The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-20

ferred to Pons as an ingrate, schemev who had tried to introduce a fortune hunter into the family of his patrona parasite and viper. When Pons was able to go out again and walked the boulevard leaning on the arm of his faithful Schmucke. he bowed to old acquaintances only to be | ignored contemporary. What is the matter with your cried Schmucke ip alright. 1 T have received dagger. thrust in lmy heart" replied Pons.
 ssE ESEysplaE E HssIS1s sas s .S EgsasS sHoiS meeting other bsAsts.Tsss s1t Sa It was the first time in the course of his whole gentle existence that the German had been known to give vent to so savage an expression.
 After this they reached home with font exchanging another word. friendship-the delleacy of those. who. having suffered much. well know the mood of those who suffer.
 It was decreed that this was the last walk that the worthy Pons should take. He was attacked by a violent inflammation of the liver. Mime. Cibot, whose husband acted as porter of the house and who in her own person did such services for the two old bache- lors as they required. sent for the doctor of the district, who told her that the old musician was practically dead man. and that bis only chance, and a small one. lay in the very best of nursing. "The least irritation may prove fatal" said he.
 "And where is the money to come from?" asked Mime. Cibot. He and his friend have only their little salaries. They are Just two children that I have been looking after these nine years"
 These last words were uttered at the entrance of the house. They were overheard by q dealer in old things, whose shop was OH the ground floor. Why. Doctor Poulain and my dear It. tie Cibot." said this man, whose name was RemonencQ. "Pons has treasures that make him immensely rich. I know enough about 1t to know that his collection Is worth fortune" Mime. Cibot looked at the old dealer, whom she had admitted into Pon's mu- scum once to have look at her Iodg- er's trash" The revelation that the trash" was precious startled her. For twenty-six years she and her husband had lived life of unimpeaoh- able integrity; but fin the last few years they had begun to lament the fact that they had lived to well. and had not a penny laid by for a rainy day. Believing the pair of nut-crac CTS to be poor. Mime. Cibot had not only refrained from preying upon them as is the privilege of porteresses but she had even shielded them from the impositions of others.
 Their belongings were kept in in- | comparable neatness. The milk they drank came unwatered from the can She set more store on being appreciat- ed by them than on being paid But now she learned that Pons was | rich. and Pons was dying. At once cupidity took possession of her. The dream of every porteress, 10 be renlem- bered in a rich lodger's will, took pos- sesslOn of her mind and became q fixed determination as soon as ft was dream ed.
 The curse of the very name Of money began It's work at once, and on more than Mime. Cibot. Dr. Poulain. who was neither particularly good man nor a particularly bad one, might have attended Pons poor with some kind | ness, even though he expected no pay. But a Pons rich as patient gave him a different value in his eyes He be- came q prospective source of income.
 pr. Poulain had descended. or as- cended, from common working people He knew medicine. Indeed. he was as good a doctor as certain ones who were illustrious in Paris, and he was fully aware of the fact But he was
 fixed in an obscure position as by q hand of iron. His richest patients were small tradesmen, who were poor enough themselves, and yet despised him for his greater poverty
 Now he stumbled suddenly on a poor patient like the rest, who turned out unexpectedly to be au enormously rich one-and as If by sneering fate there was hardly a chance to save him.
 The worn-out. hopeless, despairinr slave of penury tried to be majesticaIly reproving when Mrne. Cibot begged | him next day to advise Pons to make will and to say something in her | favor; but he ended by referring her to a friend. M. Frasier. who was an | advocate.
 Frasier was poo@r than even Pou- lain. He had come from the provin- ces under a cloud that made him only ! too glad to be allowed to remain in