The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-04-05


left the room.
"He-he the heir! He the man who
has defrauded me of my rights"
shrieked Emile ooh, mon Dieu! would
that had killed him." But at the re-
membrane of that terrible, scornful
face he flung himself down, shedding
tears of venom at his own impotence
and humiliation.
Babinette was gone!
That was all that Picotin compre,
hended In the midst of the shrill out
cries and upbraidings of her distracted
parents. He stood there sullenly lis
tening. with bent head, as they again
and again asked him why he had not
put an end to his foolish counting by
marriage, Was a young girl like that
to be consulted. He had contrived she
should run away with one of those pen
niless students, now he was too rich
and proud to have their child. Yet she
was pretty and good enough to be any
mans wife. let alone a clowns. But
they knew it was his fault; oh, yes, he
alone was to blame-and what would
they do now, the poor old parents, with
porting them?
He knew that was the sum total OF
their grief, and that the annuity he
could settle upon them, now he was a
rich man, would dry up their tears and
even cast halo of grateful remem-
brance round the day on which their
child had deserted them. 1t took so
little to console some people, but with
himself 1t was different.
Babinette was gone!
He tried not to think Of the rascal
who had decOyed her away, for when
he did 30 a fierce regret shook his soul
for not having strangled him when he
lay at the mercy of his strong grasp.
Oh, that sweet child face, with its
starry eyes, he never should see again!
Picotin crept back to his own little
chamber like a wounded animal that
seeks some spot in which to moan out
its ebbing life in solitude. Not that he
felt himself about to die. Far from it
He was man. and could fight out his
anguish and bury his dead heart away
from human eyes, SO that none would
know that he lived henceforth without
one.
When evening came he went down to
fulfill his engagement as usual. He
put on the old dress tumbled head over
heels into the ring, plunged both hands
into the baggy pockets, with legs wide
apart, and nodded comically to the
audience in acknowledgement Of their
applause.
HE has had q fortune left him, but
he treats even that as a Joke, and
means to continue his foolery and give
the money all away to the poor" whis-
pered the red-faced attorney, over
whom Picotin seemed to have cast
spell of fascination, for he came to see
him every night and laughed more than
anyone there To him 1t was the most
exquisite of jokes that a man should
prefer to stand on his head and be poor
rather than live at his ease the right
side up like other people.
Three years passed and Picotin trav.
eled through many towns and cities,
always with growing reputation as the
most inimitable clown there had ever
been. Everywhere people held their
sides at recollection of his jokes, his
antics, his thousand and one ways Of
drollery, and everywhere Picotin's
name was quoted as an embodiment OF
laughter. some great charitable nstitu-
ton rejoiced in a mysterious donation
and some poor wretch blessed an I'M
known benefactor
At last he came to Paris and the peo-
pie went mad over him. The ladies in
troduced little more motley into their
costumes than usual, even, la Picotin.
They preferred the FOOLS cap to any
other form of headgear, and no doubt
II suited some of them admirably. Pr
cotin found himself surrounded by fiat
terers. Rumors of his fortune and his
eccentric ways were grossly exagger-
ated. He might even have thrown the
handkerchief like a great pacha, and
found the most fastidious ready to pick
it up: but he passed them all by with
unseeing eyes, solitary and mournful as
he had been in the beginning of his
career.
"He is so charmingly absurd, this
dear Picotin." said the ladies. IF one
speaks to him of himself he looks at
one In that heart-broken way of his,
and says that outside the ring he
ceases to exist. He is rather brusque
and undoubtedly queer, but he is ador-
able"
One night after an ovation more bril-
liant than usual, Picotin had escaped
from his admirers and wandered out
alone under the stars to commune with
that second self no one amongst then,
could understand. Such moments were
his nearest approach to happiness. for
in them he strengthened those resolu-
aons 10 GRO what gooo lay In MS powes
and to mitigate the misery he saw
others born to. This man of earnest
and deep affections had been early