The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-02-02
PIERRE DE JOUvIN.

Pierre de Jouvin styled himself Paris
| ian Baker and Contectioner, on the blue
| and gilt sign above his shop door, but
| there were rumOrs abroad that ne had
| never seen Paris, and had, moreover, no
legal right to the name Of de Jouvin, but
had merely adopted it to match his past
ries. However, that might be, his con-
| fections would have tickled the daintieSt
of French palates. His bread was the
| finest and lightest in the market, his
cakes and pies defined competition, and
no one thought it " orth while to inquire
INTO the unlmportant matter of his ma
tivity. The business flourished. the
| shop became the resort OF elegant lunch
ing parties. Orders poured in from the
finest quarters OF the city, M. de JOu-
WINS chefs d'ouvres in frOsting, or rather
those of his "boss baker," graced the
table at the showiest weddings and re-
ceptions.
As Tor Monsieur de Jouvin himself, he
went but seldom TO the shop, and Then i'll
his carriage. And Madame, his wife,
rarely. untolded her plump little hanas,
though there had been u time when her
dimpled elbows had hidden themselves
in the kneading trough. That was in her
lyoung days, however. Nobody would
nave supposed it TO see her reclining in
her luxurious easy chair at home, or
bustling into her pew at church in all
her fine array OF costly silk and velvet.
But Monsieur de Jouvin's workmen were
not SO well OF as their master. There
came hard winter. Prices went UP and
wages did not. The men began to grum-
Bile among themselves. They threw out
hints at first that were not needed.
Then they struck in body. The news
OF the strike was the first that NJ. de
Jouvin had heard of the affair. He was
indignant at q set of fellows who refused
to work for wages that cOntented him
when he was a j0urneyman baker. 'Dls-
miss them at once"-that was his fiat.
The .boss baker" demurred. Every man
of them was practiced hand. 1t would
not be easy TO secure as many more like
them. He proposed slight concession.
mot penny" said M. Jouyin.
A squad OF 'green" hands were col
lected ehow-accOmplished men
were not particularly anxious for situa-
tions in JOuvin's northumberland if
his customers found their bread pasty,
and their morning rolls puffy and taste
| less, it mattered little, for de Jouvin had
secured reputation, which is, i'll itself,
great thing. With the men it Jared
worse, turned adriit, without wages, in
the middle OF a hard winter. No
one. would employ them for fear
of offending M. Jouvin. Scarcely
one of them was in the least
fitted tor any other trade OF pro-
tession, and those who had no savings
were forced to remain in the place, and
remaining, to starye. There was among
them u SWISS, Andrew Martin by name,
who had taken to himself vile, as poor
men have a bad habit OF doing, and had
now some half dozen children. He had
also bad habit of forming opinions for
himself quite irrespective OF, and often
quite contrary to, amy settled code or es-
tablished order of things, sometimes,
perhaps, quite contrary TO human equity |;
for earning ones living literally by the
sweat of ones brow, working, at that,
sixteen hours out OF the tWenty-tour,
does not leave time iOr very profound
study OF ethics.
This man had been the first to grumble
and set the others grumbling, the most
need be, and the most desperate now
that the worst had come. He vowed a
most deadly vengeance ON Pierre de
Jouvin, and startled the rest with incen-
diary speeches OF the most ferocious ma
ture. 1t happened that this Andrew
Martins youngest child died, happened,
that is, in consequence of the strike and
its results. vi course the little thing
was safely out Of misery, saved a great
deal of future suffering, much better oil,
and all the rest Of it, but Martin, per-
haps, was wrOng-headed. He reasoned
that it was all Pierre de Jouvins do
ings, and cruel sin. The mother had
been unable to neurish it, even when it
came to feeding by hand, with the bits
that fell to her share, and there it lay,
x.,bi nd n itS a nd
soft cooing noises still forever. The
woman bent above it, moaning bitterly,
while the living whimpered, partly with
hunger and partly with grief. Then An
drew Martin rose up with deep oath.
'.Poor little Marie" he said, ''did l marry
thee for thIs?" and was on his way out,
when she looked up to ask where he was
going. 'srll 20 once more," said he, "tO
try and ind my brother. He owes me
Ave francs yet, and suppose he hasn't
forgotten it. When he lett Savoy, moth
er and looking after him down the road,
he came back, Marie, and said he, ANDY,
let me have the five irancs the French
man gave you. Pll double them ior you
before we meet again." That was twenty
wears ago. The money would come in
handy now, wouldn't it, my girl? He
may be looking for me tonight" What
ever or whoever Andrew Martin went to
seek, there was very wild look on his
gaunt, .haggard face, and be thrust a
huge, horn-handled knife under his
course -woolen jacket.
Along the mo0nlit pavements, close to
the dark shadows Of the stately houses,
Pierre de Jouvin went whistling a
merry tune, unconscious that crouch
| ing form followed Iast; UNCONSCIOUS of
the white steed that was speedily TO bear
him on darker journey. Fierce and
swift came the cruel blow, under his
shoulder-blade, up to the horn handle of
the rude knife. Then two hands were at
his throat. They loosened, and one
sought the bulky pocket-book that had
| lust been filled at the bank. In that mo-
ment, weak as be was, he found the pis-
tol in his breast pocket, and, with
his last strength, fired it, then fell. They
were lying, both Of them, in Pierre de
Jouvin's splendid mansion, medical
men standing by, poor Madame de Jou.
vim wringing her plump hands, and
weeping bitterly. No one quite guessed
what had happened; but the head baker
was there. and ne knew who the thin
man in the ragged clothes was. ltmight
be he had been defending his former EN-
ployer faithfully. But how the other
opened his eyes. Presently Andrew
Martin sighed, and turned and opened
his also. They only saw each other
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