The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-09
SAVED 20 ARISTOCRATICH FRENCH
WOMEN FROM A BLAZING FURNACE
Schemers Take Advan-
tage Of the Hero,
UnpracticaIity, Which
Was Caused BY Iii,
Injuries.

l. , y = v & 7 , ~ ) =
..4,h And I. your ps, wife helps you'' said.
uN-n-no," he hesitated; then he
broke 9out conf dentially; You see,
didn't get married, monsieur. All at
once the girl grew cold and distraite.
You see, I think her mother had
forced her to take me up because Of my
money She preferred another man.
When 1 learned that, monsieur, / told
her to 60 and be happy
And your 900 francs worth of fur
niture9' I asked.
80 oh, tod told, her to keep ill., replied
It reconciled her mother to the other
man, you see. The girl was very
grateful TO me, assure you" =
all aloneq" I said. FsWhat businessi1
l&4'nsWhy, my commissionaireship. I set
up my stand last week. There is nv
bootblack box. There is my botte for
| carrying heavy packages. I had just
enough money left to make the installa-
! tion.7'
Often after that, as I passed up and
down the avenue of the Champs Elysees
I would stop and chat with Desjardins
at his stand. 2s& 5tser.s.
|
| how business was doing, he answered
hopefully but evasively. He had never
been able to tell coherent story Of
the great fire; but in spite Of all such
| leading questions, he had always reso-
lutely refused to lend word Of testi-
mony to the slur Of cowardice that still
hangs upon the rich and aristocratic
men whose eighty high silk hats were
found in the bazaar after the fire. 81
didn It notice. he would always say,
when pressed with questions.
One afternoon, however, as he sat
extremely pale ak, shaky on his boot
| black chair, great Partisan clubman
sauntered jauntily by. He twirled a
costly cane. A flower was in his but
tonhole. And he was rosy, fresh and
| fine. ~.
b Desjardins laughed.
T Ma, that monsieurl I can't help
smiling when I see him!'
81 urged him to tell me why. had
just given him a franc and he was
grateful to me. ....
~ laugh, - he said, "when remem-
Der how I saw him in the fire. Hc
was not jaunty then. He ran believing
with fear, knocking over girls and
women. I had picked up girl. He
rushed up and grabbed me by the
coat. take me out!' he cried. His
teeth were h, shatteripg Let Co.
But he held on. drop her and take me
out. I'll give you $4,000 francs!' he
blubbered TT can't see for tic smoke;
yea N R92T II s TsiZ', " 4.
"Well, !" replied Desjardins, "he
wouldn't let 90, and it would have
taken time to knock him down, so I
cried to him to follow quick and not
pull me back; and I ducked my head
s street got out : to the good air of the
II suppose he forgot about the $4,000
francs7"
81 suppose so,' laughed Desiardins,
| Hbecause once when I met him on this
same avenue and stopped him to talk
of old times, he threatened to have me
arrested for begging" 49,. 81. ..
| - And the women you rescued-do
you ever see them passing in their car
riagesf" i asked. >,s
that I recognize. I do not know their
names. One was the one who put the
fire out when my hair was burning.
She is married and rides with two dear
little children. It is pleasure to see
them. ~
I saw Desjardins once again-last
week. It was in the automobile razzle-
dazzle Of the Porte Maillot. He was
lean and white and very badly. dressed.
He dragged along. All his old jaunti-
ness was gone. ea. ... - .ss. Il
"What are you doing nows" I asked.
that is, a man promised me Job Of
washing automobiles, and I'm waiting
! Are you hungrys" :-.... ~: