Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-05-10

creaked beneath the bakers heavy tread
How was Stanislas to escape? Th
stairway was between the shop and th,
room in which were the two turtle doves
There was not second to be lost
Berthe, who had good head, extinguish
ed the lamp and whispered to the terri
fed Stanislas:
Hide yourself quickly in that chest
over there and don't be afraid. Tll take
care Of everythingp
Coquelard followed the recommenda.
ton and felt his way along the wall in
the direction Berthe had indicated with
rapid gesture. In the darkness he
missed the chest but encountered the
dough-trough; he felt lid beneath his
fingers, lifted it and, as nimbly as squir-
rel in danger, leaped into the box.
He came down amid the dough With a
thud, but he had the presence of mind
to draw the lid over him.
At that moment the baker entered the
apartment.
:. "Sacrebleu!" growled he, there's no
light herep
Berthe instantly replied:
"It's the fault of the wretched lamp. |
tried to turn up the wick, but it went
out. That lazy Nicole must have forgot
ten to put oil in It'll"
' A two minutes search ensued, then
came the scratching of matches, and the
lamp was lighted again.
what exclaimed NJ. Nalenfrond, "are
you alone? Why l thought | heard
some one kneading little while ago!"
you had the nightmare father" ans
wered the daughter, soothingly, why.
who on earth could be here? Gervais,
our apprentice, Is still sick and won't be
out of bed for week to come"
Then didn't hear right But now i
am up I'll go to work.
And the baker rubbing his hands to
get them in working trim, went to the
dough-trough and raised the lid.
AT that moment great clammy hand
arose from the depths of the box, hurl-
ing fragments of soft dough in every d.
rection.
whats that--what's that?" exclaim-
ed the baker, drawing back couple of
PAGES. "Who the deuce is in the dough
He had not finished. An enormous
plaster of dough was applied to his face
with splash, cutting short his exclama-
tions and binding him at the same time.
The baker was conscientious in the
exercise of his trade. His dough was
well kneaded, and, though he made tre-
ylnndnuG QffnrfS 70 Ln
from his visage, two or three minutes
elapsed before he was able to open his
eyes and speak
During the whole of this scene, Berthe
paralyzed with astonishment, had not
stirred.
When her father had succeeded, un-
aided, in ridding himself of his plaster,
she recovered her senses and began to
C:
"Oh, mon Dieu! it must be robber!"
"Ah, the scoundrel~ groaned poor NAL
enfrond. "Where is he, that / may
knock him DOWN.
And, all sticky as he was he rushed to
the dough-trough.
1t was empty, and empty in every
sense. Stanislas in his fight dragged
off on hisperson all the bakers dough.
He lad left in the bottom of the box
only his shoes, that would have bother
ed him in running.
"Ouf!' cried the unfortunate baker.
"The thief! l cannot bake tonight. He
has taken the bread out of the mouths of
more than ten families!"
During this time the clerk, all covered
with dough, hastened as well as he could
toward the shop of the other baker, that
was not far away.
The latter received this farinaceous
mass with the greatest affability as he
brought with him fifteen or eighteen
livres of dough. He scraped the clerk |
so tonscientiously that
the next day some OF the inhabitants of
the town found in their loaves. one a
plug of tobacco, another porte monnaie |
eighteen sous, third pock-
ct handkerchief and bunch of keys.
The luckiest had for his share a sheet |
Of stamped paper.
This worked against NJ. Malenfrond's |
rival, who accused of inattention to bust. |
ness, lost a part of his customers, thus
once again proving that wrongly acquir-
ed property never benefits any one.
A few weeks afterward Stanlslas ven-
tured to ask NJ. Malenfrond for his
hand. As the clerk had re-
,eived a legacy of a few thousand francs
The baker gave his consent. and even
.ook him into partnership in the bakery
shortly after his marriage with Berthe
had been duly celebrated.
As for NJ. Malenfrond, he was kept in
strict ignorance of the real nature of the
episode of the dough-trough, and he ne
yer afterward went to bed without hav-
ng cautioned his daughter 70 be on the
watch for robbers.
"You see, Berthe" he often said to her
it is not enough to keep an eye on the
hop, the dough-trough must also be
and for that there's nothing
ike the eye of the master or that of the
nistress!'