI1 ,,o,ro,. Ii,