The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-08-25
that he hadseen with his own eyes thrown

ing a coffin that no one, happily, Thought
Of Opening. They would have found in 1t
the body of a bandit, who died at the hos
pital a few days before.
Joacchino must have been slightly aston
ished at travelling for three days under
black velvet embroidered with silver, be-
ing watered with tears by two excellent
ladies' hearing his virtues praised by a high
ecclesiastical dignitary, seeing defile be-
fore his remains the clergy, observation-disclosures
of the neighboring chateau, the peasants
of the surrounding communes.
As for Seineport, after having been
troubled by many scruples, he Gained his
conscience by the thought that all this dis
play, resulting from first deception that
was almost unavoidable, did not in fact
harm anybody. Was it not a precious con
ISOLATION for his widow and mother to have
coffin to cover with flowers and battle in
tears? In fact the will and testament of
the real Puiol, found in his trunk, left all
the property to the beautiful Antoinette.
| So George concluded that he had act
ed for the best; BESIDES more tender
thoughts took larger place in his heart
each day. Nine. Pujol was one of those
blends whom pink renders delicious but
black makes irresistible, and tears embel'
lished instead of disfguring her. To be
brief, Seineport fell madly in love with
her. He was the friend of the family, and
the mother and daughter-in-law owed him
gratitude and showed their sense of obi
cation. He breakfasted and dined with
them often. But these meals We're mourn
full repasts, taken upon table with toul
places, one of which remained vacant OPP
posite the window. The "dear absent
was represented by bis photograph. ~
PujolrJoacch reposed in the middle OF
St. Landry park, i'll picturesque site.
Seineport had been charged to superintend
the building of the mausoleum. He ac
quilted himself of his new task as intelli
gently as he did of the others, consulting
the architect, selecting the plans, compos.
ing the inscriptions, and looking after the
masons and sculptors. All this labor
secured for him good many breakfasts OPP
posite the photograph of the departed
Pujol.
The monument was inaugurated with |
great ceremony. 1t contained a place fol
the inconsolable widow of the first occu
pant. Seineport completed his work by
surrounding the mausoleum with lot of !
chestnut trees, which are known to growi
liz DGiil IO lOu9CI UlllLS W Jul
at St. Landry, and yet he continued tol
make frequent visits there. At the end of
the delay, wisely fixed by public opinion
the entire neighborhood was stupefed tc
hear the great news:
"Seineporte was going to marry Pujol's |
widowr' t..''" ".t. ....
BY delicate observance of the proprie.
ties the two were married at Paris. Then
they travelled in Switzerland. Puiol's
mother remained at st. Eandry, where
each day, from the depths of his tomb, the
Neapolitan bandit had his ears filled with |
bitter complaints upon the Inconsistency Of
widows '1l' ,.'."' A-.. ..-b '.
After delightful honeymoon the bridal |
couple remembered one day that they were
the owners of very comfortable habita,
ton in Touraine. 'H#
( Had they been more timid or less in love
the mother-in-law in partibus ON one side |
and the mortuary chapel on the other
might have spoiled their St. Landry. But
young Nine Seineport had already had |
time to acquire new habits, and particu.
larly that of thinking much less of the
dead than of the living. So they returned
home, well satisfied to continue their court |
ship elsewhere than in hotels, and if any |
thing lessened their satisfaction it was not |
the disappearance of the elder Nine Pujol, |
who had started the day before to pass a
month with some relatives in Brittany.
So everything seemed to be for the best.
But suddenly Seineport noticed that his
wife seemed ready to faint with terror.
She kept her eyes turned toward the win
dow looking out on the park, and in spite
of all her husband was able to say OF do
the beautiful Antoinette looked straight
ahead, as if she knew there was some
malefactor behind the silk curtains.
! ooh, George" she said, ''he is there.
assure you | have seeu him! We have
made mistake to return to his house, at |
only few steps from his tomb! We seem
to he defying his phantom!'
"We don't defy him." protested George
gently, ION the contrary, we respect and
bless his memory"
! The ex-Mme Pujol grew so excited that
Seineport saw that he must either leave
St. Landry at once or tell the story
about Joacchino. OF the two solutions
the latter was the one that cost him thell
least. He at once related the whole his
tory, and produced as proof of the truth of
his statement the report made by the cap
tain of the steamer an hour after the burial
of the unfortunate Pujol. This dismal re-
cital made the young wife tremble at first,
but she soon showed herself very much re-
LEVIED at learning that her first husband,
who she thought was hundred yards
from her, slept his last sleep more than Il
thousand leagues away.
After this explanation their days were
no longer troubled, except by Nine Pujol
when she returned to st. Landry. But
calm was soon established, for the good
lady died the following year. The last
words she uttered upon this earth were
evidently intended to be disagreeable.
II WISH" she said, ito repose by the side
of my son. Nine Seineport, imagine
does not care for the place reserved for her. f"
Her last wish was respected, and OF all
Joacchino's establishment, that of having
his new neighbor was not the least.
The chestnut trees have grown, and you
could make the tour of the park twenty
times without suspecting the existence OF
the tomo where q Neapolitan bandit and a
French lady await the last Judgment to-
gether.-Translated from the French of
Jules Lermina for San Francisco Argo-
naut. ......... .'... .......--.-