The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-14

49, G0A1 NNt
tremor, this gentleman wants a bed
ROOM"
Mime. Thenardier exchanged her angry
look for an amiable grimace intended for
a smile, a change peculiar to landladies,
and greedily turned her eyes on the new
conner.
rs this the gentleman" she said.
eyes, madame" the man answered,
touching his hat.
Rich travellers are not so polite, she
thought, and she continued dryly: Come
in, my good man."
The good man entered; the landlady
gave him a second look, carefully exam
med his thread-bare coat and broad
brimmed hat; she consulted with her
husband, who was still talking with the
carter, by a toss of the head, a curl OF her
nose, and a wink. The husband answered
with a movement of the foretinger which,
laid on to the puffed-out lips, meant mo
go" Upon this the landlady exclaimed:
My good man, l am very sorry, but L
haven't a bedroom ~disengaged."
Put me where you like, the man said,
Sin the lott or the stable. l will pay as II
it were a bedroom"
1T will be 40 sous, then"
"Be it So"
Forty sous ~ a carrier whispered to the
lanulaQy why, Jne DesJ Ueu-TOOm III Ine
house is only 20 sous"
Its 40 for a man like that" replied
Nine. Thenardier in the same tone; lido
not lodge poor people for less"
THAT is true" the husband added gen.
tly lit Injuries a house to nave customers
OF that sort"
In the meanwhile the man, after leaving
his bundle and stick on q bench, sat down
at a table. The pedler who had asked for
the bucket of water carried 1t himself to
his horse, while Cosette returned TO her
place under the kitchen table. and TO her
knitting. The man gazed at the child
with strange attention. Cosette was ugly
now, but had she been happy h might
have been pretty she was thin and
sickly, and, though eight years old, she
looked hardly six. Her entire clothing
was one rag. which would have aroused
pity in summer and caused horror in win
ter. She had only torn calico upon her
person and not a morsel of woollen stuff;
her skin was here and there visible, and
everywhere could be distinguished blue
or black marks, showing where her mis-
tress had beaten her. The appearance OF
this child, her position, the sound OF her
voice, the interval between one word and
the next, her look, her silence, her slight
est movement. expressed but one idea,
and hat was fear. Fear was spread over
her like she was clothed in it; fear drew
up her elbows, Withdrew her heels under
her petticoats, made her occupy as little
room as possible and breathe when only
absolutely necessary. This fear was so
great that COsette, on returning from the
spring, although wet and cold, did not
dare 20 to the fire, but silently began her
work again. The man in the yellow coat
did not take his eyes off of Cosette. All
at once her mistress cried: Hello!
where's the loaf of bread?"
COsette, according to her custom when
ever Nine. Thenardier raised her voice,
came quickly from under the table. She
had completely forgotten the bread and
did what terrified children so often do
she told a falsehood.
Madame, the bakers was shut up"
"You ought to have knocked"
81 did do so, but he would not open"
Il shall know tomorrow whether that is
the truth" said her mistress, and if it is
not, lookout, that's ali. In the meanwhile
give me back my iifteen-sous piece"
Cosette plunged her hand into the
pocket OF her apron and turned pale; the
coin WAS no longer in it.
well, )" her mistress said, "did you not
hear me?"
Cosette turned her pocket out, but
there was nothing in it. What could have
become of the money? The wretched
little creaturc could not find a word to
say; she was petrified with establishment
and terror.
"Have you lost it ?" her mistress asked,
cor are you trying to rob me?" At the
same time she stretched out her hand to
the cat-O'-nine-,ails. This gesture gave
| COsette the strength to cry:
Mercy, madame, l will never do it
again"
The man in the yellow coat had been
feeling in his waistcoat pocket, though no
noticed it. Cosette had retreated in
agony to the chimney corner, shivering to
make herself as small as she could and to
protect her poor hall covered limbs. Her
mistress raised her arm.
Il beg yOur pardon, madame" said the
man, but just now | saw something fall
out OF the little girls pocket and rolling
away. 1t may be that" At the same
time he stopped and appeared to be hunt
ing for something.
Yes, here il is" he continued, as he
rose and handed a coin 70 the landlady.
"Yes, that is it," she said.
1t was not the real coin but she put it in
her pocket and confined herself to giving
the child a stern glance, saying: THAT
had better not happen again" COsette
returned to her place and her large eyes,
fixed on the stranger, had an expression
in e that they never had before. 1t
was no longer a simple establishment, but
a sort of confidence was mingled with it.
DO you want any support" the land
lady asked the traveller.
He did not reply, but seemed lost in
thought. what can this man be 2" she
muttered to herself. "He is some
wretched beggar, l suppose, who has not
a penny to pay for his supper. vii he
be able to pay for his bedroom? 1t is
lucky, after all, that he did not steal the
silver coin that was on the floor"
At this moment a door opened and Epo-
nine and Azelma came in. They were
really two pretty little girls, one with her
auburn well-smoothed tresses and the
other with long, black braids hanging
down her back. They sat down by the
fire-side with a doll which they turned
over on their knees with all sorts of joy-
Gus talk. Cosette. at times. raised her
eyes from her knitting and m%ournfully
watched their playing. Eponine and
Azelma did not look at Cosette, for to
them she was like the dog. The doll was
very old and broken, but it did not appear
any the less wonderful to Cosette, who
never in her life possessed a doll, a real
doll" to employ an expression which all
children will understand. All at once the