The southern sentinel., 1904-08-04
Jean TeferauIt's Secrel
forlginal.J


Frenchman who By saving his pennies
had acquired considerable means. Jear
not only observed proper economy
he descended to parsimony.
One night Jean was lying awake
thinking OF some way to add to his
holdings. His bed was 50 placed thai
he could look out of back window to
ward hill in the rear OF his house
He was surprised to see light Just
beneath the hilltop moving about
among a clump Of trees.
That's very strange" remarked
Jean to himself what can any one
be doing thereY
Jean suddenly formed a resolution
to go and find out what 1t meant; so
jumping out Of bed, he hastily donned
his clothes and. going out of the back
door. climbed the hill. When he came
. near enough he stopped and watched.
But he was too late to discern what
had occurred. A man and woman
were Just leaving the place. The man
held up a lantern to remove Its lamp
and blow out the light, and as he did
so Jean caught glimpse Of his face
and that Of the woman as we'll They
were Mr.. and Mrs. Pierre Brazeau.
whom lie knew well by sight and repu-
tation, wealthy young couple whose
country place was not far distant Az
soon as the light was extinguished
Jean could hear them moving away
through the bushes toward road, ana
few moments later he heard the
closing OF q carriage door and wheels
creaking On the stones
Jean went home and to bed. but the
next morning he reascended the hill 70
the place where he had seen the cou-
pie, and there, I'm secluded spot In the
center of thick bushes. he came upon
space four feet long and two feet wide
where the earth had been dug up and
the cavity refilled.
Jeans first impulse was to remove
the earth and see who or what was
buried there, but neighbor whose
property adIo!ned the place came
along and prevented.
.Have you heard OF the good fortune
of the great people living below. the
BrazaausY asked the man.
NO. What Is it?''
'sThe only child Of Brazeau'e elder
brother. who inherited the most Of
their fathers estate. Is dead. and Pi-
ere BraEeau Will now be twice as rich
as formerly"
Jean made no reply to this announce
ment, but he did great deal Of think
Ing. 1t was plain to him that the little
heir had been put out Of the way by
those next of kin and buried at the
dead of night. when no eye except
Jean Teterault's was looking. Here
was an opportunity II properly fol-
lowed up fer large accession to his
own fortune
After much deiiberation he decided
not to run any risk in tampering with
the grave. What he did was to write
Pierre Rrazeau q note Informing him
that he knew Of the secret burial To |
this he received no reply. Then he
wrote another note stating that be con- |
ceived 1t to be his duty to inform the |
authorities. To this reply came offer
Ing him a large sum of money to keep |
his mouth shut Jean was delighted. |
but the sum offered was not large
enough He replied that his conscience |
would not admit OF such thing. |
More correspondence followed. and at
last Jean consented to meet Mr.. Bra.
Eeau at the place Of the grave to re-
,etve q sum far greater than he could I
have hoped as the price Of silence.
On the appointed night Jean went up
he hill with light heart. He pro-
'osed as soon as he had received the
lush money to go to France and live
o the end Of his days In that sunny
and. On approaching the place be
leard cough. which guided him to
Pierre Brazeau. who was standing be-
ide the. grave. Jean had no sooner
oined him than Brazeau gave d whis-
le, and Immediately several persons
'earing dark lanterns came forward
rom opposite directions Jean was
Mr.. Magistrate" said Brazeau to
ne Of them. 4 have desired your pres !
nee here to make confession and show I
ou the evidence Of "a crime. But FOR
his good man It might never have been
n0wn.
He motioned to one or the men who /.
ore spade, and be began to A.3t
resently the spade struck wood. and !
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