The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-11-15


tell you. 1t must have fallen out" he
continued. 1--WE will soon find it if one
of you gentlemen will be good enough
to hold the lantern while / search. If
we don't find it, must only go and get
the other bunch"
So Remond held the lantern, thinking
to himself that the key would not ba
found, and sure enough it was not.
Though Pierre made most diligent search,
not trace OF that key was to be seen.
'Cest pourtant drole!'' said Pierre,
raising himself up after last attempt
to look under the door of the cave.
'"Tiens! perhaps the patron took it him
self, seeing it in the door and thinking I
had forgotten it. must ask him about
it in the morning." So saying, hewent off
to fetch the bunch of duplicate keys.
He returned almost Immediately, car
rying them in his hand. AS he ap-
preached, Remond, who had stopped
down, as though to look for something
under the table where the lantern stood,
raised himself, saying: ''Is this the key,
NJ. Pierre? found it lying here just
beside the leg Of the table,"
"PesteH' said Pierre putting the bunch
he held down on the table beside the lam
tern. "That's it, sure enough Now,
how did I miss it? I'm sure I searched
we'll enough. All, yours are sharp eyes,
M. Remondr'
Remond was on the alert; his keen
glance had already spied out the key he
wanted, with it's label, No. 10, in
Charles clear writing, and his hand, con-
cealed in his pocket, grasped the knife
ready to sever the cord that attached it
to the ring. One moment was all he
wanted, and then the IL 600 francs were
his At the thought his eyes CLEANED
like q vulture's which scents it's prey.
He drew q long breath of relief as Pierre,
taking up his basket, which lay on the
ground, turned toward the door Of the
cave, with the single key in his hand,
leaving the bunch still lying on the table
beside the lantern. He opened the door
and went in, but when he had got few
PAGES in he stopped and called to them
to bring the lantern.
But that moment was enough. Quick
as flash those long supple fingers did
their work, and with smile Of triumph
Remond grasped the wished for key.
Then with inimitable sang froid and
audacity he carried the lantern himself
into the cave, saying he could not again
expose NJ. Pierre to the awkwardness of
such maladroit as his esteemed friend.
He helped to fill the basket with many
Il gay jest, held it while Pierre locked
the door of the cave, and when the latter
was going away without the bunch of
keys reminded him of his forgetfulness,
adding that, though NJ. Pierre had said
there were no thieves at Les Bons Amis,
still it might be dangerous to leave them
there, since he, who knew what good
wine was, had seen the contents of the
cave, at which Pierre laughed heartily,
as an excellent joke, as he put the keys
in his pocket, and so they sailed back
into the house, Remond singing as they
went:
Ouvriers, depechons,
GagnOns bien nOtre argent,
DepechOns, travaillOns,
Gagnons bien notre argent.
while the first glimmer Of the moon
rose over the fields of ripe corn and the
rows of clustering vines which surround
ed Les Bons Amis.
Lachesis and Clothes had finished their
task-the tangled threads were spun,
their ends united-while Atropos grimly
raised her shears
TO BE CONTINUEED.