The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-20
THREE GLUTTONS.

Three gentlemen sat dining In private
salon of the Cafe Anglais; three ardent,
eaters their nostrils distend-
ed, seeming the aroma Of the delicate vi
ands, their eyes set intently, their jaws
already at work upon a superb truffied
capon.
When the capon had disappeared, one Of
them, M. Vincent, demanded:
"What think you of my proposition"
Magnificent" declared Judgement.
"Ideall" said St. Estere Laconic re-
sponses followed by longer pause, during
which the Bordeaux flowed down the
throats with exhilarating effect.
Eyes, IDEAL" Vincent continued, "for we
are bound by friendship that nothing can
shake"
Death only can part u.s." pursued Vim
cent, after pause to allow this excess of
sentiment to subside
mot even death, /" said Guigement-more
emotional than the other-with tears in
his eyes.
Long life to you, friends. May heaven
permit that you both survive mep'
mo, no." cried Vincent, 81 shall go first;
diabetes threatens me, as think I've told
you" ....
NO no." st. Estere cried, II put in first
claim with far more reason; you forget how
suffer from that old gunshot wound"
A generous competition that did not all
the same prevent the friends from eating a
hearty dessert, relishing their coffee, sip
ping their ehartreuse, topping off with n
fragrant Havana, and motion from st.
Estere-promptly adopted-to meet every
year at the same hour and at the same
place.
Next morning they met again at law
yers office to carry out legally and in de-
tail Vincent's ideas-that is, to execute a
will deciding their fortunes at death to each
I other Furthermore, they had their lives
insured-S25, 900 each--for the benefit of the
last survivor.
/ Vincent was 40, Guigement 40, and St. Es-
tere, who acknowledged to 3S, 45. Till now
they had enjoyed the best of health. Heat,
cold, epidemics, imprudences, nothing had
passed them.
/ Nevertheless four months had barely
elapsed when st. Estere was taken with a
very sore throat.
POUNDS" said he, "am going to be ILL
That's queerp ... ...-.
And he became very thoughtful. Then
/ Vincent got up one morning with aching
head and limbs and feeling generally done
for.
"Ah," said he, IAN really the one to &c
first, after alll Well, can't say Pm glad
still l won't complain. Moreover, why
should not live rs long as they1 Heaven
knows am far from wishing their death
still, all the same, I'll consult doctor"
St. Estere, he soon learned, had also con
suited one of the faculty, and these profes
sional curealls found many ailments il
both hitherto unsupported.
Ashealth returned these gloomy thought,
left them, and they found themselves ut til,
end of the year in the same room of the CAT,
Anglais, AS gay, as hungry and as truly de
voted to each other as ever
Vincent the next day had serious indi
gestion. Light fever set in, and as gentl,
as possible warned the poor soul that hi
digestion was not equal to the trufIles h,
had consumed. Wholly unaccustomed I,
suffering, he fancied himself at death
door.
What does it mean-this illnessi" b.
murmured. Men cat trufIies every day o
their lives without bad results. Some
, things wrong here" Then. reflectively:
"Tve read in the police reports-but stay
= what am l saying2 Bahl Pm losing m,
. sensesl A man like Judgement, who save,
my life tool Yes. but he was not my hei
2 then. Still, l do not accuse him nor &C
I cuse St. Estere, though man not afraid o
killing fellow creature in duel might
&. The strangest part of all was that Guige
ment and st. Estere were equally i'll. Per
haps they had eaten too much after 81.
| months of careful dieting No matter
They both experienced the same symptom
us their friend.
Z The second anniversary of May % arrived
Y Al l.
ferent from the comrades OF old. Still, the
tried to rouse themselves to theenthusiasr
of bygone dinners.
But none dared to eat Capon and trut
fles lay untouched. They fell back on tn
wine which the waiter opened for them
Naturally on empty stomachs they gre,
: abominably drunk, and next day wer
more i'll than ever.
From that day on frantic terror possesse
them. Everything that happened was
source Of misery. Vincent did his ow
marketing, and before buying his Wand
piled the tradespeople with the queeres
questions.
st. Estere never went out till nightfal
, came, and dined every day ut differen
restaurant.
As for Guigement, his valet was dis
: charged because he knew his two friend
, and replaced by woman cook who hat
sole charge of his meals.
But one day, prying in the kitchen dur
ing her absence, he discovered there pow
a der that a chemist pronounced arsenic. Hi
4 rage was frightiul; She too, was an &C
!, complete of Vincent and St. Estere to ge
the insurance money! And he refused T.
: hear word of rats in the cellar.
, A month later he weathered Cape Adei
!, and was on the Indian ocean. His Joy wa
so great and he expressed it SO loudly tina
: all the passengers thought him a lunatic.
:, He remained several months in Japan
then decided to go to America =
He crossed to san Francisco and spent
! month delightfully."-, easy in mind, and tell
Y ing himself one morning that possibly a
; that very moment Vincent was planning I,
, be rid of st. Estere.
Scarcely had the thought struck him
e however, when a man turned the corner
Great heavensi 1t was Vincent
Thelatter recognized him, too, and turnet
as pale as Judgement himself.
What" exclaimed he, you heres"
). Yes" stammered the unhappy Guige
: ment, and you-what are you doing in Sal
Francisco"
Passing through it, like yourself"
And from here, my dear Vincent
q whereof
Canada. You'll find me at Quebec fl
less than fortnight"
And l." said Judgement, you'll flint
me in China. Inquire for me at Picking. +"
"Sly dogl'' said Vincent, feebly essayini
joke. an Picking when every one belieye
you safe in Paris"
He follows me,n thought Vincent
awaiting his opportunity"
HE dogs me like fox" Guigement n
l. fected; what pity I've no pistol Still
! he believes Pm going to China and viii
Il hunt me at PekinR. Meanwhile start TO