Evening star., 1901-02-16

proposition. For ordinary individuals who
like to pay for special police escort there Is
little difficulty. But a king is a risky sort
of a person to have on ones hands at the
best of times; to take the responsibility
of having him piloted through the murder
Gus end of the city did not appeal to the
prefect. But the king was obdurate, ana,
kinglike had his way. A sergeant in uni
form and two armed agents in civil attire
were told off to show King George and his
intendant, Col Thun, the sights OF the fau-
bourg ST. Denis late one afternoon. In one
dirty wine shop, where the most ruffianly
toughs were drinking the vile concocuon
that passes for absinthe in those quarters
the king was surprised to see the police ser
geant suddenly hold out his hand to q pru-
tal-looking Hercules in the group. ITEMS
te voila!' cried the agent. How goes 1t
with you these days?" And the gendarme
began friendly chat with the big scoun-
drel.
who is that?" asked the king, when they
left the place THAT, your majesty, Is De-
sire Rougeot, who came out OF jail the other
day after serving his term for robbery with
violence. I expect we'n nail him again
pretty soon: he's always running after
trouble" But why did you talk to him IN
that friendly wayT' asked the king; on,
well, your majesty, It's just as prudent 10
be polite to these people when one knows
them personally and goes down to their
quarter. Besides. Desire Is not bad rei-
low when he's not up to his tricks Inc
king brought his tour in the upoerneaLns
to a hasty termination. When. at parting.
he gave a handsome gratuity to the police
sergeant for his trouble. he said, with a
smile. 'I hope, M. lie Sergeant, that we may
not in the company Of your friend, NJ. rAs-
sasSin DeSire!
On Speaking Terms.
As a matter of fact, the criminal popula-
ton is imprudent enough to make 1t a
point of honor or Of bravado, to be on
friendly chatting terms with the police as
long as these last do not presume too much
upon the acquaintance. They look upon II
as sportsmanlike to give the cordial bon
Jour" of ordinary social relationship to the
men who have arrested them before and
who would like nothing better than to snap
the cuffs on them again. The police, on
their side, are not indisposed to meet the
scoundrel half way. Often a chance indis-
cretion from the lips of "sportsmanllke
blackguard gives them an inkling of some
crime brewing or a valuable clue after 1t
has been committed.
Without price one may not stay in these
dens unless his reputation a thief, thug
or murderer is so we'll established that his
presence, though otherwise unremuneratlVe,
accrues to the honor of the place The bud
ding criminal, with his spurs yet to be won,
must, If penniless, sleep IN the street OF
under the bridge, unless some overzealous
agent wakes him up and sets him on his
travels again. On any night of the year. II
one passes under the arcades OF the Odeon
Theater when the last carriage has driven
away with it's load of brilliantly dressed so
ciety women. one will see the poor arriving
in their turn, to sleep, wrapped In cloaks or
Reantiful star" as they say In their pic
turesque slang And generally they are left
unmolested till the early morning book
hunters begin to arrive to dip into the new
columns lavishly displayed all around the
theater, Last winter young man died In
his sleep under the Odeon arcade and when
they carried him away to the morgue they
drove the other poor wretches from their
stony sleeping places. But it was only
momentary reaction; after a couple or
nights the shrouded figures were lying
thickly there again, pitiful reminders to the
passing philosopher Of the dismal underside
of our modern social life
" GRIBAYEDOFF.