The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-12
AN ACCUSED HOUSE.

|.
The Vicomte do B., an aminble and
charming young man, was peacefully en-
ioyinl an income of $1,000 livres yearly
when unfortunately for him his uncle, a
miser of the worst species, died. leaving
him all his wealth amounting to 1000, WO.
In running through the documents of
succession, the Vicomte de b learned
that he was the proprietor of a house IN the
hue do la Victoirie. He learned also that
the unfurnished building, bought IN 1919
for 800, 600 frames. now brought In. clear OF
taxes, rentals amounting to $1,000 francs a
year.
.Too much, too much entirely" thought
the generous vicomte. MY uncle WAS too
hard. To rent at this price is usury, ono
cannot deny ii. When one bears a great
name like mine one should not lend him.
self to such plundering. | will begin TO-
morrow to lower my rents, and my tenants
will bless me-"
With this excellent purpose in view the
Vicomte de B. sent Immediately for the
concierge of the building. who presented
himself as promptly, with back bent like a
bow.
BERNARD, my friend" said the vicomte.
..oo at once from me and notify all your
tenants that II lower their rents by one
third"
That unheard-of word CLOVER" fell like
q brick on Bernard's head. But he quickly
recovered himself: he had heard badly; he
had o understood.
Clover the rents!' stammered he.
monsieur le vicomte deigns to jest. Lower!
MOnHiAnf of OOnrH9 means to raise El9
rents"
II was never more serious in my life.
my friend" the vicomte returned; II said,
and l repeat it. lower the tents"
This time the concierge was SURPRISED to
the point Of bewilderment-so thrown Off
his balance that he forgot himself and lost
all restraint.
Monsieur has not reflected" persisted
he. monsieur will regret this evening.
Lower the tenants rents! Never was such
should learn of it: what would they think
of monsieur? What would people say In
the neighborhood? Truly
IN. Bernard, my friend" dryly inter
rupted the vicomte, 81 prefer when l give
an order to be obeyed without reply. You
hear me-eow
Staggering like a drunken man, M. Ber-
nard went but from the house of his pro-
prietor.
All his ideas were upset, overthrown.
COMPOUNDED. Was he or was he not the
playthin9 of a dream, a ridiculous night
Bernard somebody else?
''Lower his rents! lower his rents." re-
peated he. ut is not to be believed. If
indeed the dodgers had complained! But
they have not complained; on the contrary.
all are good payers. Alb. If his uncle could
only know of this he would rise from the
tomb! His nephew has zone mad. IT'S GER
tain! Lower the rents! They should have
up this young man before q family council;
he will finish badly, who knows-after
too we'll. perhaps. this morning"
and the worthy Bernard was SO pale with
emotion when he re- entered his lodge, 80
pale and spent, that on seeing ain enter
his wife and daughter Amanda exclaimed
as with one voice:
Goodness! what ia ltI What has hap
pened to you now?"
Nothing" responded he, with altered
voice: absolutely nothing"
"You are deceiving me-" insisted Mime.
Bernard; you are concealing something
from me; do not spare me. Speak! l am
strong. What did the new proprietor tell
you? Does he think of turning rs OFF,"
'If it were only that. But just think. he
told me with his own lips-he told me to
ali! you will never believe met
"Oh, yes, only do go on"
''You viii. have it then! Well. then, he
OlA LACS LAX okSCLSa Ab ~ HSeAAJ ot peo
tenants hat-he lowered their rents one
third! Did you hear what | said?-lowered
the rents of the tenants'-
But neither Mime. nor Mile. Bernard
heard him out-they were twisting and
doubling with convulsiye laughter.
"Lower" repeated they; 'ah what a good
Joke, what Il droll man. Lower the
tenants rents"
But Bernard losing his temper and in
sisting that he must be taken seriously in
his own lodge. his wife lost her temper, too.
and a quarrel followed, Mime. Bernard de-
claring that Nj. Bernard had beyond u
doubt taken his fantastic order from the
bottom of a litre of win III the Restaurant
at the corner. But for Vile. Amanda the
Couplew would undoubtedly have come TO
blows. and finally Mime. Bernard, who did
not wish to be thought demented, threw a
shawl over her head and ran to the proprie-
tor's house. Bernard had spoken truly:
with her own two cars, ornamented with
big. gilded hoops, she heard the incredible
word. Only as she was a wise and prudent
to put, as she said, ''her responsibility
under cover"
She. too, returned thundarsttuck. and all
the evening in the lodge father. mother and
daughter deliberated.
Should they obey or sLould they warn
some relative of this mad young man,
whose common sense would oppose itself to
such insanity?
They decided 20 obey.
Next morning Bernard, buttoning him
self into his best fIock coat, made the
rounds of the three and twenty lodges TO
%announce his great news.
len minutes afterward the house in the
Rue de la Nictoirie was in a state OF corn.
motion impossible to describe. People who
for forty years had lived on the sauna floor
and never honored each other with so much
as a tip of the hat now Clustdred together
and chatted eagerly.
"Do YOU know. nonsieGEf'
cit is very extraordinary"
"Simply unheard ot.'
1.-THE proprietor's lowered my rentn'
''One-third, is it nott Mime also:
''Astounding. 1t must be Il naistater'
And despite tbs atiruations of the Ber-
nArd family. despite even the "bis OF writ
fnp'' ''under cover there wera four1
doubling Ihomases who doubted stil III The
face of everything.
Three OF them actually wrote TO tile pro.
prietor to tell him what had passed and tl
charitabIy warn him that hls concierge bad
wholly lost his MUD. The proprietor re.
sponded so these skeptics, conf ming what
Bernard had said. Doubt thereafter wa:
out of the question.
Then began reflections and commentaries
"Why had the proprietor lowered III
Tents?'
'yes, why?'
"What motives" said they all, ~"aetuatl
this strange man? For certainly he mus
have grave reasons for L step like this. A,
intelligent man, Il man with good sense
would never deprive himself of good ia
revenuas. we'll secured, for tho s1uDi