Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-12

rooms'
"Alasr said 1, extending my hand.
'Do not touch it"
"Be calm Be assuredl The artillery
man who brought it will take it away"
"But, sir" said the servant, who stood
trembling on the doorsill, she has al
ready gone"
New exclamations.
"Then," said 1, sit is F'-
"I forbid you," quickly cried Dutailly.
"You have not the strength to carry
that all the way to the opera house."
''You will only let it fall on the stair
case or in the ante-room.
Mime. Dutailly chung to me.
''Not you; it is too dangerousl not
your
'"This," said Dutailly, sis the deed of
soldier, a strong soldier; happily the
captain is thatp
"Ir' said the captain.
Eyes, you are as strong as Turk and
can do such deeds. You play with balls
and shells as a schoolboy plays with
marbles and footballr'
Pardon me, pardon me-" objected the
captain, growing pale, sit is she'll
the devil! Can't you wait until to-mor-
row to have it taken away"
"Whatv cried Nine Dutailly, ''to-
morrow? Why, cannot close my eyes
all night! shall go to hotel to sleepp'
Then Anatole said, quietly:
Remain at home, madame; will
carry away the shell.
Dutailly stopped him.
''You are a fool, my dear boy, just
conyalescent with your weak arm. Do
you wish to blow up the houses"
Truly" said l, ''this is not the task
of weak man."
"But the captain" said Dutailly, 81
have confidence only in him. eco quick
ly, captain, take the monster and deliver
us from this nightmare"
The captain at this moment felt badly,
that was evident, but he was not discon-
certed by so small matter. Surely" 4"
said he, smiling, "that is my right. !
only wished to say, as you interrupted
me several times, that to take this OBJ
ject and to walk is too dangerous. 1t is
slippery, and single false step might
kill ten people in the street. To take it
in carriage is the only way"
'sBut carriage" replied Dutailly, sat
this time? They are nearly all required
for ambulances."
True" said the captain. General
Smith, who brought me to your house,
dimes at the Brabant, and his carriage is
waiting at the door of the restaurant. !
will ask him to loan it to me, as he is a
friend of mine. 1t is done. Taking time
to buckle on my sword belt and go there,
it will be ten minutes or quarter of an
hour more"
$50 quickly" said Nine. Dutailly,
81 shall not live longer than that time"
81 will run, dear madame" Saying
this, the captain took his military cap
and cloak and went. BY the way he ran
down the stairs it was evident he was in
hurry.
| went back to the drawing room,
where fear reigned. Mme Dutailly
wavered between the wish to fly and the
desire to watch over the shell. Without
seeming to do so, looked out into the
moonlit street.
1T would have been so easy to let me
take it," murmured Anatole.
''Be SILENT" replied Dutailly, a little
surprised by the quiet courage of this
boy. "It is better the captain should
do it,"
Provided" groaned madame, she
does not wait too long,"
"He will wait, dear lady," said gay
| ly. "You may count on that. For he
| will never come back"
"He will never come back?"
Certainly not. The way to go to the
Brabant House is to take the right hand
street; he went to the left and very
| quickly"
"What do you meant?
'I wish to say, friend Dutailly, that
| your captain is an impostor, and re-
joice to have dismounted the batteries
of this boaster by tie aid of this engine F"
Then taking photograph album I
struck blow ON the top of the shell,
which broke into thousand pieces-of
chocolate, and scattered on the carpet a
volley of sugar plums, burned almonds
and pistachio nuts.
A shout of laughter greeted the explo-
sion, and, I may say, the climax.
Three months later Anatole married
Gertrude
And the captain was never heard of
after. er.-Translated from the French Of
| Victorien Sardou for the New York
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