The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-12-22


she's sent him home fH'e e. oa
have something NOR" VI nd laW! than
ordinary" =.
at isn't decent, the way he sometimes
stops out of night" grlmbled thu
cobber, as ne paused in hnmmering The
sole of Il boot to glanre out of his window
into the courtyard of the house. "He's
one of those soft old chaps whom every
one can tske advant,.. - "f Az o'.e Il. ii
lead I'm by the nosr. Look at him nos
'Pon my word, It would be Il cha Y If his
relations would club together, and buy him
strMight-waistcost."
"Rclatons p said the woman, a!so com
ing to the window, frying-ran in hand:
There's nobody az ever we've seen rela'"d
to the likes of him. just look at the poor
old unprotected soft one, and see what he's
up to in the middle of the courtyard"
1t must be confessed that the conduct Oh
our friend Monsieur Tabaret was, to say
the least, eccentric.
He had suddenly halted, and after TAX
ing off his hat, was rubbing his head vio-
lently, and gesticulatng in a manner that
was TO q looker-on sufficiently lndicrons.
"No! no! no" he murm,lrcd to himself.
81 haven't got the clue TO this affair. AS
the children say in their games, burn,
burnt but / have not had my hand upon
it yet"
IIo mounted the staircase Of the house,
and rang at the door of the apartments he
orcliIipd, entirely forgetting that he had
the latch-krv in his pocket. His house.
keeper hurried, not without surprise, to
open it.
"Is II von. sir. at this early hour?"
"Eh! WHAT" asked her master. still pre-
occupied. "What did you say?" repeated
the old man.
81 say it is only half-past eight o'clock.
and Won rarely enter till long after mil
night. It would not ustorish me now # yon
hadn't dined.'
"Certainly. I have not. However, if
you've nothing ready, Marie. it doesn't
matter"
"Ah! that's inst like yon as if a mans
stomach was like q pair of l"'ll"ws. to he
filled only with wind. Luckily. I've the
dinner you always order and never eat,
still warm. So, you'd best sit down and
eat it, like sensible man."
Daddy Tabaret, who was Thoroughly ac-
cnstomed to the rough honesty Of his h"n-"-
keeper, only smiled at this address. and
took hia seat with much docil: V ut tn" Ia
Tile. II was the second phase i'll hs "rrrn-
tric life he was commencing. He raised
ihe first spoonful of soup to his mouth, but
it never got there.
The mystery of the Widow L"ronge again
troubled his brain. and with his ewes half
closed he remained like Il Statn" of marble,
his spoonful of soup suspended in the
air.
al begin TO think that all the world must
be right" thought Marie; "a man mnst he
wrong in The upper >tory-he must have
tile off somewhere, when he ceases to care
for good dinner when it's placed before
him."
As Daddy Tal,aret sill! remained motion
less in the one position, tn" hollsrk""per,
losing patience. tourhcd him on tn" Sholl-
der. screaming into his ear. as if h" wore
deaf, "Why don't yon eat? Why don't
you eat?"
Eat! oh, certainly-y"s, why not? OF
course, ought TO he hungry, very hungry,
because, since this morning, have been
Obliged to"
He paused, as if strnrk by a thunder
holt, his mouth open, and his eyes fixed.
II have it," he cried; eyes, have it at
last"