New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-25

| ing trespase; but if you, for instance, M
President, should, as it were. fot mere cur
Osity. request some one, as, for instance, OF
| excellent secretary, simply as a person,
favor, to look into the matter; this is merel
| a suggestion"
The secretary smiled sufficiently to b
| understood that he would not refuse til
presidents request; and the board a.
| journed
Little White, as the secretary was called
was mild. kind hearted little man, VIII,
nevertheless, had no fear Of any thing, unles
1t was the fear of being unkind.
II tell you frankly" he privately said {
the president, II go into this more to prov
the old man innocent, than with any expe,
tation Of finding him guilty.
The next day. little after nightfall, on
might have deserted this little secretar
slipping along the rear fence of the Poqueli
place, preparatory to vaulting over into tn
rank. grass grown yard.
The picture presented to his eye was no
calculated to enliven his mind. The oil,
mansion stood out against the western sky
black and silent. One long, lurid penci
stroke along sky of slate was all that wa
left of daylight. No sign of life was appar
emit; no light at any window, unless it nigh
have been on the farther side OF the house
No owls were on the chimneys, no dog
were in the yard.
He entered the place, and ventured u,
behind small cabin which stood apar
from the house. Through one of its many
crannies he easily detected the African
mute crOuched before Pickering pine knot
his head on his knees, fast asleep.
he concluded to enter the mansion, and
with that view, stood and scanned it. The
broad rear steps Of the veranda would no,
serve him; he might meet some one mid
way. He was measuring, with his eye, the
proportions of one OF the pillars which sup
ported it, and estimating the practicabilty
OF climbing it, when he heard a foOtstep.
Some one dragged chair out toward the
railing, then seemed to change his mind
and began to pace the veranda, his footballs
resounding on the dry boards with singular
lOudness. Little White drew a step back
ward, got the figure between himself and
the sky, and at once recognized the short,
form of old Jean POquelin.
He sat down upon q billet OF wood, and
to escape the stings OF whining cloud Of
mosquitoes, shrouded his face and neck in
his handkerchief, leaving his eyes IN
covered.
He had sat there but moment when he
noticed strange, sickening OdOr, faint, as
it coming from distance, but loathsome
and hOrrid.
Whence could it comet Not from the
"a bin; not from the marsh, for it was as
Try as powder. 1t was not in the air; 1t
seemed to come from the ground.
Rising up, he noticed, for the first time,
! few steps before him a narrow footpath
eading toward the house. He glanced
Town it-ha! right there was some one
white
Quick as thought, and as noiselessly, he
ay down at full length against the cabin
lenying it, little White felt that he was
frightened. at is not ghost" he said to
himself. II know it can not be a ghOst;"
Tut the preparation burst out at every pore,
md the air seemed to thicken with heat.
1T is living man," he said in his
thoughts. II hear his footstep, and hear
Id POquelin's footsteps, too, separately,
yer on The veranda. l am not discoveries;
he thing has passed; there is that odor
gain; what smell of death. Is it coming
ack! Yes. Now it is gone.' He shud-
cred. Now, if dare venture, the mys-
cry is solved" He rose cautiously, close
ath.
The figure OF man. presence if not a
ody-but whether clad in some white stuff !
r naked the darkness would not allow him |
, determine-had turned, and now, with a
eeming painful gait, moved slowly from |
i'm. Great heaven, can it be that the |
cad do walk9" He withdrew again the |
ands which had gone to his eyes The !
readful object passed between two pillars
nd under the house. He listened. There
as faint sound as of feet upon a staircase;
len all was still except the measured tread
Jean Poquelin walking on the veranda.
% h.
in the cabin.
The little secretary was about to retreat:
1t as he looked once more toward the
aunted house and dim light appeared in
10 crack of closed window, and presently
d Jean Poquelin came, dragging his chair,
Id sat down close against the shining
amy. He spoke in low, tender tone in
e French tongue, making some inquiry.
q answer came from within. Was it the
,ice of a human! So unnatural was it-so
blow, 80 discOrdant, SO unearthly-that
q stealthy listener shuddered again from
,ad to foot; and when something stirred
some bushes near by-though it may
we been nothing more than a rat-aud
me scuttling through the grass, the little
cretary actually turned and fed. As he
It the Enclosure he moved with holder |
sure through the bushes; yet now and
en- he spoke aloud: "Oh, OH and shut
} eyes in his hands.
How strange that henceforth little White
Is the champion of Jean Poquelin In |
ason and out of seasOn-wher. Yer a word
IS uttered against him-the secretary,
tn quiet, aggressive force that instantly
rested gossip demanded upon what au-
ority the statement or conjecture; was
lde; but as he did not condescend to
plain his own remarkable attitude, it
g not long before the disrelish and sus.
ion which had followed Jean POuueliu so
my years fell also upon him.
It was only the next evening but one
er his adventure that he made himself a
lrce of sullen amazement to one hundred ,
d fifty boys, by ordering them to desist
M their wantOn hallooing. Old Jean ! I
4uelin, standing and shaking bis cane,
ling out his long drawn maledictions,
used and stared, then gave the secretary a
OurteOus bow and started on. The BOYS, !
70 one, from pure astOnishment, ceased;
a ruffianly little Irish lad, more daring r
IN any had yet been, threw big hurting '
d, that struck old Poquelin between the +
'ulders and burst like a shell. The en-
led old man wheeled with uplifted staff 4
give chase to the scampering vagabond;
he may have tripped or he NAV not.
he fell full length Little White has
ed so help him up, but he waved him Oft +
b fierce imprecation, and staggering f
his feet resumed his way home ward. +
lips were redeemed with blood.
little White was on his way to the meet
of the board. He would have given
he dared spend to have stayed away,
he felt both too fierce and too tremu- r
8 to brook the criticisms that were likely
De made.
1 can't help it. gentlemen; can't help Y
| to make a case against the old man, I
I'm not going to-"
We did not expect this disappointment, c
White
can't help that, sir. No, sir; you had
ter not appoint any more investiga il
ls. Somebody II investigate himself into Ii
nble. No, sir: it isn't a threat, it is only
cd vice. hut | Warn Do11 III mhno,ran |