The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-24

make Won careful how you mix yourself
up with the affairs or rapscallions." i
"What do you advise me to do" asked
Pascal Ledoux, with one of his doleful
snuffies. 81,
"You can do nothing except explain
to me at whose instigation you paid Mar
ius' debts"
"At nobody's. I wanted to whitewash
the fellow, that's all.
"But YOU expected to be repaid, | sup
pose; and as people are generally 10th to
believe in Quixotry where money mat
ters are concerned, a good many will
think you speculated on this rascaPs dis
tress." ..
"Well, I'll go off now and challenge
him for telling lies about me-" sniveled
Pascal. st.
"That is the very last thing you must
do, or it will be thought that you want
ed to kill a creditor, which is proceed
ing not sanctioned by any code Of
honor"
"Well, this is wicked world, M. Lee
sage" remarked Pascal dismally.
'Tt's an odd one," responded the old
lawyer, "and you are an odd fellow not
to have picked up a greater experience,
of it,"
Pascal Ledoux went home meditating
on these words, aud he felt exceedingly
sorrowful. The day Of the election was
at hand, and it was being rumored
through the town thatif Marius succeed
ed In getting returned he would marry
Mile. Rosalie Marsault. Old Benot was
said to be taking the greatest interest in
in the election, paying for advertise.
ments, placards, and so forth, and
attending all the banguets at
which his nephew Marius was to speak.
This impprudent addiction to convivial-
| ity ended by telling upon man of his
age, the night before the election he fell
seriously i'll. M. Marsault at once hur-
ried to his house, but found two other
lawyers had already been sent for, one
of them being M. Lesage. These items
of intelligence were brought to Pascal
in the evening by no less person than
the Chief of the local Police, who added
that he had matter of importance te
communicate to M. Ledouxs ear alone
"It is one which may affect the result ol
to-morrow's election" said he; and he
explained that he was in possession q
documents which proved that Mariu
had not only committed a murder during
the Commune, but one of a peculiarl.
base sort, and for private motives
wherewith politics had nothing to do.
i "What does it matter since the maj
has been amnestied?" responded Ledoux
indifferently.
"But if these facts. were known to tn,
electors, they would never return him
Speak the word, M. Ledoux, and / vii
hand over these documents to you, 81
that you can have them printed and cir
culated by to morrew."
r 81 am not in the least tempted to d.
it," answered Ledoux. ''To begin with
it would look like unfair fighting; anc
! and in the next place, am content tina
+ Nille-Aubry should elect this rogue, ant
., then find out his antecedents afterward
That will read them nice lesson"
! GAS you please sir" said the Chief O
q the Police. Il think, however, l shal
: call on M. Benot."
: ooh, tlrat would be Of no use. Proof
: ten times more cogent would not convinc
J him. He wants to remain the uncle c
the hero"
So there the interview ended, and Pa'
y cal Ledoux went to bed that night fee
ing serener than he had done for som
! time past. He was conscious OF res
superiority over his antagonist, now tina
: he had.spared him.
The next day the election took plsce
4 Hardly man could be found who spok
! of having voted for poor Pascal Le1ouz
The poll closed at six, and the vote
= were quickly counted up at the mari
! and other precincts. Half an hour late
: vague rumors began to circulate tina
= Pascal Ledatx had poIled more vote
: than was expected. The throng Of nois
. supporters that had been escorting tn
4 ex-Communist about the town all day
: and had now come to anchor in cafe
! began to thin off suspiciously. AT tn
end of another haff-hour, new rumol
more disquieting than the first, cause
them to disappear altogether. MANU-
: Beueard began to. grow uneasy, but nc
: liking to show it, waited alone in th
cafe to hear the result of the electior
= which was at last brought him by
!, newsboy. It was such as made him stal
I ger. ,i.iss
al ~ NUMBER oFyoTERs, 10000 ''~