New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-06-13
THE ASSASSIN.

i Polydore Chapoteau, grocer, had re-
tired from business. He had taken a
house in the country, where he raised
chickens and lived happily. He was con-.
allied their dreams here below.
1 Chapoteau was good fellow and
was fond OF entertaining his neighbors.
Champignol was his best friend. They
bad played some famous games of bill
lizards together and had become init
mate, though not without a little rival
ry in caroms. Champignol lived at the
other end Of the village, and every
Thursday he came to take pot luck with
Chapoteau.
Well, one Thursday when the mel
ons were ripe Champignol arrived, as
usual
mime. Chopoteau and the servant
have gone to the city and will not return
J till the last train. We are alone and
must prepare our feast ourselves
Champignol put Oh the servant s
apron, Chapoteau his wife's apron, and
while one prepared the vegetables the
other one roasted the meat,
It was fine feast. A melon just ripe,
cultivated by Chapoteau with paternal
tenderness, appeared at dessert. Cham
pignol adored melons. He left only the
rind and the seeds.
| 81 have eaten too much,'' he said
after the coffee.
| He became melancholy. Chapoteau
got up, and without saying a word
opened drawer where his pharmacy
was arranged, and taking one of the
walls poured from it into Champ gnol s
mouth teaspoonful of medicine.
'You do not find me umprepared, -
he said. EDO you not feel better?''
Champignol rubbed his hand over his
stomach and nodded afir,natively Sud.
denly his chin dropped, and he appeared
to be asleep.
I Refreshing: sleep!'' murmured Cha.
poteau, happy at the effect Of his drug,
and while waiting for sChampignol tt
awaken he commenced ito wash the
dishes.
Half an hour later .he2returned to the
room on his tiptoes ,Champignol had
net awakened.
II will look after my chickens, " said
'Chapoteau to himself
Half an hour passed thus. Champig-
:nol still slept'on-
''sHe is'taking hong map" Thoughts
'Chapoteau. "Iwin arrange the lettuce. y
That occupied d full hour. Nov
Champignol would surely be awake But
Champignol still slept.
! "'Ah, the idea!'' growled Chapotgau,
and he commenced to slap his friend OF
| the back, gently at first, then harder
and finally with his fists Champigno]
did not move
Then a cold shiver ran over Chapc-
teau. Had an accident happened to him:
Gould he have burst a blood vessel:
Melons are traitOrous.
He opened Champignol's hands and
{ slapped them, opened his mouth and
breathed into it. Finally, not knowing
| What to do, he began to tickle him I'M
der his arms and laughed loudly to ex-
cite him. In truth, poor Chapoteau had
no desire at all to laugh.
| Champignol remained as lifeless as a
work of art.
| perhaps it would be better to leave
him alone. He will awaken himself -
| Chapoteau walked about his garden,
a prey to:a vague agitation. Suddenly
the idea came into his mind that his
friend was playing him a trick
He knelt before him.
CHOW, ;Champignol, DO more foolish
| ness. You have ,deceiXed me long
] enough
Champignol did not move.
"Champignol, dear old Champignol,
my dear Champignol, Guonal, my little
Pignol!'
Chapoteau employed all the tones Of
tenderness, surprise and terror. Slit
tie P1gnol'' was said in "a hearthro-
Ken way, with a trembling voice. A
stone would have been touched, but
Champlgnol remained insensibIe.
'Ah, that's it, is it," said sChapo~
teau, and becoming fierce he gave his
sleeping friend a blow in the face.
There! Now we shall see!"
Champlgnol oscillated. :swayed and
fell forward with his head upon the
table. '
"Ah! You want to frighten me!
That won't do! There and there!'' BE
was becoming exasperated. The honest
and gentle Chapoteau had been trans
Toned into an inquisitor. J.
Suddenly his arm fell. If this should
be reall If it were not joke of Cham
pignol's! ..r
He seized his hat and rushed ont like
the wind Where should he go? For
the doctor, parbleu! Why had he not
thought of that sooner? He was only
few steps from the DOCTORS house when
= terrible thought stopped him short.
He had given laudanum to Champig-
'nou, to be sure, but he thought he had
given him only q fair dose. Perhaps he
had made a mistake. Perhaps he had
poisoned Champignol They would
have an autopsy Of the body. They
would discover the poison. He would
|be arrested, judged, condemned and
dragged to the scaffold!
tho =