The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-07-08


the humble dress he wore as ship
boy. Pope Sextus V. wore inlaid in
the pontifical golden cross the last cent
which charita bic passer-by had given
him when, in his childhood, he was
herdirg swine. Marius Balochard dis
played on the mantel-piece of his din
ing-room magnificent frame of violet
velvet in which appeared silver five
franc piece.
BalOchard, who now was settled in
Paris, at the head of a large dry goods
establishment which he managed with
his partner Bourdalin -Ba iochard, the
happy husband and the kind father,
the possessor Of great fortune, and
who enjoyed the consideration of his
very humble way.
Having come from Marscilles, at
twenty years of age, with the avowed
intention of conquering Paris, he sue
ceeded without too much difficulty in
obtaining situation as clerk in the
Magazins du Louvre at salary of
eighteen hundred francs year
There he found time to do TWO
things; to become intimate with fell
low clerk working at the same counter,
and to fall in love with Mile. Estelle
Becot, the daughter of Nine Becot,
who owned large dry goods store in
the Rue des Petits-Champs. Bourdalin
belonged to the race of fashionable
clerks. When evening came, he dressed
elegantly and went to the clubs As
for Balochard, he invariably spent his
evenings wandering under his Dulcina's
balcony and watching through the
lighted shop windows the desk behind
which he already saw himself sitting
by Estelle's side.
Things went on so for quite awhile;
then on certain day Marius thought
that there was no reason why clerk
from Marseilles could not aspire to the
hand OF a Partisan, even if she were
rich; and on a fine Sunday he ventured
to call and state his aspirations. All!
good reader, what a repulse! He was
almost kicked out of the door!
He hastened to relate his sorrows to
his friend Bourdalin; but the latter
was himself in an absolutely lugubrious
state of mind He had lost three thou
sand francs the day before in club.
where, on account of his fine appear
ance, he had enjoyed some credit, and
had not the first cent to pay it with.
The contact of two misfortunes in
creases both. The friends already were
talking about rope, revolver and char
coal, when Bourdalin had an inspira-
ton There was still one glimmer of
hope left to them. One of his friends
from Bordeaux had just won thirty
thousand francs at Monaco Why
could they not have the same luck?
Yes, by the way, why not? Could
not Marseillais and and an Arlesien
beat the bank when simple Bordelais
had. single handed, got the best of it to
the tune of fifteen hundred louis?
They called in all the money they
could, they borrowed. they invented all |
kinds of stories to get cash from their |
families, and at last they succeeded in
eight hundred francs
Provided with that amount. and with |
eave for weeks absence the two |
friends took the train and landed the /
next morning at Monte Carlo. Il had |
been agreed that each one should take
half of the capital and that they would
operate separately; after that they
would share the profits
By virtue OF this agreement, Bourda-
in and Balochard made only one jump
rom the train TO the Casino, and i'm
took their places, one at
'0a!ette table, the other at 4 table of |
re1te q qedrGRte. Fortune greeted
hem with her most gracious smile At
even o'clock they met again; one with
wenty Thousand francs, the other with
lxteen thousand. They wisely resolved
o be satisfied with that and with joy
us hearts went 10 the hotel and treated
themselves 10 a fine dinner
Every ore knows that one effect Of
'ountiful meal is to make everything
ssume a rosy hue Balochsrd and
ourdalin would not have changed
laces with the sultan OF Turkey.
hey made great sport OF the bank
lc good old thing-who had let them
10 her of thirty thousand francs And
ley discussed the use they would make
the amount
One thing only bothered them.
iChteen thousand francs each: tina,
as not a round sum An even twenty
oulG have answered much better.
ne thing led 80 another, and eveatu-
~ the two fellows. who we-e yeyy