New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-19
A TENIAL TRANSMISSION.

vi. EXupere GObelln, the retired
agent for an insurance company, over
sixty, and one OF the best preserved
bachelors in the north of Paris, would
also have been one OF the happiest
had not the cravings of an unsatisfed
ambition rendered him miserable.
This fly in M. Exupere's ointment was
nothing more or less than an unap-
peasable desire to be decorated with
the red ribbon Of the Legion of Honor.
On the evening of q certain day,
when life without the aforesaid red
ribbon had seemed less worth having
than usual-he had been reading in
his journal the nomination Of one Of
the companions Of his childhood as
Chevalier of the Legion-a friend pro-
posed to him to visit a. theatre in the
Rue de la Tour d Auvergne, now Haus-
mannized out of existence. Exupere
consented, and was taken behind the
scenes by his host, who was intimate
with the stage manager. This worthy
official received them politely, but
seemed abstracted and no little an
noyed.
On noticing Exupere's fine presence
and imposing bearing, the stage man
ager, suddenly turning to him, said:
Monsieur, allow me to ask you to
do me a. favor-a real favor. The
principal witness in. the marriage cere-
mony that is celebrated in the third
act has disappointed me. 1t is not a
speaking part, but none the less an
important one. Might | so far tres
pass on your good nature as to ask
you to ill the role?"
II, monsieur? Why, Pvenever been
on the stage in my life. shouldn't
know how to look"
''You have only to look naturally,
my dear monsieur, and you will have
the appearance of man perfectly
CONNIE il fault and distingue. The
witness is supposed to bea retired
cavalry officer, and it may be said
without fattery you have exactly the
physique for the service, as we say in
the theatre.''
"But I should be recognized"
"Not the slightest danger. Our
hair dresser will, in second, make
up your head and face in way that
would puzzle your most intimate
friend. And, then, with the red rib
bon IN your button-hole-"
'"Ihe rlbbOn-a red ribbon in my
buttonhole," broke in Exupere, in a
voice trembling with emotion, and his
face suddenly becoming a deep pur-
pie.
He had hardly got the words out OF
his mouth when the cunning stage
manager, feeling that he had gained his
point, pinned deity upon theex-a agents
breast the coveted decoration.
Exupere was calm, but majestic,
under the fire of opera glasses
calm as a French officer might have
been under the fire of the enemy's ar
tillery. On beholding his handsome
figure in the mirror in the green room,
after the curtain had fallen, and where
the stage manager was waiting to
compliment him, he said to himself
E'No; in tact [ am nolonger the same
person; now am the man | should
beE'
The unhappy Exupere dreamed that
he was really a member of the Legion
for the rest of his days.
Meantime, a piece of good fortune
came to him. From being possessed
of a very limited income, he suddenly.
became quite well to do, thanks to an
unexpected inheritance. One morn
ing he received q communication from
a country notary informing him that
his first cousin, Eustache Verduron,
had bequeathed to him his entire
property, real and personal, which.
represented an income of over 10000
francs.
At the close of this agreeable epistle
the village attorney added that he
did not consider that he was trans
crossing the bounds OF professional
discretion by observing that in so
making his will his cousin had disin-
herited his nephew, Albert Gobelin,
who had been guilty ofhaving married
against his wishes, in Algiers, q re-
spectacle but poor girl. 'sThe whole
countryside, added the kind hearted
notary, "pities the young man, WHO'S
q fine fellow and deserves the greatest
sympathy"
Thus it came to pass that Exupere
Gobelin inherited a fortune, but not
without greatly commissioning his I'M
fortunate relative.
81 shall certainly make inquiries
about this young fellow he said to
hinaself, land discover if / can in what
corner OF Africa he has hidden himself
with the girl of his choice. II he is
really as deserving as they say, we'll
I'nmake him my herr I'm not one
of your selfish, rapacious old curmud-
geons. [ am not like some of the
surly old misers OF my acquaintance;
| am generous and charitable. And
to think that there are some shabby
fellows who have been INSCRIPTIONS
enough to get themselves decorated
and to strut around with the Cross,
while IL
His mania for being decorated had
now over-mastered all other passions
in the breast of the late dabblef in in
surance. He was tempted more pow