The Yale expositor., 1897-10-01

did so, he smiled, well pleased, or
frowned savagely. Presently he paus-
ed and stamped with his foot on the
floor
In answer to his summons, a young
woman of about twenty, gaudily at
tired, with liberal display of cheap
jewelry, came up the narrow stairs.
"Ah, Adele!" cried the man, lis the
boy below?"
The woman answered with curious
nod.
Give him these papers-let him fly
with them to the printer. Stay! Is
any one below"
''No one, Monsieur Fernand."
Death Of my life, Caussidiere is
late" muttered the man. Bring me
some absinthe and a packet of cigar
ettes."
The woman disappeared with the
parcel of manuscript, and returned al
most Immediately, bearing the things
ordered. She had scarcely set them
down, when a foot was heard upon the
stairs, and our old acquaintance, Caus-
sidiere, elegantly attired, with fault
less gloves and boots, entered the
room.
Here you are!" cried the man. "You
come a little late. mon camarade. l
should have liked you to hear the ar
ticle 1 have just dispatched to the Bon
Citoyen."
"It will keep till tomorrow, Huet,"
returned the other, dryly, when l shall
behold it in all the glory of large type"
Huet, as the man was named, ripped
out round oath.
1T is a firebrand. a bombshell, by
-" he cried THE dagger-thrust of
Marat, with the epigram of Victor HUI
go. l have signed it at full length,
mon amarade-'Fernand Huet, Work.
man, Friend of the People"
Caussidiere laughed and sat down.
mo man can match you, my dear
Huet in the great war of-words."
Just so. and in the war of swords,
too, when the time comes. Nature has
given me the soul of a poet, the heart
of lion, the strength of Hercules, the
tongue Of Apollo. Behold me! When
heroes are wanted. shall be there"
The two men talked for some time
on general subjects; then Huet, after
regarding his companion with a pro-
longed stare, observed with a coarse
laugh:
You are swell rs usual, my Caus-
sidiere. Parbleu, it is easily seen that
you earn not your living, like a good
patriot, by the sweat of your brow!
Who is the victim, mon camarade!
Who bleeds?"
Il do not waste what / have" re-
turned Caussidiere, and l love clean
linen, that is ALL"
Huet snapped his fingers and laugh
ed.
do you think am fool to swallow
that canard? No, my Caussdiere. You
have money, you have a little nest-egg
at home. You have a wife, brave boy;
she is English, and she is rich"
ION the contrary, she is very poor"
answered Caussidiere. 'She has not a
SOU"
"Diable!"
Nevertheless, 1 will not disguise
from you that she has wealthy connec-
tions, who sometimes assist us in our
struggle for subsistence. But it is not
much that comes to me from that quar-
ter, l assure you. My correspondence
and my translations are our chief re-
lance"
Then they pay you like a prince
mon camarade!" cried Huet. but
there, that is your affair, not mine
You are with us, at any rate, heart and
soul?"
"Assuredly."
Sinking their voices. they continued
to converse for some time. At last
Caussidiere rose to go. After a rough
handshake from Huet, and a grufiiy
murmured "A bientot," he made his
way down the narrow stairs, and found
himself in the sanded entresol of the
cabaret.
Several men in blouses sat at the Ia
BILE drinking, waited upon by Adele.
AS Caussidiere crossed the room the
girl followed him to the door and
touched him on the shoulder.
How is madame?" she asked, in
low voice. II trust much better"
Caussidiere gazed at the questioner
with no very amiable expression.
do you say Madame Caussidiere?
How do you know that there is such a
person."
The girl shrugged her shoulders.
your wife or your mistress, it is all
the same. You know whom | mean,
monsieur"
"She is better then"
"And the little garcon?"
"Quito WE'LL" answered Caussidiere.
passing out into the street
Leaving Mouche dor behind him.
and passing along the banks of the
Seine, Caussidiere crossed the river
and reached the neighborhood of the
Palais Royal. From time to time he
exchanged a nod or a greeting with
some passer-by, generally a person
much more shabbily attired than him
self Lingering among the arches, he
purchased one or two journals from he
itinerant vendors, and then passed slow
ly on till he reached a narrow hack