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

prise when l reached it. L drove into the
yard behind the house, and there Lam
bert helped me to carry the horses car
cass into the stables, and to unpack and
weigh out my successful "fraude" There
was none about, yet we spoke little, for
walls have ears. and birds can carry tales.
"Twentv-four kilos, good measure" l
said, when the last packet was laid on the
scales; land you'll pocket 80 per cent. on
il, for finer leaf is not to he found
81 hope | may" said Lambert; but
you've made tight bargain"
He pulled out handful of notes as he
spoke
Lets settle here" he said. ave are
quieter."
Sorry to interrupt" said voice at the
door, "but il is my painful duty to remind
YOU that as this tobacco has paid no
excise, it is confscate to the government
OF the French republic"
Yes, there they were, the douaniers
whom had left behind so confidently an
hour before. There they were, with mock
ing, triumphant faces, and one was LAYING
his hand on my shoulder.
Jules Bridoux, you incur a fine of 100
francs; in default of payment you will be
lodged in Sedan Jail" Then he turned TO
Lambert. We've had our ewes on YOU
lOI bOillC bllnGt bOO. w . lcb Wis iOdO pass
Just to make sure of you" Than Lam
bert's fine was assessed, and when he had
paid it and begged hard not to have his
license cancelled. | was marched off be-
tween two douaniers, back along the road
had comeback to Sugny like a beaten
hound, with my heart tull of dismay and
despair.
Nearly all the village, young and old.
stood round with compassionate faces
while paid out the last sou of my savings
to the unrelenting douaniers.
There's treachery somewhere" said
old Servas, when the officials had gone.
''treachery and foul play. The country
side is going to the dogs"
But who would betrav Jules?" said
my father. "Who could have a grudge
against quiet lad like him?"
/ said nothing. l walked into tie Au-
herRe ReOnault and looked round.
"Where is Leon2" | asked.
Hes gone over to Charleville to his
uncle's," was the answer.
Then you'd best tell him to stop there"
l replied, "for the day be shows his face
here again he'll have long reckoning TO
settle with me"
l did not give them time to answer, but
went out again, and before evening every
one knew that Leon Regnault and | had
quarreled the previous night, and that he
had taken his revenge.
TITS like cutting off his nose to spite
his face" said some one, in the torrent of
vituperation that followed the report
What can man of Sugny expect who
has had dealings with the douane?"
The next thing to be done was to see
/ Maitre Leteltier. All might vet go well
if he would consent to wait a little FOR his
| fee. But on this point found him mex
orable. In fact, as he informed me, he
was not sorry to have valid reason for
recalling promise which he had made in
the teeth of his better judgment
Besides" he added, "Pochet will prob
/ ably require no defense. He is, | hear,
very Ill IN prison from the effects of the
| fight ct the time OF his capture"
SO there was the end of all my great
scheme. My savings were spent, and my
| tobacco lost. Still | was not completely
cast down, Pauline and l were plighted
lovers II troubles were thickening round
! her nv love would be more necessary to
her, and since she was mine l did not
grudge what had lost in her service.
TWAS not till the afternoon of the
day following my misfortune that found
| myself free to go 10 her. She would,
probably, have heard nothing of what
had happened until told her myself. |
imagined how my failure would serve her
as a moral to point the lecture she had
| already given me. If she scolded me |
would bear it quietly But surely when
she knew ali she would not be very an
cry.
At the door of the Cafe Pochet 1 heard
the children's voices within clamoring
and crying. A voice-not that of Pauline
raiuad 70 fOrna nj
l opened the door. A woman. whom 1
had never seen, looked at me inquiringly
as | entered.
at is Jules Bridoux, ma tante," said
the eldest child, by way of explanation.
us Pauline gone out?" l asked-why
| did it ell look so STRANGE
Pauline has gone right away" walled
the children in chorus. "She went early
this morning"
Has she gone to her father" asked.
That's no ones business but her own"
replied the stranger ungraciously. "How-
ever, as you're Jules Brldoux, this letter
must be for you. She left it to be sent to
Sugny; you'd have got it tomorrow"
She spoke In a hard, unsymp pathetic
manner. / asked no further questions,
but bidding her good day, turned to go.
wanted to read my letter-to know the rea-
1 Bun VI ebIdllko. buuu6u dDb60Ce,
to see how she would address me, to glad
| den my heart with any phrase that could
| construe into tenderness. But when, out
side In the silence of the forest. l had torn
| the envelope open. | read its contents
through and through before the meaning
| grew clear to my bewildered senses. And
this was what | read on the sheet which
| had kissed as | unfolded it, because it
| was my first love-etter:
II am not much of a letter writer,
Jules" she wrote; this is only a few
lines to bid you good-by After what |
said to you that night before father was
! took, you can't expect me to have any
more to do with you. l couldn't ever
trust you again now you've broken a
promise like that. That's why Pm gone
away. Most likely We shall never see one
another again. but if we do, there must be
no more said about what's been between
us. That's all over, and l expect l shall
never feel so happy again. But I'm not
to blame. I'm true to my word If you
aren't PAULINE"
That was all-she had left me-given
me up, and without giving me the chance
of explaining myself. In my first move
ment of helpless rage / crushed her letter
in my hands, then | smoothed it out and
kissed il, and the hot tears ran down my
cheeks and blurred the cruel words.
/ can scarcely say how the days went
after that | made no attempt to track
Pauline. After ALL she was right; | mad
J a aA har = at in ma ~