The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-12
Simmons [Pa[paaa
By Guy de Maupassant.
By Guy de Maupassant'

their nusle. Du1 AAHNS'-N
RAPIDLY and hurrying home for dinner
as was their wont. they soon came to
stapdstir. formed themselves into
groups, and began to whisper.
That very morning, 50 1t seems, 81
mon the son Of Blanchotte, had come
to school for the first time. All hao
heard Blanchotte spoken of at homai
ana, although she was generally well
received, the mothers among them
selves referred to her with a sort Of
contemptuous pity that had Influenced
the children without their understand
ing exactly why.
AS to Simon himself. he was a total
stranger to them. for he seldom went
out and never raced through the village
streets or along the banks of the river
with them. So they did not like him.
and felt q certain pleasure. mingled
with considerable establishment, in re-
peatlng to each other the words of a
cub Of fourteen or fifteen years, who
acted as II he knew all there was to
know, as he said with a sly wink: "You
know-sImon-well, he hasn't any
papa"
Blauchotte's son stood on the TIRES
hold of the door-a child Of seven or
eight years, triae pale. very eat,with
a timId, almost awkward, manner. he
was going towards home when the
groups OF his whispering comrades,
watching him with the cruel, malicious
eyes Of children who are medltaing
some mean attack, gradually surround
ed him and finally hedged him in COM
pletely. He stayed there. in their
midst, surprised and embarrassed. with
out comprehendlng what they were go
Ing to do to him. But the boy who had
spread the news, proud of the success
already won, demanded: whats your
manner" He replied. Simon" Simon
what?" asked the other. The child.
confused. repeated, Simon" The cub
exclaimed, Your names Simon some
thing. That's no name-just Simon"
And the little fellow with tears in his
eyes said for the third time, any name
Is simon"
The children began to laugh. The
spokesman raised his voice, You see
well enough he hasn't any papa"
Perfect silence. The children were
Stupehed by such an impossible. mon
strous, extraordinary thing-R boy With
out a papa; they considered him a phs-
nomenon, u freak, and the contempt
that their mothers felt for Blanchotte,
inexplicable hitherto to their minds,
sprang into existence at that instant.
Simon was leaning against tree for
support, and remained as II overwhelm-
ed by an irreparable disaster. He en-
deayored to explain. But he could
think Of nothing else to say and give
the lie to that dreadful assertion that
he hadn't any papa. AT last, llvtd
with emotion, he cried at random, Eyes,
have one"
Where is he?" cried his tormentor.
Simon was silent: he didn't know.
The children, greatly excited, screamed
with laughter; and in that moment
those sons of the soil resembled bruteS,
inasmuch as they felt that same cruel
impulse that prompts barnyard fowls
to fall on and destroy q member Of their
community as soon as It is wounded.
All at once Simon caught sight Of a
small neighbor. a widows son. who.
like himself, had always lived alone
with his mother.
''And you." he said, you haven't any
papa, either"
"oh! yes, 1 have" replied the other.
Where is he7" demanded simon.
Hes dead" declared the child with
supreme pride; my papa is In the cem-
etery."
Amurmur Of appreciation ran through
the group of urchIns, as II the fact Of
having his father dead in the cemetery
had advanced their comrade at the ex-
peuse Of the other, who hadn't any at
an. And those scamps, whose fathers,
for the most part. were drunkards,
thieves. cruelty naltreatIng their wives,
pressed closer to each other. az II th9y,
legitimate offspring. wished to suffo-
cate as in a wise the one born out Of
wedlock. All Of q sudden. one who
stood opposite Simon thrust out his
tongue at him with a hooking air, cry
ing:
mo papa! no papa"
Simon seized him BY the hair with his
two hands, and began to rain kicks on
his legs. while he bit him savagely.
Tremendous excitement ensued. The
two combatants were separated, and
Simon found himself beaten, torn,
bruised. rolled on the ground In the
midst Of the circle Of applauding raga-
mullins. AS he rose. mechanically
brushing the dust from his little blouse
with his hand. some one yelled at him:
Go tell your papa all about H."
Then ne felt q great weight at his
heart. They were stronger than he had
beaten him. and he could not answer
them. for he realized perfectly It was
true that he hadn't any papa. Full Of
pride. he tried. however. for several
seconds to wrestls successfully with the
tears that were stranglIng him. A mo-
ment OF Buffocation, then without cry
he burst into great sobs that shook his
whole frame.
a ferocious Joy broke out In the ranks
Of his enemies, and as naturally as saw
ages in their frightful gnyety. they
joinedhands and began to dance around
him. repeating like refrain. mo papa!
No papa"