The National tribune., 1892-08-18

Va.af Now and again above it
,hea all mighty roar of
laughter would burst from the lungs of some
rustic, mingled with the long below Of q COW
tied fast to the wall of house.
Maitre Hauchecorne, of Breaute. had just
| arrived at Godervile and was making his way
toward the market.place when he saw on the
ground little piece of string. Maitre Hau-
checorne, saving like every true woman, re-
| fected that everything was worth picking up
which could be made useful, and he stopped
down and took the thin piece OF string from
the ground. and was just putting it in his
pocket when he perceived Maltre Matandain
standing on his door step and looking at him.
They had once had quarrel about halter,
and they had remained angry, bearing malice
| on both sides. Maitre Hauchecorne was over
| come with an embarrassment at being seen by
| his old enemy searching in the dust for scrap
of string. He quickly hid his find under his
blouse, then in his pocket then pretended to
| look for something on the ground. and at last
started for the market place, with his head bent
| forward, and body almost doubled In two
| by rheumatic palms.
| Slowly the square became empty, and when
the Angeus struck at d-day those who lived
| at a distance poured into the inns.
At Jourdain's the great room was filled with
eaters.
Suddenly drum sounded before the house.
Every one, except the most Indifferent, sprang
dows, his mouth still full and his napkin in
his hand.
When the public crier had finished his tattoo
he called forth in a jerky voice, making his
pauses out of time:
"Be it known to the inhabitants of Goder-
vlle and in general to all-persons present
at the market, that there has been lost this
morning On the Bonneville road. between--9
and 10 o'clock, a purse of black leather contain.
| ing 500 francs and business papers. You are
requested to return it to the Mayors office at
once"
They were finishing their coffee when the
Corporal of gendarmes appeared on tho thresh-
old. He said:
"Maitre Hauchecorne, will you come with
me to the Mayors office? M. le Marie would
like to speak to you" Maitre Hauchecorne
followed the Corporal.
The Mayor was waiting in his arm chair.
"Maitre Hauchecorne," said he, this morn
ing, Oh the Beuzeviile road, you were seen to
pick up the pocket book lost by Maitre Houi.
breque, of Manneville."
The peasant, speechless, regarded the Mayor,
frightened already by this suspicion which
rested on him he knew not why.
~. / picked up that pocket-book ?"
"Yes, you"
~ swear | know nothing about it."
you were SEEM"
"Thew saw me? Who saw me?"
m. Malandain, the harness maker"
Then the old man understood and grew scar
let with anger.
The Mayor continued: "After having picked
up the purse you even looked in the dirt to see
if some money had not fallen out"
The good man was choked with anger and
fear:
IF they can say!-if they can say
such lies as that to SANDER an honest man! If
they can say y!"-
He might protest; he was not believed.
Io1 loft fho -
Office the old man was surrounded, questioned
with a curiosity which was serious or mocking
as the case might be. And he told about the
string. They did not believe him.
They said to him: az You old rascal, you!"
That evening he; made the round in the viii
lage of Breaute, SO as to tell every one. He
met only unbeievers. s.s.-y-.o
He was i'll all night. ,ia
Next day, about 1 in the afternoon, Marius
Paumelle farm hand of Maitre Breton, the
market gardener at Ymauvile, returned the
purse and its contents.
This man said, indeed, that he had found it
on the road; but, not knowing how to read,
he had carried it home and given it to his mas
ter.
The news spread Maitre Hauchecorne at
once began to tell his story as completed by
the climax.
What grieved me-" said he was not the
thing ITSELF but the lies. Nothing docs one SO
mucn narm as disgrace IOr Tying.
All day he talked of what had happened.
He told it OH the roads to the people who passed;
at the cabaret to the people who drank and
the next Sunday, when they caine out of
church.
On the following Tuesday he went to Goder-
vile for the sole purpose of telling his story.
When seated at table in Jourdain's tavern he
began to tell the whole affair over again.
horse dealer shouted at bin: "Go away
you old scamp l know all about your string"
Hauchecorne stammered, But they found
the purse again, tell you"
The other answered: "There's one who
pinch it and another who return it and none
the wiser"
Now the peasant understood They accused
him of having had the purse returned by an
accomplice.
He went home choked with rage, with con-
fusion, the more depressed since from his Nor
man cunning he was, perhaps. capable of having
done what they accused him Of and even of
boasting of it as good trick.
Then he began again to tell of his adven-
ture. lengthening his recital every day, each
time adding new proofs. The more compii-
Gated his defense, the more artful his argu.
ments, the less he was believed.
"Those are liars proofs" they said behind
his back.
He felt this; it preyed upon his heart He
exhaused himself in useless efforts. He was
visibly wasting away. About the end Of De-
cemDer he took to his bed.
He died early in January, and, in the de-
lirum Of his death-agOny, he protested his
innocence, repeating:
"a little bit of string-a little bit of string
see, here it is, M'sieu' le Mare."
The Chilean Indemnity.
Acting Secretary Adee received Monday a
"a ahie nessa ge from Minister Eoan at Sant;auo