The Portland daily press., 1882-03-08
WEDNESDAY MORNING. MARCH s.

and allowed himself to be persuaded. The pa
pers should be sold by the dealer, who had
friend that dabbled in such things. Meanwhile
would the dealer let the lucky finder have some
money to take his girl to the theatre on? He
would, and did; $500 francs was the amount:
and the securities turned out to be excellent
counterfeits.
Two well-dressed persons fall into dispute
in a wine-shop in the rue Montmartre, with re-
gard to their respective muScuarity. Il Will
wager you 500 francs to quart OF champagne
can throw you," cries one. Done, ex-
claims the other, "and our host shall hold the
stakes" Boniface assents, and orders
couple of magnums on ice. me dlsputants put
the money up One has 600 franc note, the
other 800 francs in bills. The one takes the
small bills and leaves the 1000 franc note in
the landlords hand.
SIT will all belong to one of u.s." they say,
laughing; "sowe may as welllkeep 1t together."
They wrestle but fail to throw one another.
Then they get tired declare the wager Off,
and call for the wine on their joint account.
'FTake it out of the note, and we will divide
the balance, they say; so the landlord changes
the bogus $500, gives them $196 good money,
and takes an oath next morning to kill the
firstsman who asks him to hold stakes for him
A lady and gentleman, apparently foreigners,
of the best style, enter jewelers. al the
Louvre. They critically examine rings, brace
let's. and the like, conversing with animation
in English. Finally they make selection OF
the value of 1000 francs, and it is put up In
box, which the lady places in her retlcule.
The gentleman produces his wallet and mas
himself nearly half the money snort never
mind. He is going to his bankers and they
will call on their way back to their hotei.
Meanwhile M. Biblebot can keep the box ready
for them. NJ. Biblebot keeps 1t forty-elght
hours and then finds that 1t is another poA,
with fragment of brick in its cotton-batting
bowels instead of gems of price. The sharps
had purchased something from him the day be-
FORE discovered how he put things up, and
what manner of paper and card used, ana 10!
the result. A silly-looking young person, with
the air of a German countrymaD, calls on a
money changer of fishy reputation in the
Boulevard des Italians. He has an Austrian
railroad bond he wishes to SELL; The money
changer does not buy bonds. but the stupid
stranger does not understand this. While
colloquy is in progress, enter two strangers.
They seize the young countryman IN Inelr
capacity as detectives. He is robDer. here
is one of the number of bonds which he mas
stolen in the hands of the financial persons
Ergo, the financial person knows something
of the theft. He expostulates; they argue ior
half an hour and meanwhile the place is in
confusion. Finally, they permit themselves to
be convinced, andStake their prisoner away.
They also take some 10000 francs, " hlch they
have managed to hocus into their pockets:
while they were arguing IN the interests Oh
outraged Justice"
Bastien, the animal painter, is an especial
lover of dogs. He possesses great and valu-
able variety of them. Among the collection
are two which formerly belonged to Mrs.
Rousby, the English actress, and which are
known as Punch and Judy Bastien had a
valet, whom he had retained for years. The
fellow took to drink, however, and he was COM
PEELED to discharge him. Even after that he
continued to feed and give himsmoney when
ever he called at the house. The valet, in
return, expressed much gratitude.
One way he choose to evince it in was by tax
ing the dogs out for an airing. He called one
afternoon last month, levied subscription as
usual, and then took Punch and Judy out for
run 1t was long one, for after ferty-eight
hours they had not returned. Bastien then set
out to look for them, and found them after a
long search in a dog fancier's shop. The fan
cier had paid 80 francs for them (they were
worth at ruling market rates $1,000 to man
who answered the description of the valet. That
worthy being captured by the police was ar
raigned for the theft of the animals. He as
cended the prisoner s.dock with an air at once
andacious and careless, and at the first oppor-
tunity burst into long TRADE against his mas
ter and benefactor. "He feeds brutes," he
said, land leaves human beings to starve! He
paints beasts; he is beast at heart. True,
have vices, but my vices are those of man.
/ drink, do L? Eth, well. his dogs do not drink
because they haven't sense enough. Bah! 1
spit upon such an artist He should be house
painter" His crime and his oratery together
secured him year in prison.