St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-20
AN ACT OF RESTITUTION.

The Parliamentary session had adjourned,
the Honorable M. Grandcadet, Deputy for
the Deux-Garonnes, took the express-free,
thanks to his annual pass-and hied himself
to feel the pulse of public opinion in his ma
tive town.
Comfortably installed in corner of the
carriage, NJ. Grandcadet unfolded volum-
nous evening newspaper, very erudite and
ministerial, and edited ira prose as heavy
and depressing as virtue, the Typography of
which had a grave and puritanical air about
it. The Panama neutrality-suspicious., as
every one knows, and exaggerated with so
much malevolence by the enemies of the Re-
public-was insultingly relegated to the
third page, and reported and printed in such
small type as to be almost illegible. By con-
trast, the columns of this austere organ were
filed with foreign politics, articles of pal
pitating interest, which commenced in the
following terms: "Matters are very serious
in Venezuela" or else, care the days of the
Tricoupis Ministry counted?'
To make good impression on the white
mustached colonel, who sat opposite to him,
TRANQUILITY reading La Coca1de, NJ Grand
cadet did not ':ft his eyes from the official
sheet, and appeared to be deeply interested
in the Hellenic Crisis and in the last de-
spatches from Caracas. But in reality, NJ.
Grandcadet was very much upset by the last
turn affairs had taken, and deep feeling of
anxiety possessed him.
His name had not been mentioned yet.
Good, so far He had written nothing, signed
nothing Wonderful thoughtfulness on his
part. But, who could answer for what might
happen later; some of these fine mornings a
compromising paper might come to light.
For, between ourselves, he had handled his
little Doodle, in an honorable way, among
comrades, and he had not thought much
about the matter. Come, will allow my
readers to pass judgment upon him. He
was neutral at the last appeal for funds.
man of consideration, rich banker, whom
he met very often in his political circle, and
with whom he was on very good terms-in
fact, almost friend-opened his eyes, gave
him to understand, how opportune- shall
say patriotic?-it was to vote favorably to
the emission. This man, who knew how to
live, who was a perfect gentleman, proposed
to HMM most delicate terms-to associate
himself with the financial operations in per-
spective- naturally enough, when there was
question of this great scheme-and promised
him some recompense in advance-to calm
his scruples-a percentage, mon Dieu, not an
enormous one, miserable check for 900
francs. Do not gainsay me, you would all
have done the same as NJ. Grandcadet did.
And I know what you are going to
say to me: ''The subscribers, what about
them?" Listen to reason. In case of sue
cess they would have said nothing, for they
hav cd o1y inf in
vestment. They were merely gamblers.
Would you know my way of thinking? Well,
the subscribers were of no earthly account.
Could Grandcadet divine that this famous
canal would never be cut through? But
several times before he had realized some
benefits from affairs Of the same kind, which
had been more or less successful, and nobody
had found fault with him.
Well, frankly, with his hand on his heart,
he reproached himself for nothing. And
must confess it, he did not believe in this
burst of public indignation. That was all
humbug. 1t was easy to recognize back Of
all this Indignation a plot of the old parties;
the hands of the Comte de Paris and the
Boulangists. The President du Conseil had
said as much to them. Happily he had been
there, he, Grandcadet, to defend the menaced
Republic; and at the risk of his life, if you
please! To see him you would not have
thought him capable of SO much determine
ton and character, with his well trimmed
whiskers and his air of a country notary.
But when he was in danger Of being burned,
that was another thing. Yes, if it was neces-
sary, he would allow himself to be killed on a
barricade, and like the heroic Baudin, he
would cry out: "Come and see how one dies
for twenty-five thousand francsI
However, in spite of all these fine reason
ings, the honorable Deputy des Deux-Garon-
mes was not easy in his mind.
Suppose try to rest a lttle," he said to
himself.
He drew his travelling cap further over his
ears, enveloped his limbs in a rug, and
stretching himself on the seat was soon sound
asleep.
Then he had the nightmare. Was he over
taken by remorse? For myself think did
wrong to eat that dish of ecivet" at the station
buffet. He should have been mistrustful Of
it. Evidently hare did not agree with him. ID
His dreams were absurd. ~
At first he thought himself at home OPEN
ing his safe, and finding that he had been
robbed; that instead of fat pocketbook of
dark green leather containing all his valuable
papers, there was nothing in the safe but an
empty wooden stocking. Then suddenly he
was transported to the Chamber of Deputies,
but he was alone in his seat in the deserted
room, which was dimly lighted by faint
twilight. All the desks were locked, all the
doors closed. No trace of anything human
was to be seen, but an enormous hat, very
high and shaped like garden reservoir,
stood on the presidents desk. Grandcadet
gazed at it stupidity; all at once the mon
strosity became convulsed and commenced
to vomit an innumerable quantity of little
squares of white paper, on each of which the
unfortunate deputy, endowed with super
natural sight, could read the name of his
opponent at the last election. But suddenly
the hat collapsed like gibbet. the top low
cred, the walls contracted, and Grandcadet,
overwhelmed withIs surprise and horror,
| found himself before the Court Of Assizes,
between two gendarmes. and recognized under
the red-sleeved robes and gold-braided caps
Of the president and two assistant judges his
portar his hairdrasser and his honaekeener