St. Landry democrat., 1893-04-08

to tear it open to count it, but again he
stopped.
''Lct me see, let me sec," he thought,
II need not hurry. l must plan out
everything. a trife spoils all some
times. / will 60 home. I will tell
Gencvievc that we are going away. She
will begin to ask questions. She will
want to know everything. Bah! | will
make up a story. will tell her but she
will not believe me. Would she con-
sent? Yes, yes, she must. To be rich,
isn't that before everything? Are there
not hundreds and thousands whom all
the world bows down to, who begun just
this way? Not to be caught, that is all.
We will put the babies into the little
cart BY daybreak VIC will be at the
frontier. The gcndarmcs2 Well, don't
the gcndarmcs know mc' Don't they
know that Marcaillo is an honest
man?'
lie folded the registered letter, and
instead of replacing it in the leather
bag, slipped it into his pocket. 1t was
his. I hen with stridcnt voice he cried
out, "Forward, Marcaille, forward! you
are rich man."
But he had hardly taken step for
ward when his voice died in his throat.
Behind him on the road he had just left,
he heard voices, clear and piercing. 1t
was like the indistinct murmur of a
crowd
"Christmas?" cried the voices.
"Thicf?" replied the sombre depths of
the forest.
Terrified, he tried to leave the voices
behind him, running faster and still
faster. And then dizziness seized him.
He knew not why he ran. Some one
was after him, that was all. But who?
His conscience Or the gcndarmes, he
knew not which. Where was the danger?
Everywhere.
In the shadows, to the right and to
the left, he saw everywhere vague forms
which followed him; the branches bent
low over his head like arms to stop him,
Terror at all these strange visions stran-
gled him. Wildly he ran along, the
blood throbbing i'll his temples; then
suddenly fell heavily in dead faint.
|
| When he came to himself, he was ly-
ing before the fire in his own room.
Genevieve and the children were kneel-
ing crying around him. He did not see
them. The people of Sianc, who, com
| ing from the midnight mass. had found
him, were there also. He did not see
| them.
THE letter! the letter!' he cried.
| With one bound he sprang to the leather
bag, which had been thrown on the
ground in corner 1t was empty.
"Thc letter. the letter." he cried,
Then he remembered, and drawing from
his pocket the big envelope with the five
red seals-still unbrokcn-hc rushed
out like mailman straight to the May
or's.
"A registered letter. he cried.
'Oh, indeed" said the Mayor, laugh
ing, "What state you are in. One
would think you had come to ask par.
don for a condemned criminal
"Well they might said Marcaille,
''But take the letter first. 1t is little
soilcd-1 fell lown-1-I'
His lie stranglcd him.
"A drop too much said the Mayor
"No, I had drunk nothng,' said Mar
caillc quietly, "and it is just for that
reason that have brought you my rcsig
nation.'
The Mayor had broken the seals, ex-
amincd the bank notes and glanced over
the accompanying letter.
/" Your rcsignation?" said he "Wcll,
| should think sol can understand that"
"Ah! you know
Il know YOU are rich, my good fcl-
low
Was this joke? or had the Mayor in
some way looked into his conscience and
read the whole story: Marcallc became
pale at the thought
"Rich?" he murmurcd
"Why, yes. there is no doubt about
that. This letter tells me of the death
of your brother, Jean Marcaillc. who
died at Toulouse, where he resided, on
the Sth of this preset month. Accord
ing to his last wishes all he possessed
has been disposed of by Michael Dulac,
notary Of that city. who sends to me the
amount Of tWcnty-four thousand francs,
which | am instructed to turn over to
YOU"
"Ah," said Marcaillc, overwhelmed,
as he took mechanically into his hand the
big envelope that the Mayor offered
him, ",Ican is dead, and am rich ~
Then after moment of silence, lit
makes no ditlcrcncc,' he murmurcd, so
low that the Mayor could not hear him,
q should have been a thief. Just the
same"
Then turning he added, loud enough
this time,
But am still an honest man, thank
Goh!'
" No one ever doubted it, Marcaille,'
said the Mayor. But take my advice
and be more careful. A glass of wine
too much goes to your head, and you
might fare worse another time"
" You are right, sir,' said Marcaille,
and he went off whistling, with his head
in the air.
Was Marcaillc an honest man. should
say, yes!
Would Make Straight River.