The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-30
Girls LAPIN.


forest when / saw a stone Cross had
been so long away from the country that
this cross was new to me- The gossip Of
the little hamlet on the skirt of the woods
was Taupet, who had once kept the village
cafe and was the barber of tho country,
but he was too old now to exercise either
calling. l knew Taupet could tell me all
about that cross. Meeting him next day,
he gave me with much detail the story of
Girls I4apin:
They called the man Girls Lapin because
of his beard, which was thick and gray,
and he had prominent teeth-and did mon
sieur notice the prominent teeth of NJ de
Blenville, the master of the hounds9 He
was not of this country, this Girls Lapin,
but from Brittany, and was once valet de
chiens to the Comte de Blenville-with his
hounds and his other distinctions. The
count had to sell his estate and he went
in hiding, nobody knew where As for
Girls Lapin, he would not take another
place. He loved his freedom and to live
after his own pleasure, and he set up us u
woodcutter, II business at which he was
very cxport-too expert perhaps, for the
forest keepers who suspected him of fell
ing more wood than he paid for, but for d
long time they could prove nothing against
him.
He would often come to my little cafe,
and We became great friends He told me
he had wife in Brittany and son there
named Eustase~ that in the neighbor-
hood lived Mile. Agnes, the Count. de
Blcnyille's daughter, who was being cared
for by her aunt. Sometimes Girls IApin
would quit the forest and go to Brittany.
1t was Girls Iapin who brought us the
news Of all this, and soon we heard how
the chateau was to be newly furnished and
furnished up and the counts old debts
paid of, and presently we heard of nothing
but NJ. dc BlCnvillC and Nine. liz Com
tessc. And the new housekceper at the
chateau was no other than the wife of Girls
Lapin, and their son, the little Eustase,
was running about the place, a fine play.
fellow for Mile. Agnes who had now come
back to her father house The count had
married rich wife, but it turned out
that the t!cw countess had no love for her
stepdaughter. All the lady thought of was
to get rid Of Mile Agncs--by marrying
her of to some rich man. Eustase-that
was Girls larin's boy-was going to school,
and was to be brought up to be q priest
He studied Latin and all that kind Of
thing Girls Lapin did not like the iden Of
the boy becoming u priest "NialIe him u
soldier" said he. But Girls Lapin's wife
and her mistress insisted that Eustase
showed disposition TO be u cure, and it
was arranged 50 that he was shipped to
the seminary. The fact is that Girls Lapin
absorbed II great deal of brandy and was
not exactly II reputable sort of father.
Now, as i'll luck would have it. when
Eustase came homo from his vacation,
madame had gone to her own estate in
Brittany, and the count had taken the op-
porUunity TO bring nome his daughter from
tic convent to give her pleasure, and our
young monsieur must needs become enam-
ored of this Mile Agnes. You sec, Eustase
had taken no VOWS. and so, when it was
found out that the boy and the girl cared
for one another, there was II precious row,
md madrnoisellc was packed off to con
vent and the lad to the seminary.
Then the war with the Prussians took
place, and NJ. lie Colntc went into service,
and after Hwhlle the Gc"mans were here
in force, and u Prussian general had his
headquarters at the chateau.
What was Girls Lapin doing? Cutting
wood for the Prussians and earning u
good bit of money. The fact is, my own
little place Of cnlcrtainmen6 was doing
deal Of business. Sometimes | said to Girls
lMpln: "Takc care, tho count may hold
you responsible Some Gay for all the wood
You are eating. Watch out, the count
m&y have somebody looking to his inter
Csts. y
Well, one day q man came into my place
there were ever 80 many prus-ian sol
dicrs thrrc--a,Id he was dressed lEcupcas-
am, with his bin hook hanging at his Cir
die, an honest w0JduGn, as it would seem
Some of the soldiers laughed and made
faces at him and called him Herr Crapaud
But he did noJ seem to mind A quiet,
middle agyd man, his resemblance to Girls
lApln struck mt at once, only he was
younger in III" face though his hair looked
gTyiah. Then suddenly he said, M.
Taur"t, will you cut my hair?'' walk
into my back ROOM srd l. You see.
these Prussians dreaded spies and were
very suspicious. No sooner was he seated
in my BARRIERS chair than l noticed that
his hair was powdered, so as to give him
I'll Older look. Says he at once: Il am
IllNth7". Find me some way of getting
into the chateau. cannot ask nv father
10 rep lnr. He must not know am here
saw him us | came here. My father was
drunk and was Ira,crnizing with our enc
mics. -
Then I was sure the Germans were
watching Us. Now. Il sudden inspiration
sized me, and l said aloud: yes, they
buy chickens Mt the chateau, and if YOU
had any pigeons you could sell them. Any
kind Of poultry is in demand" Then l
not'rrd that Eustnse started. "Pcrc Tau
pet, said he in Il low voice, that guess
about pigeons WAS dangerously good one
look!' Ard opening the bosom Of his
blouse, he showed mo white carrler pig
con there, one Of the true Antwerp breed.
But tell me about the chateau and
| Mile. Agnrs;' he asked.
/ gave him the last news "ThCy are
all well, said. Then he told me that ho
was no longer n scminarist, but had taken
| up arms in defense of France; that he
| had h"cn promised his cpaulets if he would
| undertake. dangerous service, and it was
| u find ont the exact force of PrusSians in
this province. That he had three pigeons
and that two Of them had been looscd and
the third, with the final ncws-the most