The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-11-30

y
! his appointment. fear l must Pre-
I Once again Lepelletier's face Wen
) grey and his eyes seemed to bulge
{ and once again he swallowed some
thing with extreme difficulty.
"Aiors!" was all he answered, ant
he turned away in the direction OF hi;
lodgings, followed little distance by
the man who had accosted him. AS
his unsteady fingers fumbled with his
latch key he took backward glance,
and saw that the man was saunter1ng
slowly by. He let himself in at last,
and mounted the steps slowly. climb
ing to the banister, and shuddering
strongly at every step as II he had
palsy.
took bottle Of Cognac from a cup
board there, and poured out and drank
full half-tumbler of the neat spirit.
The draught set him coughing violent
| ly and he dropped into an armchair.
When the paroXysm was over he rolled
| and lit cigarette, his fingers bungling
| at the task and splitting quantity OF
tobacco on the floor. The cigarette
! went out, and he at on there, still as
stone, and staring straight before
him. In while, recovering from his
trance, he poured out second liberal
draft of Cognac, qualifying it this time
with water, and aft% a sip or two got
| up and rummaged about the room for
| a cigar, and finding one at the bottom
of box, he lit it carefully, turning 1t
about and making sure it burned level.
| Then he resumed his seat, throwing
one leg across the other, and blowing
rings of smoke into the air.
"Eh bien!" he said at last. "Mon-
sieur Brangwyn must bleed for this.
1t is lucky thing for him that few
hundred sterling year will make no
difference to him"
He had quite recovered his sang
froid by this time, and sat slipping and
smoking at ease, when knock at the
door announced the arrival Of M. Ri
bot. He listened at the door and heard
by NJ Dubois, with whom he had an
appointment of Importance. He con-
tinued to listen until the ascending
footsteps reached the final stair of the
flight Immediately below him. Then
he closed the door softly and returned
to his armchair, where he composed
himself anew. There was knock at
the door.
"Entrez," cried Lepelletier.
"a gentleman to see Monsieur Du.
bois."
LET him come in. All, cest tot! Be
seated"
M. Dubois, attired in his customary
fashion, hated, gloved, booted with
perfect fineness, passed foreflnger
between an immaculate collar and his
neck as if it CALLED him little after
a period of disuse, adjusted his we'll
cut frock coat with double-handed tug
and seated himself leisurely, carefully
parting his coat tails as he did so.
"Ohe," said Lepelletier, "a metamor.
phosis"
Something in that nature" Ribot
answered. But let us come to bust
ness, NJ Dubois. My comrade report
ed to me a minute since. l hope, for
your sake, there was no evasion in
tended"
YES" said Lepelletier. LET US
come to business. There was no eva
sion meant. My dear sir, l recognize
the position and l submit. But l had
supposed my own needs to be provided
for the present week at least That
supposition was roughly upset this
morning, and I was on my way to re-
plenish my resources. Nothing more,
parole d'honneur!"
Things prosper with you." said Ri
bot, looking round the apartment,
which, though not luxurious, was COM
modiously furnished.
"They would be we'll enough If they
would last" Lepelletier responded.
cit is rather sudden to have done so
much, n'estce pas?"
perhaps" the other answered,
flicking at his cigar ash.
"You have found friend?" said Ri
bot, inquiringly.
Precisely
(To Be continued.)