, 1884-08-14

d~rezsing-goRn 70 attend her; and without
seeming TO know her he undrcssed her,
applied trictions administered stimulantF,
and then said 10 her in a very harsh voice
You aIv crRzy-rmusn't play tho FOOL w
He haa spoken 10 herr That aIons5was
enough to cure her. 1t made her happy for
ever 20 long.
He refused TO take any money for his scr
vices, although sho insisted on paying him ia
well rs she could KFtO AL
And all her life passed away in the same
manner. While mending her chairs sho
thought OF nothing hut Chouquet Every
year she snrf him hshlnd the glass windows
OF his drug store. She made a practice OF
buying little stocks OF drugs and medicines
from him. Thus she could sometimes be near
him, and speak TO him, and enjoy the pleas
nre Of still giving him money. Fl 3llA
Well, as l told you before, she died this
spring. And after she had told me her
whole sad story, she begged me to carry to
the man she had SO patiently loved the en-
tire savings Of her life Of Sc years labor; for
she had worked only for him-often fasting
in order 70 be able TO lay a tribe OF money by
50 that she might be sure be would someday
think OF her, at least once in awhile, after
she WIS dead.
Sc she gave me 2,327 francs handed the
priest the q francs FOR the burinl expenses;
and | took the remainder Of the money home
MS soon as she had hreathcd her last lll
Nextdny I stepped over TO the ChOuquet
drug store. The Chonqnats had just break
fasted, sitting opposite one another at table
they werp stout, rubicund, Important and
Helf-satisfed. and a smell OF drug store per-
fumes lowered all around them
IT.. - 49, ma a.
glass Of Kirseh-wasser, which 1 accepted, and
! began my discourse ina pathetic voice
feeling sure they were both going to weep. CT
But no sooner did lie learn that was
speaking Of that chair-mender, that beggnr,
that tramp, that vagabond, than Chouquet
bounded from his seat with indignation-as
II ishs had robbed him Of his reputation, OF
the esteem Of all respectable people, Of his
family honor, Of something 50 delicate that
he esteemed 1t more highly than life itself.
And his wife, fully as exasperated as him
salt could do nothing but repeat, Obi that
beggArl-tbat beggari-that beggarT-with-
out finding anything else to say.
3Chouquet, after leaping to his feet, began
to stride furiously up and down tho room, on
tho other side Of the table-his Greek cap
hanging down over one eye. he suffered
out: at Is simply impossible to understand
how such thingz can happen, 'octor9 Here
is a horrible thing-a horrible thing for
amy respectable mani Now can l dol
Obi II l had only known this thing during
her lifetime / would have had her slammed
into jail, the dirty trampi-and she would
not have got out again. 70 easily, let mo tell
your n 4r-y - -nr-q sr-r
l was absolutely stupihed by this unforseeu
result Of fny kindly mission. I did not know
what to d OF III TO sayai But I had not
sd ..n.-l.t.l 49, Ie-T ~ - ..--u
! myself. So found words to proceed: ~She
enioined me to give you all her savings.
which amount to $500 francs. But as What
l have said 70 you seems TO be so ~disagfcea
Bile, | suppose It would be bettor now TO give
this money 70 the poor"
They both stared at me-the man aud the
women-fnirly paralyzed with establishment.
Itook the money out Of my pocket-misar
able money OF all nations nnd all dates-geid
mixed with coppers. Then asked Wei,
what do youdecide to DOR
Madame Chouquot was the first 70 speak
why, since it was tho dying wish of that
that woman-it seems 10 me that We could
not very well refuse.
The husband. still vaguely confused.
added; .f
"Of course we could use tue money TO buy
something for our children. You know"
ID 1 observed very dryly;
"Just as you please, sir"
He said:
We'll. give IL auyhow-sincs she told you
to; we shall find some way TO utilize It for
charitable purposes"
gave the money, took my hat, bowed and
departed.
Next day chouquet came over to see me;
and exclaimed, brusquely:
p "Say, she left her wagon here-that-that
woman, didn't shel What arc you going to
dc with it-with that wagonfn
Nothing" | said. Take it il you want
it,
"Goodl-just the thing for me. I'm going
to use it as Il shed for my cooking stove"
He was going away when I called him
back. 4She has also left her old horse and
her two dogs l said "do you want themfr
He stopped in surprise:
IAN, mol l should think noti what on
earth could 1 do with them. No; mako any
use of them you want. And he laughed
Then he offered me his hand-and 1 took it.
Well, how could / help til 1t would never
do In n country village for the doctor and the
chemist to be enemies
kept the dogs ut my own house. The
priest, who had a large yard, took the horse.
Chouquet turned the wagon into a shed; and
he bought i've shares Of railroad stock with
the money.