The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-31
A Wonderful Christmas Night
From the French of Francois Coppee.
five parts1

F'rom the French of Francois Coppee. In
| five parts)
PART III.
Oh, the irony of fate, On the cushions
lay the gIittering toys. each gaslight dis
closing them anew. They pass all the bril-
hantly lighted shops on their way, more
than usually brilliant, IL being Christmas
eye-the fete day of the divine child, who
humbled himself TO be born of a virgin
the divine child whom the shepherds and
the wise men came to adore
MY boy-oh, where is my boy?" cries
the desoiate father n agony. What to him
now are all his millions, his honors, his
titles, his position? He has now but one
idea, fixed in has brain like red hot nail
his child, where Is he?
The Prefecture is reached; the Offices
are deserted.
81 am NJ Godefroy, Deputy for Eure.
My child is lost, only four years old, a
boy. / insist on seeing the chief" and he
slips gold coin into the hand Of the ccn-
cierge, who, full of sympathy, leads the
way TO the private apartments Of the chief.
who, in evening dress, is just about going
cut, and is disposed to be a little preten-
ticus, a little self-important.
NJ. Godefroy, his legs failing under him.
in broken voice tells his story.
The chief. himself father, is in reality
deeply affected, bat the ex:gencies of his
profession obIige him to conceal his SYM
psthy, and in pompous tone he answers:
You say the boy has been lost over four
hours? Just at dusk? That is bad, very.
He is backward for mis- age, cannot speak
distinctly, and does not know his address
nor his family name?'
ALAS, yes nlurmurs the father.
"At the Asneres gate? Abomnible To-
cality, but do not be disheartened; we have
an excellent police commissioner in that
quarter. I will telephone to him"
And the miserable father is left alone
for five minutes The chief returns. and
with smile says: He is fourld,'' and he
adds: You must admit you are in luck.
The boy is a blonde? blue velvet coat and
big white hat and feathers"
YES, yes, that is he"
Every well, here is the address. He Is
with poor man who lives near the sta
tion, where he has just been to make his
declaration. Perron is his name. With a
good horse you can see your boy within
the hour. You will not find him in very
aristocratic locality. but that does not mat
ter, if you only find him.
And NJ. Godefroy, wringing the hands of
the chief, rushes down four steps at
time. and jumps into the coupe. 1t is only
now that he begins to realize what his boy
is to him. AS ne is whirled through the
cold, clear, starry night, he no longer
dreams of piling up millions for the child,
Of surrounding him with the pomp and lux
ury of a young prince, but only of feeling
the little arms about his neck. and press
ing him TO his heart once more.
There is no further danger, now, of
Raouls being left in mercenary hands. He
means to occupy himself with the boy,
even though he neglect both finance and
politics. Moreover, he viii bring up his
dear old aunt from the country, and she
viii watch lovingly over her nephew.
AT last the drive, which seems intermin-
able. is nearly at an end. They have
crossed the ramparts, and after passing
large, elegant mansions, they find them
selves in the solitude and darkness of the
suburbs. By the light of the carriage IAN
terms NJ. Godefroy distinguishes. as ne
steps out, a miserable sort of shed, low, 4
small and evidently put together with odds
and ends, so tumble-down and shaky does
it look. 1t is the number given, and it
must be here that the man P:erron lives.
Almost Immediately after the carriage
stops the door opens and a tall, manly
looking fellow appears. He IS unm:staka-
bly, French, and has but one arm, the left
sleeve of his woolen blouse being folded
and fastened under the arm pit.
''Ah, it is you. sir, to whom the little boy
belongs? Don't be frightened; he is safe
And stepping aside. that his visitor may
enter. he adds laying his finger on his
lips: Hush, he is sound asleep"
A wretched place, indeed, BY the aid of
a small kerosene lamp, giving a very faint
light, and a very vile, strong smell, VI.
gradually distinguished a large
bureau, with one drawer missing, two or
three disabled chairs, round table with q
pint measure, half empty, three glasses, |
and a bit of cold veal in plate. On the |
coarse plastered wall the two chromos; the |
Exposition of 49,, with a BIRDS eye view of !
the Eiffel tower, and a head of General |
Roulanger, as a young and handsome leu /
tenant.
But the 'manchot"-as a one-armed man !
IS called in Paris-has taken the lamp, and |
IS tiptoeing toward corner of the room, |
where, on a fairly clean bed, are two child |
rem sleeping soundly. In the younger of |
the two, lying in the close embrace of the |
elder, his far, curly head resting on the |
others shoulder NJ. Godefroy discovers his |
little Raoul.