The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-12-04
FATE OF ADOLPHE.
AN INCIDENT of THE SIEGE OF
PARIS.

1
Virginia, We must kill Adolphe!"
Nine. Reboullet sat beside table, sew
ing. At her husbands emphatic words
she rose, trembled, grew pale, then dropped
back into her chair in an attitude OF abb
ject helplessness.
Eyes, we must kill Adolphe! 1t is hard,
but there is nothing else to be done. We
really ought to have expected it. What
did you say"
Nine. Reboullet had said nothing. She
sat quite still in limp helplessness, and
great tears went chasing each other down
her pallid cheeks.
you are crying! Well, that's quite nat
ural, and if | weren't man-but what
good would it do? One should be reason
able!"
But couldn't we-wait little while
longer?" sobbed the lady.
"You know, Virginia, that there is one
thing | have always been very careful
| about; that's my reputation. Well, that
is now at stake, and all because of Adolphe.
| You have persisted in taking him out for
exercise daily on the avenue. He is inso-
| lently fat, and people think it strange that,
| at such time as this, when many poor
| creatures haven't even q piece OF horse
| less mouth to feed. Talk of it has even
| reached the Office. For some time past
| | have noticed GOODNESS among my COM
panions. couldn't understand it, but to-
| day Sergt. Bose said to me, at the distribu-
ton of provisions: 'Adolphe is still thirty
| ing, l presumed Then | understood that
the sacrifice was necessary, and 1t must
| be made"
n,lo Dahn az ar NJ
mered: "But | shall never have the cour-
age"
Nor l." replied he rhusband. eve shall
| have to leave it to Rose"
Rose, who was the domestic, and who
hated Adolphe as much as her masters
loved him, agreed to perform the agreeable
task.
1t may be said right here that Adolphe
was dog, and an extremely ill-favored one
at that. A curious mixture OF pug and
hound, with long ears, stubby tail and
slender legs, he certainly would have been
no loss to the world from an aesthetic point
of view.
NJ. and Nine. Reboullet went out to walk
the next morning at ten o'clock, leaving
Adolphe to the tender mercles OF Rose
They were disconsolate, but, spurred on
by the cold, they were soon walking at a
| brisk pace up and down the avenue. Both
were silent. After a time, Nine. Reboul-
let gasped out: TT must be over by this
time!"
Reboullet looked at his watch. 1t was
| only ten minutes past IL, so the couple
resumed their mute promenade. In few
moments Nine. Reboullet exclaimed again
with start: 1--WE forgot to tell Rose
what to do with poor Adolphe after-where
to bury him"
"True; l never thought of that. But
don't worry; he shall have the sort OF
burial he deserves"
Distracted in spite of themselves by the
movement in the street and exhilarated
| by the nipping air, they began to think
| less exclusively of tseir dog, and when
at noon they found themselves in front
of their home, Reboullet exclaimed: How
hungry l ami"
And /, too" sighed Nine. Reboullet.
Immediately after, they gave each other
look that promptly brought them back
| 20 due sense of propriety.
The pair were soon seated at the table
in the little oak dining-room. On enter
| ing the room, so full of haunting memories
| of Adolphe, and on sitting down at the
| table around which he had always wan
| dered during meals, watching for bones
and delicate morsels, Nine. Reboullet had
a fresh outburst of grief. So when her
| husband asked what they were to have
for luncheon, she replied between her
sobs: Il don't know, my dear; | ordered
nothing; MY mind was on something else,
| you remember
Bring in luncheon, Rose" called M.
| Reboullet.
The maid entered, noisily, her cap-strings
| flying. Here it is, and it's good one,
tool"
As she spoke, she set down large dish,
| filled to the brim with yellowish gravy, in
which a number of small objects were float
| ing about.
| The same thought instantly struck both
M. Reboullet and his wife. What is that?'
they asked, in concert.
"Why, the dog-stewed in white wine.
| thought first | would serve him roasted,
but as madame said nothing about it"
Reboullet half rose from his chair, ex-
claiming: Have you dared"
What! Wasn't it to have him to eat
that If had known, l could have sold
him for 20 francs, he was so fat!
| Leave tne TOonp soDDeu "he' ieponi
| let.
Rose shrugged her shoulders and went
out, slammng the door after her, saying:
"Such fuss--for dog!"
NJ, and Nine. Reboullet sat for time
without speaking a word. in funeral
silence, savory odors arose from the steam
ing dish between them. The miserable
girl was right. 1t must be excellent; but
oh, no! never!!
But what was to be done with it! Give
it to Rose who would eat it herself, or,
worse, still, sell it some INSCRIPTIONS res
taurant keeper? Throw it out into the
street! What a humiiating end! Bury 1t!
Who ever heard of burying stew!
The appetizng odor continued to greet
their nostris, and finally Reboullet said
Perhaps Rose is right, after all A dog is
only dog Besides, this is no ordinary
time. Paris is not besieged every day
Dog, indeed Why, everyone is glad nova
days to eat cats, rats, hippopotamus meat
or any other kind, for that matter Oi
course, | would never have desired to see
Adolphe on our table in that state. But
the mischief is done-and now, sapristi
if We don't eat him, what shall we do with
| him"