The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-12
THE BEGG

lie was found when a baby in n ditch b.
the cure of Les Billettes on Halloween
and therefore was chris.ened Nicolas Toue.
saint; he had fed upon the bread of char
ity aud had had no education.
When Is years old he had both leg
crushed by n carriage on the hiRhroad Il
Yarville. 1t was after the baker of tn,
town had given him several glasses to drinl
That no had famed his legs, and since the,
he had been the laughing stock of the tow
md knew OF nothing else to do but I,
stretch ont his hand and beg. va
When he saw the uniform of the aen.
darmes glittering in the sun he would drol
from his crutchcs and let himself fall ns
rag falls. rolling himself into II ball and be
coming quite small and invisible, confound
inR his brown tatters with the earth. AM
yet though he had never had any troubl,
with the gendarmeH, he carried this terror
OF them in his blood az though he had in.
herited it from the parents whom he haC
never known.
For two days he had eaten nothing. Th,
peasant wife ON the door steps cried ala,
off:
IBeSone! ! gave you a piece Of bread
to eat.
They called him 'The Bell" because in
truth ne did swing between his two sticks
like a bell between its supports.
hunger threw q confused and heavy dis
tress into his soul. He had but a single
thought, ito eat" but how he did not
know.
When he had made the tour of all the
houses winch he knew he went and threw
himself down in the corner of n dry ditch
beside the. farmyard of Farmer Chiuoet,
Here he remained for a long time tortured
by hunger. bat too much of an animal
really to penetrate tho depth of his un-
fathomable misery. I
He knew not for what he waited; but
there was present that vague sense Of ex-
pectation which ever persists within US.
Lie waited in the icy wind for the mys-
terlous help which we always hope for from
the sky or from man, without asking why
or through whom it is to come.
A tock OF black chickens passed by seek
ing their food in the all.nourishing earth,
The Boil looked at them without thinking
OF ANYTHING at all; then, rather in his stom.
ach than In his brain, there came q feeling
tnat one OF these creatures cooked over q
hte OF dead wood would make good eating.
He took q stone which came within reach
OF his hand, and being adroit threw it and
killed the chicken which was nearest by.
And the Bell. olinRinR to his clutches, set
off to pick up the game.
Just as he arrived beside the little black
body stained with blood about its head he
received o terrible blow in the neck which
made him drop his sticks and sent him
rolling ten paces before them. Farmer
Chlquet eeized the thief and thrashed him
soHndly, pounding with hand aud foot all
over the body OF the defenssless cripple like
a maniac or like a peasant who had been
robbed.
The Bell, half dead. torn with hunger,
remained lying upon the ground.
Evening, night, then day break came; still
ne had eaten nothing. Towards midday
the Rendarmes appeared and Farmer Chi
quet told them that he had been attacked
by the beggar and had only defended him.
self with the utmost difficulty.
The corporal cried. Come, get upp' but
the Bell could not move.
Ihey thought 1t was a feint or trick. and
Two of them seized him roughly and placed
him on his crutches. Fear had taken hold
OF him and by superhuman efforts he man
to remain upright.
"forwnrd!' cried the corporal. All the
people at the farm were there to see him
OH. The women shook their fists, tho men
Jeered and rallied at hin. He was caught at
last-good radiance.
They shut him up in the town Jail and
the gendarmes did not think of his needing
FOOD, SO thoy left him till the next day.
When they came to examine him early
IN tue morning he was dead upon the
ground.
What a surprise. From the French of
Guy do Maupassant.