Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-28
THE VILLAGE HERO.
Translated from the French, for the SUNDAY |
UNION. by Mrs. n. Z. White.l

citement by the report that Monsieur
Bourimel, one of the wealthiest and most
prominent merchants of the place, had
disappeared. His family had waited in
vain for his presence at dinner the previous
evening, and were alarmed beyond meas
ure when he failed to return. Three days
passed and still no tidings of the missing
man. There was no end of conjectures as
to his probable fate. Some even spoke of
financial ruin and suicide, but the village
Notary proved conclusively that Monsieur
BourimePs affairs had never been in a
more fourishing condition.
In the rather limited number of inhab-
itants of Villefranche was certain abso-
lutely Insignificant young man known as
Monsieur Antenor Dujardin. This indi-
vidual was a stupid, affected little snob,
who sported extremely short coats and
hats with almost invisible brIms. At his
fathers death he inherited the old lawyers
Office, but had to give it up from sheer in
capacity to maintain it. The sale of this
office and certain little savings of the de-
ceased ministerial officer secured to
Antenor an annual income of eight
or nine thousand francs, which
sufficed to maintain him in blissful idle
ness. He could be seen every day, from
noon to o'clock and from o'clock in the
evening till midnight, TRANQUILITY playing
his game of piquet in the little club-room
of the Cafe Militaire. With automatic
regularity he took, twice day, his half
glass of Bordeaux, smoking his meerschaum
which indefatigable putting had rem
dered black as ebony-and raising his
voice only to say now and then to his dog,
"Down. Rambler, down"
Rambler, yawning to the full extent of
his capacious jaws, would then slowly
stretch his benumbed legs, give pro-
longed groan, as much as to say he thought
piquet insufferably stupid, and finally,
with canine resignation, resume his posi-
ton under the table.
Shortly after the disappearance of Mon
sieur Bourimel, Antenor Dujardin, fully
equipped for the chase, was tramping over
the marshy lands adjacent to the town,
when, all of a sudden, Rambler began to
sniff the air, and then came abruptly to a
point"
"Here, Rambler p' cried Antenor, but
the dog replied only by sharp, nervous
banks.
"What scent has he struck now ?'' won
dered Dujardin. But Rambler continued
to yelp plaintively.
surely, the old rascal sees something
unusual" muttered the hunter, as he ad-
vanced cautiously to a clump of reeds
which grew on the edge of ditch. AS
he drew them aside he saw, to his horror,
a partially-submerged corpse in the muddy
water, and, in spite of a frightful wound in
the head, he had no difficulty in recogniz-
ing the familiar face of Monsieur Bou-
rimel.
Never before had such shock troubled
the monotonous existence of the placid
idler Without stopping to look a second
time at the CHASTITY object, he turned and
ran at full speed towards the town, and at
length, trembling and breathless, reached
the office of the Procureur, to whom he i'm
parted the story of his discovery.
An hour afterwards the news had spread
over the town. The Coroner Immediately
repaired to the spot where the body lay,
and, having carried it to town, opened the
inquest.
Monsieur" said the Judge to Antenor
Dujardin, 'you will be the first and per-
haps sole witness in this affair"
81 know it, replied Dujardin, in tone
through which there already penetrated a
certain degree of Importance.
'We rely upon you to further the ends
of justice"
'You may do so, your Honor"
From that day Antenor became the
hero of the town. Every one accosted him
and piled him with questions.
'How was the corpse placed ~
His head was almost under the water,
was it not?"
"Were his clothes torn and disordered ?"
did there seem to have been struggle
between Monsieur Bourimel and his assas-
sin ?"
perhaps there were several of the muir
derers."
''He was such fine man p'
$50 kind and loving a father!"
Such were the questions and exclama-
tions that were showered upon Antenor
wearied of repeating the story, which grew
and gathered fresh interest in its repeti-
ton
81 set out" he would say, gin the early
morning for a good days snipe-shooting
Having arrived at the marsh of La Pou-
driere, | was about to skirt the ditch OF
Renaud, when Rambler came to staunch
point on the bank of the pond. l called
and whistled, but in vain; he would not
obey. l rushed after him, intending to
teach him severe lesson, when-imagine
my horror and dismay-the dreadful spec
| tacle met my eyes"
GLOW awful Monsieur Antenor," ex-
exclaimed the circle of fascinated list
eners.
"Awfulw assented Antenor, and he con-
tinued tragically: There lay poor Mon
sieur Bourimel with rigid limbs, frightful
cash in the right temple"
GLOW horrible" gasped the crowd.
Horrible" repeated Antenor, with in
creasing dramatic effect. 81 returned at
full speed to town"
"And you did right, brave Monsieur
Antenor," said the admiring audience.
"And | hope the assassins will be dis
covered and punished without delay"
From that memorable day Antenor Du-
jardin was invariably spoken of as "the
gentleman that discovered the body in the
ditch at Renaud"
Shortly after the police arrested, in an
underground grog-shop. two Spanish sail
ors, each of whom was in a state of beastly
| intoxication. On one of them was found
Monsieur BourimePs watch. Finding them
selves trapped, they acknowledged that,
having met on the road bourgeois who
| appeared to be Observation-Disclosures wind
they had attacked and robbed him. The
blow which they dealt him proved fatal,
and having divided between them sum of
one hundred francs, which Monsieur Bour-
incl had in his possession, as well as his
watch, chain and two rings, they had
dragged the body of their victim to the
pond where Rambler had discovered it I'M
der the reeds. The assassins were brought
before the Court of Assizes Of Y.
The daily paper published an excellent
| portrait of the witness summoned to ap-
pear by the Public Administrator, and the
editor referred 10 him in the following
terms:
Monsieur Antenor Duiardin, whose de-