The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1875-11-18

other native; he knew them both as
good, civil workmen.
Welcome, SIR" said the German.
!" Welcome back. We have been wait
ing for you.'
Z" How waiting for me?"
"When you are well and strong it
will be explained to you. Now sit down.
Your hair wants trimming. After
fever nothing is more salutary to the
hair than slight cutting. Would it
please you to take this chair? Then
you will be satisfied to keep me in your
employ"
"Keep you in my employp 1 do not
understand. l amt out Of my wits yet,
am IP'' IS
" Receipts average some $40 day.
The water-carrier acting through Gen.
Avillon-bought the place for you.
Texcoco brings the water every day,
and takes away the money. Though he
cannot write q line, he knows to real
what the business comes to.''
Narcisse Isidore Dupont sat down in
the chair, dumb with astonishment.
The assistant might have cut his ears
off and Narcisse would have thought it
was part of a dream.
That afternoon the water-carrier came
in as usual with his Jars of water.
!" Last time spilled my water; must
be more careful, T" was all he said, and
he was about leaving when Narcisse de-
tanned him, having dismissed the jour-
neymen.
"Texcoco, what does all this meanp''
gasped out Narcisse.
"Why, master, the shop is yours.
You owe me 400 pesos. It was 500 .
month ago. | have paid myself the 100
from what the shop has taken in.''
"Howp how? / do not understand. It
was kind of you to come and see me,
Texcoco, at the hospital
"Not understand? Why, it is just as
plain as can be. You had 500 pesos,
hadn't youp''
eyes, had once, but when I was
stabbed I was robbed"
"Of course you were-what's the
novedad about that. Don Miguel stabbed
you.''
it?''
aAnd robbed you.''
"Good God!n
"He stabbed you in the back and
robbed you. I stabbed him in the
breast, and did not rob him-only got
your money back. Nothing was SIM
pier; your 500 pesos, and 500 pesos I
lent you, bought the shop"
"But that is horrible, Texcoco!"
i" 1t is Mexican justice, or the way we
ignorant Indios understand it. Now,
master, but four people in the world
know any thing about til, and you,
and his Excellency Gen. Avillon, for /
told him all about it."
His Excellency! but who is the
fourth!"
'sAh, the fourth! Well, hope he is
in purgatory, for have had masses said
for the repose of his soul. For masses
are expensive-I have paid out 25 pesos
already-and Father Dominique says
% pesos worth more will do the bust
ness. As it was your affair, you will
have to pay it back to me-in time-no
hurry. l suppose you will let me sup
ply you with waterp''
"But, Texcoco, suppose had died,
what would you have done with my 500
pesos?'
"You should have had the hand
soonest funeral in Guanajuato - what
was over, to the last real, would have
gone for masses"
This is exactly what my friend, q
small, handsome little old Frenchman
told me a summer ago, as l admired his
sky-colored house, Bleu du Roi, and his
strawberry-cream roof? "My tree has
grown" said M. Dupont, and he point
ed to a stunted bit of foliage on one side
of the house. 81 have not advanced
any thing in my story which is not true.
That Indian had bought my store for
me. / kept my secret. did not marry
Dolores, though she and the Padre
wanted me to do it. In ten years made
Fjust enough money to leave Mexico.
come to France and settle down in thif
little property, in the Batignolles-
place of my dreams"
"And the water-csrriere asked.
81 paid him every cent before the
year was out"
"And what elsep,'
"4pres7 Well, my friend the instru,
ments Providence chooses are some
times bizarre. I am afraid Texcocc
dispensed justice according to his owr
light, in peculiar way. Enfn, with .
knife. This was at the least monoto.
nous! Five years after the occurrence
| have had the honor of telling you
about, Coco was shot, for murder,
the circumstances Of which / never
could get exactly at the bottom of. ]
went down on my knees before ths Gov
ernor, and sued for his life-but it wal
of-no avail. MY good Narcisse, said
the Gnvornnr (h;s Eyoollonox, uoo nr;tx