The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-11

surrounded by five children, to whom she
was about giving their food.
''What do you want?' she demanded, in
a harsh voice.
Il wish to speak to Pierre"
AT these words the poor woman broke in
to sobs. ''You do not know, them" she
said, ''that he is dead these three years.
But who are you. then, that you should be
interested in him? [ am sure that you are
his 'towny,' the gentleman whom he visited
at Paris one morning ten years ago."
And, as / nodded my head, she added:
''Take chair, then; ought to tell you how
the poor man died. Here, Augustine, dress
your little brothers; you know that we shall
commence in an hour
took the chair, which was only tripod.
Dorothee seated herself on the end OF a
bench and related to me the story OF her
husbands death. in voice broken every
moment by tears.
eve were at the Gueret fair she said !;
''the weather was delightful, and everything
was going on well, when all at once Pierre
fell sick. We thought nothing of it. feared
for him under the tent. But the malady
grew worse, and l called a physician. 1t
was the typhoid fever. 1 wished to place
my husband in the hospital, but they refused
permission under the preteSt that he was a
luGIt. Dut l. l1lluh III W do UCCduSC
we were mountebanks. was compelled to
put him in an inn, where they made us pay
in advance. The malady lasted four months,
with improvements and relapses. Then all
our savings were spent, and | sold our booth,
our Jack, our other little effects. Think, sir
-four months without working, and the
doctor, and the druggist, and the inn-keeper,
who always insisted on pay in advance. Well,
one morning, our time being up, and having
no more money we were put out OF doors.
Pierre had been getting better for some time,
but he was as thin as rail and weak as a
child. Nevertheless, it was necessary to work
that very day to earn supper for the evening.
We betook ourselves to the square. l began
the exhibition, but contributions were not
forthcoming. II was cold, being winter.
The spectators put their hands their pockets
and kept them there.
'sThen Pierre, who was fretful, said to me
that it was necessary to try the cask exercise
Yon know what it is, sir. One takes a cask
full of water, ties a cord about it, takes the
two ends of the cord in his hands, and this
burden on his back makes the circle of the
audience. Pierre had done this hundred
times, and it always called out applause and
brought sous into my bowl; but then he was
not ill.
Now, gentlemen said he, make up a
purse of thirty sous and you shall see the
tour of the cask. Well, we can get along
with fifteen, ten, three. Good! Let us be-
gin.
Gas for me, 1 had something like present
iment. You know 1 whispered to him,
that you are but recovering from sickness.
In your place would not fill the cask.'
eyes he ans wered, ELSE afterward they
would call me a robber.
''Then he filled the cask to the brim, and
then, Selling the two ends of the cord, he
tried to lift it up, but he could not bulge
it.
"'Hell lift itr He'll not lift itp cried
the crowd.
"Pierre tried again. The veins of his neck
and forehead swelled out in a frightful man
ner and cold sweat fell from his face.
During the time the jibes and whistling
began. At last he planted himself firmly
ON the ground and gathered his strength for
supreme effort. The cask was raised half
foot; then my husband and his burden fell
heavily to the ground.
"Bombochou had broken his spinal col
umn.
'Dorothee,' muttered the dying man, the
tour is not made. Return the money"