Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-12
BIGEARDS PIPE.

Il
at the date speak of, when had just turned
my l4th year, to smoke possessed the sweetest
allurement Of forbidden fruit pined fol
the real weed and n genuine pipe, ono that
would do honor to its possessor, pipe arts
tic, superb and Oriental; In short, such one
as l saw between the lips Of the notable
smokers OF the quarter.
One of them above all others excited my
admiration and covetousness 1t was the
property Of merchant by the name Of Big
card, and his shop stood face to face with
our house in the Rue de Bourg.
Every day when the diligence arrived from
Paris l would see this man, expensive, round
and jolly, seated beside his door watching the
passing of the post and always surrounded
with cloud of floating aromatic smoke.
Even in the afternoon, when the streets were
full of busy worltmen, he would still be seated
in the same place digesting his dinner with
frequent and copious draughts from his pipe.
This pipe was to me wonderful affair, a
perfect marvel, IN fact, with its long and
curving stem of cherrywood, its golden bowl
of sea foam and its gorgeous silver mount
ings. 1 was never tired of gazing upon it
and at night of dreaming of it,
Long since retired from active business,
my grandfather now employed his time in
cultivating a small truck patch in the rear of
the house. l was badly spoiled by him and
by my aunt Honorine, but not with the con-
sent of my father. He believed in the Spar
tan fashion of bringing up children, and
snubbed me roundly for the smallest pecca-
dillo. Detesting idleness in every form,
Bigeards eternal smoking and interminable
loungings were particularly offensive to him,
but he would only shrug his shoulders and
mutter again: "'Twill end wrong-end
wrong: be sure of it."
Well, it did end wrong, as my father had
SO often said it would, for one morning on
awakening the first thing l saw across the
way was not, as usual, Bigeard basking in
the sunshine, but a big yellow bill pasted
upon the shutters of the windows, which
were closed.
Bigeard had failed, and the yellow poster
was the announcement of the judicial sale of
the unfortunate merchants goods and furni-
ture. 81 predicted i'll knew how it would
be" my father cried, not without shade of
satisfaction in his tone, land it comes from
tobacco, the cafe and those abominable
loungings. 1t should serve tlee as a warn
ing, Claude. Bigeard has run his career; he
is finished, lost, bankrupt.
From the way my father pronounced the
word bankrupt one could feel all the scorn
and disgust which the title inspired in this
correct and vigilant tradesman. As for me
confess that was far more concerned in
the fate Of Bigeard's pipe than in the mans
misfortunes, but dared not say SO openly.
Would the pipe DO included in the sale, I
wondered, or would he be allowed to keep it
as bit of consolation 1 fairly fumed to be
over there, and would have given worlds to
attend the general auction sale, but unfortu-
nately it was to take place during school
hours and Grandfather Pechion would allow
no evasion of duty.
The frenzy regarding the fate of the pipe
possessed me for about week, and then began
to pass away. Ono morning as was return
ing from the college turned into the street
of the Jews | wished to look into tho win
dow of the second hand dealer, Miroufie.
The dustySplendor of that den of bric-a-brac,
the dilapidated armcheirs, the many colored
heaps of cast off clothing, tho lowered china,
y stuffed birds, amused my verdant SIM
,iicity, and never failed to stop there. I
had scarcely glanced at the window, how
ever, when received violent shock. Be-
hind the glass, between an antique dial
plated clock and Strausburg soup toureen,
reposing on bed Of soft, pink cotton, per-
ceived the pipe, that magnificent pipe OF the
bankrupt Bgeard. 1t was impossible to be
deceived, l knew it instantly by the gor-
geousness Of its mountings, its dainty cherry
wood stem and bowl Of golden seafoam, sur
mounted by its silver cover.
Then it had been included in the sale, and
the beggarly old second hand dealer had
bought it in. l did not stop to wait or think
Il simply plunged into the shop where
Miroufe, in his wooden tricot and rabbit skin
cap, sat working on a pair of rusty tongs.
"The pipe" | gasped; "the pipe--is it for
salea How much do you want for itf'
Miroufie turned his head and devoured me
with greedy eyes.
ssBahr' said he at last. "What matters it
to you, urchin2 1t isn't for your nose; it is
too dear, too dear entirely. But the price
well, the price is twelve francs-not CEN
time less. 1t is the real seafoam and sweet to
smoke-sweet as honey; seen---and Miroufe
held it out for my inspection. My heart
beat, my eyes sparkled; but twelve francsl
Why, hadn't as much as twelve sous
'I'll stop again." l stammered; II pass
frequently--I'll return"
"Return" sneered Mirouhe; "return-yes,
of course you'll return on the week of Thurs
days; but come, come all the same;n and
turning his back upon me Miroufe resumed
his polishing of the tongs.
My desire for the pipe as time passed on
became stronger and stronger; it worried me
by day and was my constant dream by night
Safe atthe house of the old jew had only
to place my twelve francs In his hands to
have it belong to me. But where could find
such a sum all at oncei My father only gave
me fifty centimes week for pocket money;
even with the most prodigious economy l
could not for months and months accumulate
such a fortune as twelve francs. In the
meantime some one with pockets better filled
than mine would carry OF the prize.
Oh, If / could only smoke that golden sea-
foam once-could only have that pipe in my
pocket to draw forth and flourish trium-
phantly in the faces of my comradesl What
satisfaction l should feel; what prestige it
would give me, and how my schoolmates
would almost burst with envyi But how
were the twelve francs to be gottenl
1turned the problem in my mind as sitting
In the room behind the shop labored pain
fully over my Latin verses At this moment
Grandfather Pechoin, who had keen sitting
beside me, rose from his chair and prepared
10 60 into the garden-his usual habit an
hour or SO before dinner-''to get up an ap-
petite" Laying aside his spectacles grand
father took off his coat and vest and went
out in his shirt sleeves to hoe and dig at his
ease in the warm rays of the June sun. By
some mischance, after his departure, in lift
ing the dictionary 1 managed to upset the
chair and the waistcoat fell to the floor with |
a rafting noise. There was money in the |
pocketsl Tren olingly 1 lifted tho garment |
and thrust my fingers into tine folds, prompted |
by curiosity 10 see how much was there. In |
one pocket 1 found two five franc pieces, in |
the other three pieces of twenty sous each |
thirteen francs in ALA little more than was |
to purchase that pipe of Bigeard's. |
Just to think of it gave me a spasm of the |
heart Holding the francs in the palm of |
my hand gazed upon them like one magnet |
lied, little by little a diabolical idea slowly |
forming in my brain. Why should not that |
money grandfather's money-become my |
money! But if took it, which 1 had not yet |
admitted to myself that Imeant to do, would |