The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-04-18
RESTITUTION:
A Story. By Francois Coppee.


Translated from the French.
After the close of the parliamentary SEES
sion of the Hon. NJ. Grandcadet, deputy
from Deux-Garonnes, takes the express
gratis, be it understood, with his puss-and
goes to feel the pulse of public opinion in
his own little city.
Comfortably Installed in corner Of the
coach, Alonsieur Grandcadet unf0ldS an
immense evening journal, a very thoughtful
ministerial journal, set forth III q prose as
heavy and lugubrious as virtue herself, and
whose very typography has grave and
purtanical air. The panama episode-in-
significant, as we well know, and eXaggerat-
ed SO malevolently by the enemies of the
rcpubic-is disdainfully relegatcd TO the
third pa.I and all that relates to Ii set UP
In small type and is almost ilieglble. Per
contra. the columns of the austere organ
are burdened with foreign politics, with
articles of palpitating interest, winch be-
gin III these terms Things are going to
the bad in Venezuela" or Can it be that
the days of the Tricoupis ministry are NUM-
bered?'
TO keep himself in countenance before the
gentleman with the white mustaches or re-
tired colonel, who sits opposite INN ana
quietly reads La Cocarde, Monsieur 0atliu
cadet does not take his eyes Off the o1hclal
sheet but appears to feel Il passionate inter
est in the Hellenic crisis and in the latest
dispatches from Caracas In reality, how
ever, NJ Grandcadct has been greatly shaken
I'D bv late events and Il dark inquletude
lives in his soul.
His name has not vet been uttered. Good
He has written or put his name to nothing
CAPITAL But who can for it as the times go,
that some compromising paper concerning
him will not be brought to light one OF
these fine DAYS? For, in fine, he like his com
rade. the honorable man, has received ms
gratuity and has not thought he was dong
any harm Look at it; ] will let YOU judge
for Yourself He had no opinion OF his own
in regard to the last call for funds; he was
hesitating A man of considerable import
ance Il rich banker, whom he frequently
met in political circles, with whom he malii-
tanned the most agreeable relations almost
Il friend-openCd his eyes. showed nm now
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT shall l say?-hoW patriot
ic it was to vote in favor OF utterance. / MS
man, who knows the polite world, who IS Il
perfect gentleman proposes to hilIi-oh: III
terms of the utmost dellcacy to associate
him with the financial operations which are
80 naturally preparing i'll connection with
This hugo affair and assures to him, even
pays him in advance. to quiet his scruplcs,
a profit not an enormous one, bless YOU
but a wretched trle Of $4,000 francs You
need not speak word III protest! \ on Woliu
have accepted yOurSelI, JUST Us ulu W.
Grandcadet
know what you are going to say; And
what about the subscribers:' Let us rea-
son together III case of success they
would have said nothing at all, because they
would have made an excellent Investment.
They were gamblers, and that is all there
is about it, Would you know my way OF
looking at it? They are of no consequence
whatever-the subscribers. HAD Grand
cadet any means of predicting that the Ia
nous canal would never be opened! why
already several times, he had realized pot
its-triteS-in affairs of the same KIND,
which had more or less of success. Nobody
had complained.
Well then. frankly. wit his hand on his
conscience. he reproached himself for moth
ing. And shall we tell the whole truth?
He had no faith whatever III this explosion
of public anger. 1t was entirely factions.
1t was easy to recognize behind all this
ready made indignation. Il conspiracy of the
old parties. the hand of the count Of Paris
and of the Boulangsts. The president of
the counsel had told them 50 to their face.
All. but.-fortnnately. he, Grandcadet.
had been there to defend the jeopardized
republic. At the peril of his life. if YOU
please. You would scarcely have believed
him capable of it with his round naunch,
his, wiiiSkcrS in the shape of hare's foot.
and his mcin of rakish notary posing in
readiness to pierce a hole through the moon.
But when the mustard got up into his nose.
Yes. had it hccn absolutely necessary, he
would have offered himself to be slain on
barricade. and would have cried. like the
heroic Bondin: Come and see how man
can die-for 25.O0O francs"
And yet. in spite of al this clear reason
ing the honorable deputy from Deux-Gar-
ronnes WAS not happy.
81 might as we'll try to rest awhile" he
sail 10 himself.
He pulled his travelling cap we'll down
over his bald pate. drew his rug about his
legs, stretched himself out on the seat, and
soon WAS sleeping, profoundly.
Put then he had nightmare. Was he
opnrn@sad hv remorSe? For my part |
should be rca.licr to believe that he had done
wrong to cat .iuc~cd hare il dining at the
have been more cautious. The hare was
not Il success with him.
Wis dreams were absurd.
He saw himself first, returning to his
own house. opening his strong box, per-