The Republican journal., 1875-10-14
You stood up for me-" said the

man, though my friend the water carrier
| you have lost me a customer
Customers go and customers come,
adieu; you have pesos2 l heard you say
so, Guanajuato is pretty safe, at least fol
those who don't carry their fortunes about
with them. Good by, sir, a second blow
from that gentleman | should not bave
reliShed, one taste was sufficient; but what
justice can poor devil like TeXcoco get,
and saying this the water-carrier left
"A bad beginning" said Narcissc. ~
have Il fortnight before me, and have lost
a day and a customer" Narcissc was in
bad spirits that night, as he went home
ward to his lodgings in Il street near the
Park Ell Cantador ''Alas my pretty
house at Batignolles, it viii not be mine
Perhaps by shaving tor thirty years TO come
! might own it Had been able to secure
the shop, it would only have been u mat
ter of ten years" THAI was all Narcisse
thought for many long weary day after
ward for the next moment a man sprang .
from behind a mimosa tree at Narcissc,
and the poor coiff'eur had Il knife plunged
into the middle of his back. 1t was day
break before the patrol found Narcisse.
and carried him for dead to the hospital.
As the surgeon stripped the man of his
clothing now stiff with blood, Narcisse
seemed to be awakened from his lethargy
and though speechless, made signs that
his pockets should be examined. In his
pocket, in q wallet, Narci5se had kept
his money in French and English bank
notes. The surgeon seemed to compre-
hend what the wounded man wanted.
There is nothing here" he said. Evi-
IDENTITY Narcisse understood him, and he
sank back exhausted upon the bed. The
next day 4 terrible fever set in, poor
Narcisse was dclirious, and rayed about
the pretty little house in Batignolles. On
the third day Narcssc was worse. He
hung between life and death for a week,
and then slowly mended.
One day he was just able to make out
that some dusky form was bending over
him in prayer, and that presently a dark
hand proffered him glass of cool water
at is |, my master. Don't speak you are
mending, so they say. | cannot stay long
er; have important business" Contus-
ed as was Narcisse, he thought he recog-
nized a familiar voice. He tanced it was
the water-carrier, for the surgeon said to
the sister of Mercy, "Well, | never saw
one Of those Indios SLOW feeling before
But keep him out. The Frcnchman's con-
dillon is too low to allow of any ones
even talking to him." That next night,
rs Narcisse lay in his fever, he thought he
heard a stir in the ward Another patient
was being put in the bed next to him
Narclsse was conscious OF hearing a man
in his agony Presently Narcisse slept,
and when he awoke next morning at day
break felt slightly refreshed. The sun
was cleaning in the room. gliding even
the squalid hospital chamber. Narcisse
could now see clearly; his eyes had been
yeiled before. There was not Il soul mov
ing in the room. All the occupants of the
room were apparently asleep even the
good sister dosed in her chair. He glanc-
ed at the patient in the cot near him IIor-
ror, was he dclirous? No, no. he was
not-but rs sure as he was alive the man
in the bed within three feet of him was
Don Miguel And Don Miguel was dead
Ii was Just a month before Narcisse left
the hospital. In two or three weeks more
the surgeon thought the coilleur would be
quite well again.
Had you been an Englishman, Il Ger
man. or an American. your little history
would have come to a iinis Too much
ale = too much beer, too much brandy
does their business" the surgeon had add
ed Thankful for having escaped with
life Narcissc did not worry over his loss
Still he thought of the little house in the
Batignolles, and how he had to begin life
again. Gas soon as | am strong, will
get 4 place, save money, and 60 to the
City Of Mexico, The air of Guanaiuato
does not suit me Poor devil Of a cock
fighter, what a fate was his! :" karcisse
wandered teebly in the neighborhood Of
his old shop What Was it possible? 1t
was not closed. There stood the sign 1.-The
Queen of the Roses" Then somebody had
bought it, The widow Dolores, had she
want him as an assistant, He went slow
ly in There We're two BARRIERS there -
one German, the other a native - he
knew them both as good civil workmen.
"Welcome, sir" said the German. "Wel-
come back We have been waiting for
YOU"
GLOW waiting for me?n
"When You are well and strong it will
all be explained to you, Now, sit down.
Your hair wants trimming. After a fever
nothing is more salutary to the hair than
slight cutting, Would it please you to
take this chair? Then you will be salts
fled to keep me in your employ?
"Kcep you IN my employ? ! do not
understand | amt out of my wits yet,
am t.
"Receipts average some $2o a day. The
water carrier acting through Gen Avill-
ion, bought the place for you. Texcoco
brings the water every day and takes away
the money. Though he cannot write a
line. he knows to Il real what the business
comes to-"
Narcisse Isidore Dupont sat down in the
chair, dumb with astonishment. The as
sistanl might have cut his ears oil and
Narcisse would have thought it was part
Of a dream.
in as usual with his jars Of water. Last
time spilled my water; | must be more
careful was all he said, and he was
about leaving when Narcisse detained
him, having dismissed the journeymen.
"TcXcoco, what does all this mean !? y
gasped out Narcisse.
'Why, master, the shop is yours. You
owe me 400 pesos. 1t was 800 a month
ago. | have paid myself the 100 from
what the shop has taken in.''
GLOW How ? | do not understand. Ii
was kind ofyou to come and see me, Tex
coco, at the hospital"
'.Not understand? Why its just as
plain rs can be- You had 500 pesos, hadn I
| you?"
"Yes, | had once, but when was stab
| bed | was robbed"
"Of course you werc-what's the nov
edad about that? Don Miguel stabbed
you"
Can it be possible? Are You sure Of
it?"
"And robbed you"
Good God!"
"He stabbed you in the back and rob
bed you. | stabbed him in the breast
and did not rob him - only got YOU
money back. Nothing was simpler; you
500 pesos, and 500 pesos | lent you
bought the shop"
But this is horrible, Texcoco!
| elf is Mayican iuStice nr tho wav ,yo