The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-31
CHAPTER l.


cleyerest bee-keepers in the province of
Luxembourg, not to say in the village of
Vivy, where / now live. Every one
knows that much about me. but l do not
think that many know how | came to set
tie here, and to give up the trade of black
smith to which l was brought up. l have
not often told the story, but do not
know WHY I should not. 1t is not a bad
story in its way. and NAV pass away half
an hour for any one who cares to listen
to it.
am not native Of WY. The village
in which was born-Sugny-lie three
leagues south from here. close to the
French frontier of Belgium. It is a
poor little place enough. Itcontains per-
haps six hundred south. and the largest
house is the Aubergo Regnault. Opposite
the inn is my fathers forge, where learnt
my old trade There was never press of
work in our smithy; sometimes several
days would pass without the fire being
lighted. We could not possibly have lived
on my fathers earnings as blacksmith,
even when the produce OF his little plot
mother, like most of the other women OF
Sugny, kept a couple of cows. and car
ried her milk and butter regularly over
the frontier to Sedan. Her dairy products
did not 90 far toward feeding and cloth
ing me and my FIVE brothers and sisters.
Yet we were fed and clothed, and
though money was not plentiful. do not
g. in
want The word of the enigma is not far
to seek. If you had watched US children
of Suguy playing when we came out of
school, you would soon have learnt it. GOu
would have seen Us form two bands one
of which would try TO PASS given line
with a concealed packet. while the other
would try 10 capture them and take their
treasure. 1t was a game of which we
never tired. We called it playing at FRAU
dsurs," and ''frsudeur," as YOU no doubt
know is just another name for smuggler.
That was how we began, girls and boys
alike. Later on we played at the game In
earnest The girls took 20 carrying milk,
and looked on the rigorous daily search
at the douane as a mere trial of wits with
the douaniers. Sometimes a little packet
oftobacco or snuff or the like was brought
to light in the hem of a dress or the crown
of q bonnet more often the hider was clev-
erer than the seeker, and the milk woman
added her few sous worth OF "fTaude' 10
the hard-earned profits of her day. With
the BOYS. when they had grown tall and
strong, it was more serious matter. The
men of Sugny are "fraudeurs d'elite."
They choose the darkest night, the least
Irodden path through the great border
forest, run the gauntlet OF a hundred
dangers with constituents OF contra
f,h ha
all OF those concerned, aud then return
triumphant as a rule in the gray dawn. to
divide the profits over glass of pecque at
the Auberge Regnault.
45v the time | was four and twenty my
apprenticeship as q 'fraudeUr" was over.
] had taken to growing tobacco on my own
account and reckoned mvself q match for
half dozen dOuaniers. / did not hesitate
even TO try and drige a bargain, single
handed, with Paul Pochet, which required
more gumption than went 10 the outwit-
ting Of any number OF douaniers.
Paul POchet, the landlord of a rough lit
tie inn On the French eide OF the border,
was the handiess and most dependable
man 20 whom va of Sugny could dispose
of our contraband goods lie was, indeed,
or natural ally, being the cleverest re-
celver anywhere along the frontier More
than once prohibited goods had been
traced 20 his very door; more than once
IN Cafe Pochet had been searched from
its ill-slated roof to the shiny corners of
lis damp cellar. During the search POchet
would stand b., the picture of outraged
innocence. protesting little, but making
no edort TO arrest the sesrchers. Yet he
always bafed them. till at last his cum
ming became the proverb alike of dOuanier
and smuggler. He was, you see, the
lcll IL ~ MS r
standing the way he beat down our profits
TO the lowest possible figure. "How can /
give you more?" he would say, when we
protested. Il must make a profit. too
Do l look like rich man? What can a
man do who has go msnv mouths to fill ss
I have?"
He had large family, it is true, but it
was not the bringing up of his children
which kept him poor. We all knew how
and where he squandered his ill-gotten
gains. while Pauline, his eldest daughter,
who had kept his house since her moth
er's death. shaved from morning till night
TO make half-francs 20 as far as whole
ones.
Pauline was not a handsome girl. She
did not resemble her Unlocking, blear-
eyed old father, but her life had been a
hard one. and her looks had been nipped
IN the bud by OyerWOrk, which is no
beautifier OF women. She was short and
square built. with irregular features and
pale face. She talked little, except to the
children, and laughed still less. How
aver, handsome is that handsome does
and, as far as doing went, a better girl
than Pauline Pochet never walked the
earth. That is saying a good deal. but 1
mean II, and am prepared to stick by it.
| 90 not know when / first began to find
this out. IL / try 10 recollect the time
seems 10 go further and further back, IN
til 1t seems as if il had always been the
wish OF my heart to win her for my wife.
But / said nothing 10 her or to any one of
my growing love. for / knew that my
parents would look sadly askancs on the
child of an evil-liver like Pochet for a
daughter-in.law. Against her no one
could breathe word, but il would have
seemed to my father ana mother a shock
ing thing TO enter into family ties with the
landlord of the Cafe Pochet. So, though
| made my visits as frequently as possible,
| never limited at the real object OF them.
No doubt tine old man saw through it all,
put he was cunning, and he held his
peace, too
At one time even, be gave me a good
Zeal OF what took to Oe encouragement;
hen suddenly he veered round and tried,
Is far as possible. to put obstacles in the
way OF my silent wooing.
knew the reason of the change well