The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-12-11

ACoiANu NAoiloiSuh = " los
taxidermlst, and to whom
Monsieur Briux recommended his Gus
toners who might desire to have their
dead favorites preserved by the taxider-
mist's art. A friendship existed be-
tween the two men, though Monsieur
Gourgaud was much the older. Mon
sieur Briux was fond of his pipe and his
glass, and, after the death of his careful
wife, became a great spendthrift. One
day he put $500 francs into the hands
OF Monsieur Gourgaud and said:
II have paid all my debts and have
this sun over. Take care of it for my
boys. If l have the chance l shall
spend it."
Monsieur Gourgaud accepted the
trust. and in less than a year Monsieur
Briux died, leaving his two boys, aged
respectively fourteen and fifteen. Mon
sieur Gourgaud sold out the wire-work-
ers's business and added a thousand
francs to the small fund already in his
hands for Charles and Henry Briux.
Moreover. he took the lads into his
house and educated and cared for them
with the affection of a father. His owl.
children were in the world and provided
for, and he took pleasure in watching
over the interests of his new charge.
When the boys reached manhood he
put the $500 francs, with its accumu-
lated interest, into their hands, and
they went to Paris to seek their fortune.
and found 1t. When Monsieur Gour-
gaud's business began to fail, they
brought him to Paris and set him up
in business on the Rue Lafitte, where he
managed to make a living. A grand
daughter and her husband, Monsieur
Pajol, lived with him, the one attend
ing to his household affairs, and the
other being engaged in = large tailor
ing establishment in the city.
Henry Briux, a bachelor like his
brother, was susceptible to the influence
of woman, and Madam Pajol was hand
some, vivacious and attractive. While
her husband did not seem to care much
for her, Monsieur Henry admired her
greatly. No matter how much he
might have felt indebted to Monsieur
Gourgaud for the care he took OF him
in his boyhood, it is very certain Henry
Briux would not have been so indc-
tatigable in his visits to the old taxider-
mist if it had not been for the charms
of his granddaughter. She herself was
nothing 10th to receive the attentions
of the rich bachelor, but how far she
allowed these to 90 is not to any pur-
pose so far as this narrative is con
cerned.
On the evening of January 10, Mon
sieur Henry Briux went to the house of
Monsieur Gourgaud. on the Rue LATTE.
1t was only a few minutes walk from
the bank and he proposed to return
soon. He sat in the parlor smoking a
cigar and listening to the music made
by Madam Pajol. His overcoat lay on
the couch behind him, and Monsieur
Gourgaud sat near by within the pleas
ant warmth of the fire. Monsieur
Pajol came in, greeted Monsieur Briux
pleasantly and joined the two friends
in a glass of hot punch and a cigar.
After he had finished his cigar, he arose
and went to the couch, where he had
IN evening newspaper. As he
was getting the paper his hand came in
with something hard in tho
of Monsieur Briux's oyercoat.
felt like a jewel case.
The old fool is going to make my
wife a present. he said; 81 should like
TO know what it is
Thcreupon he put his hand into the
coat-pocket and brought out a leather
case, with which he quilted the room.
On examining the case, he. found that it
contained six bright keys, each occupy
ing a separate compartment. The
blood rushed to his head, and he trem-
Dled all over.
These said he, care the keys of the
bank. This large one is for the front
!oor, evidently, and this is for the
lie stood for n moment, irrcsolute.
He looked at the keys and then Off into
the distance.
chs is the chance of my life,' he
said to himself.
Then he walked quietly into the Groom,
and said to his wife:
'Alaric, want to speak to you n mo-
ment.'
She quit the room. When they were
alone he said: