The Washington herald., 1914-07-26

M posed to be the most methOdical
AIAd man in all Paris-and the most re-
spectacle.
He lived in that most respectable street,
the Rue st. Giles, a street where car
riages were seldom seen and the grass
grew between the pavements-a little vii
lage. as it were, where everybody knew
all about his neighbor.
NJ. Favoral was forty-three years old
and looked younger. He was tall. thin.
with neatly trimmed whiskers, thin lips
and small yellow eyes 1t took more cere-
mony to get a word from his mouth
than dollar from his pocket-which was
saying a great deal.
Summer and winter he wore gray pan
falcons and a long frock coat.
The neighbors called him Old Punctu-
ality and set their watches by him.
Every morning OF the year, rain or
shine, he appeared from his doorway at
the stroke of on his way to the office
of the Mutual Credit Society, of which
great financial institution he was cashier
and a repUted stockholder.
At 25 minutes past he re-entered the
door Of his house. At he dined. At z
he went TO play a game OF dominoes at
the Cafe Ture; at 10 he returned home
and went to bed. At the stroke Of II his
light went out
His life seemed as ruled and weIl-bal-
anced as a page of one Of his own ledg-
ers Now wasn't that a blameless, pro-
sale existence?
Ruled by n Machine.
He was reputed very wealthy, but was
CLOSE" very close. Each week he gave
his wife barely enough for the household
expenses and forced her to return to him
an itemized account
Poor Nine. FavoraI patched and darned
the worn-out furniture coverings, the
rugs and the carpets. and scrimped and
saved in every way, in which she was
assisted by her daughter, Mile. GlIberte,
young lady who. though over twenty, !
was not yet married and was so charm
ing that the neighbors called her the
Rosebud.
Then there was the son. Maxence. a !
youth of twenty-five, who took his meals
with the family, but had lodgings else
where.
Rather Sweak Of purpose and fond of
gayety, Maxence had broken away from
the harsh, stern, niggardly, domineering
rule Of his father as much as he could, |
and only his affection for his long-suffer- |
ing mother and sister caused him to come
to the house at all.
Once week NJ. Favoral dissipated by
having to dinner on Saturday NJ and |
Nine. Desclavette. retired dealers in |
bronzes; NJ. Champelain. an old lawyer. |
and NJ. DesormeauX, head clerk in the |
department of justice.
This year in and year out. He appar-
emily had no other friends.
Dinner Interrupted.
1t was Saturday evening, and the COM
pany aforesaid had just sat down to
dinner, prosy and respectable to the last
degree. when the bell rang violently and
a servant. almost at the same moment,
announced THE Baron de Thaller.''
Paler than his napkin. NJ. Favoral
started up. THE manager" he stam-
mered, the director Of the Mutual Credit
Society"
The baron entered close upon the heels
of the servant. He was tall. stiff. had a
very small head and long. reddish whis-
kers. He was dressed in the latest style
or an exaggeration Of it
Without even touching his hat, he said,
declared was Alsatian, Il must speak
with you, Vincent-alone and at once"
You see, We are dining with a few
friends began Favoral: when, in a
harsh voice the haron interrupted with,
do you wish me TO speak in the pres
ence Of everybody
Taking up a candle from the table the
cashier led his visitor into the parlor.
''You Are a ThIef!"
In the parlor an angry discussion be-
gan between the baron and NJ. Favoral.
The disturbed diners spoke but little
everybody was striving his best to hear.
But it was only occasionally that they
could catch a word.
IAN Infamous trap" they heard Favor
al say. Il should have been notified"
Come. come" replied the baron,
''were you not fully warned? Did 1
ever conceal anything from you?' i
Good heavens" groaned Nine. Fav- :
oral, what does it all mean?''
They heard the voices, in the parlor !
trail of into murmurs, and then again
the cashier saying, as he stamped his !
feet: Never, never,'' Il
And yet it must be DONE" replied the
baron: 'it is the only and last resource "
''And suppose will not?" i
Your. will has nothing to do with It
now. w.~Twenty years ago you might have
willed or not-but that time is gone But {
listen to reason"
Then the voices dropped and the next
they heard was the baron saying: That I
is ruin. 1t is bankruptcy on the last of
the month. You are a forger, NJ. Favor ,
al; you are thief"
Flight that Very Night.
Maxence sprang from his chair crying, 4
II shall not allow my father to be thus '
insulted in his own house"
But the door opened and the director
Of the Mutual Credit stepped into the 6
dining-room. He addressed himself to ! h
Mile. Gilberte, saying:
Your father, mademoiselle, is a ]
wretch. Ny duty should be to hand him
over to the law. But on account Of your !