The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-14
THE PELLETS OF BREAD.

Pam g. WIS I'iiN BDDh ''hO"'
so every one said Thirty years old, per-
haps. % Partisan in every sense Of the
word. with that courageous nature, lively
and little inclined TO teasing. that Is the
characteristic Of the children of Paris.
Nevertheless. he had am excellent heart,
and was ready 10 throw himself into the
Grcif necessary for the very one whom
au Dr.. tani before he had made the target
for Dr. icsis.
10 was at r.. that pretty little
ncighboring city 10 Puy, that Paul found
him.c.f one morning for pleasure and the
dr,uEing Of certain hcalthful waters. for
r.. as every one knows, Is a charming
summer resort. and filled during the sum
MGR III least with q crowd Of guests. Paul
and his friend Edouard Duchcsne, were
at tbe same hotel and took their meals
together at the table d'hote, where they
had for g. ncighbor in front OF them an
Enclishmn known to be very rich and
very eccentric. and whose life, they said
was but a series of endless journeying5
around the world.
II Paul BETRAYED himself Partisan in
every act and feature. sol did the stranger
bolrav the nativity Of his melancholy
country. Short of stature and fat, the
face broad and ridy the skull bald and
ehiuing the beard blonde. the ewes bluc
rs corn flowers. me was truly the most
perfect tyne II am Engishmm that it Is
possible to imagine More than once
Paul had caught himself smiling at the
imuassablc visaceol Sir Arthur jacobson,
for such was Tins strangers namo This
evening. then, when the events occurred
that / am going 10 tell you Of. and, by
the way. tine evening of departure Of the
two young mcn. as thc dinner was draw
ing 10 close, cxhilaratcd doubtless by
the champagne they had taken. Paul
amused himself whilc talking 70 Edouard
i'm rolling balls of bread crumbs and
launching them between thumb and
finer. as school children launch balls Of
paper. at lis uciohbor. the Englishman.
IL was th0ughtlcss, not 10 say rude, OK
mbiton ON the part If Paul. but then
Paul was not quite himself, and the
temptation was for the moment irresist-
iblr
As tine first pellet struck the arm Of
Sir Arthur Jacobson hc slowly turned
his clear eyes upon Paul and his com
pauion. hat his broad physiognomy lost
nothing Of it, habitual placidity. One
would have supposed even that he had
seen and cOmprchended nothing, had 1t
not been for the fact that with an air Of
the utmost Indifference and phlegm he
lifted the morsel of bread crumb aGd
slipped it into the pocket of his vest;
still. however. without Uttering a sylla-
bic.
The bearing Of this man was well cal
culatcd TO excite the teasing humor Of
the Partisan, and scarcely "a moment had
elapsed since the launching of the first
pellet when a second followed it, and,
taking the same direction as the first,
went lo flatten itself upon his shoulder,
and like the other TO travel the road 10
Sir Arthur's pocket. Angcrcd a little by !
this systematic imperviousncss, and GER !
tainly for the time being blind TO the in !
suit and inconvenience that such pleas |
antry had for its object, Paul believed it
his duty TO repeat his pellet for the third !
time. 1t struck his Wis Wis upon the |
forehead Immediately between the eve
brows And still he received it with |
neither a movement nor q sign, though |
the walters at the table could scarcely |
repress their hilarty on seeing him with |
the same stoical gravity lift his hand, re-
move it and send it to JOIN lis comrades
in his pocket.
This amusement, in bad taste as You
are bound to admit, had lasted long
enough, and as the guests were quitting
the table Sir Arthur rose and followed
their example, and Paul and his friend;
their heads decidedly heavy with wine,
got mp in turn and went TO smoke cigar
on the terrace. Hardly, however. had
they made their appearance there
than Paul found himself confronted
by his recent victim. who regarded
him full IN the face and in excellent
French stated that he desired To speak
70 him a moment
"You must certainly understand, mon
sieur. said he, THAT the play to which
YOU delivered yourself a while ago con
stitutes serious aflront, Of which | de-
mund tie reason. Moreover, rs Il gal
liant man you also see that You must ac-
cord me, without my forcing it, the
that is my right
Precisely, my lord; see, and ] am
ut your service
Tomorrow morning then, monsieur,
Mt 3 O'Clock, behind the park. -
"The conditionsr
"Pistols-thiny paccs-au wise. In
m hour my seconds will wait upon yours
have the honor, monsieur. 10 salute
YOU
(Which proves once more, my dear
Paul, said Edouard, when the stranger
had turned on ms heel, that it does not
10 20 trust 10 appearance Who would
have supposed that devil of little man
50 touchy ON point Of honor; lie takes
the thing. in my opinion, too seriously"
"Eh, par Dieu, he has reason, replied
Paul. IN whose brain the freshness of the
air had brought ahou, a salutary reac-
ion. u have committed 4 serious and
IN offensive stupidity; It Is Just that |
AXE the consequences. But a truce to
cords: come with me 10 the house Of NJ.
\ whom 4 now o. liohfl .- .r1 ,-lo,,