The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-02-27

him on. he acted fully up to his prom
ises. My carpenter, a Portuguese, was
the merest apprentice by the side Of
Alexis, who was not only thoroughly
conversant with the duties of his calling,
but was excellent sailor, willing, daring,
and Industrious, and a good fellow to
boot. If J heard sounds of merriment
proceeding from the fo'c'stle, l knew
could sing endless songs, he could play
the fiddle, he could dance, he could tell
the most amusing of stories in his quaint
broken English, and in the most trying
circumstances was ever ready with a jest
or gibe. OF course no one but myself
knew his secret, and I must say that it
made M very uneasy-for, if Master
Dick was not the hero of the escapade,
it was one of the most extraordinary
condolences that ave- came before my
notice.
However, I pondered the situation
thoroughly and made my plans. My
life as a sailor had been singularly de-
void of romance; but, sailor-like, my
pet study was romance: so it was with
mingled feelings of dread and pleasur-
able excitement that l looked forward
to our arrival at Caen.
We arrived early on a Saturday morn
ing; and, in spite of all the precautions
I lad taken, Alexis, in the hustle and
confusion attendant upon making fast
and varying alongside the quay, man
aged to get ashore before any one else.
l lost no time in making my way to the
office of Curtis & Co. Dick was there,
developed into q portly family man
ed to see me; and, as may be imagined,
in a very few moments we We're talking
of old times and exchanging experience
es rs only old chums can after a long
separation.
you'll come and dine with me, old
fellow, he said. AS it's Sunday, | don't
suppose you'll begin to discharge. I've
q nice little place just out of the town,
neal the r~ace-course; and I'll introduce
you to the misses and the youngsters.
"What! Married? l cried. "Ishould
have thought you were the last man in
the world to go for that sort of thing,
for l know you We're always so full of
the rights of free unhampered man"
"Yes-married," he replied-"and to
a Frenchwoman too; think of that"
A pallor came over my face / could
feel; l knew that what Alexis said was
true, and that my old friend was the
unsuspecting object of his vengeance.
Dick saw the change.
"Why, what's the matter" he said.
"You don't Think any the worse of me
for having q Frenchwoman, do you?
At any rate, you won't when you see
her and Judge for yourself, and when I
tell you that she's the dearest little
body i'll the world-far better than I
deserved"
"No,"I replied seriously, IT don't
think any the worse of you for marrying
q Frenchwoman. I'm not such a mar
row-minded idiot as that for o good
wife is o good wife, be she a Zulu, or q
Frenchwoman. OF anything you like;
but"
"Bnt what?" said dick impatiently.
So l told him the story of Alexis; and
in was his turn to grow pale.
However" 1 said, in conclusion,
"vou leave it to me; it has caused me a
lot of anxiety, and I have hit on q plan.
But look there; I wouldn't show myself
much in the streets to-day if I were
you, for that fellow left the ship before
| did, and is proving about now with q
knife as long as your forearm, and if he
caught sight of you, why"-and I fin
ished the sentence with q significant
whistle.
anyhow" Dick said, you'll be up
by six o'clock?"
"Yes," l replied; "and don't you be
about when I arrive"
So we parted.
I went back to the ship. To my
surprise Alexis was on deck, waiting for
me. w.
"Well,"I said gayly, 'shave you found
your friend?"
No, sar," he replied; "I have look
very carefully at all re ships in port,
but I can not see him. But l will have
a look ashore dis evening ven re people
come from church"
"And you mean to kill him if you do
see him." l said.
"Mon Dieu, Monsieur lie Capitaine,
but vat else can l do? He have insult
me and my brozer and re lieutenant and
re ole family! What else can I dc? he
answered.
well, carpenter" I said, "I'm going
to dine and sleep ashore tonight, and
l want q hand to carry my portman-
teau."
81 will do it, sar, I will do it, if you
wish me to carry it to re end of re
world" he offered.
Very well then; I shall be ready in
half an hour"
At the expiration of that time I was
on my way to Dick Curtis's house, Al
e1is following nj with the portmanteau
on his shoulder. We arrived at the
house-a typical French bijou mason
de campagne, standing within its own
gardens, which betrayed their English
ownership by their unusual trimness
and n%eatness.
"Wait outside" I said to Alexis, and
entered. T.
Mrs. Curtis-a pleasant-looking lit
tie woman, coquettishly yet modestly
attired, a strange contrast to her rag
muffin of o brother outside met me.
II must introduce myself" I said,
cas- a very old friend of your husbands,
and he has asked me to dine and to
sleep the night here"
Madame in excellent English, as
sured me that she was charmed to see
me, and led the way into a pretty little
boudoir, overlooking the r~ace-course.
You may think 1t strange" I re-
marked. that 1 have come here SO
much in advance of your dinner-hour
bnt l have something very important to
tell YOU"
1 said this seriously so that the little
woman was alarmed.
"You speak so gravely. she returned,
chat l fear something has happened;;'
surelo my poor Dick"
"He is all right, I assure you," !
interposed; "but he may not be oil right