Evening star., 1928-04-02
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
By FRANCOIS CoPPEE.
THE SUBSTITUTE.

Francois coppee. 1s42.1a0s. was a ia.
nous French novelist he was also poet
OF men,bership in the French Academy in
1880
Leturc experienced his first arrest at
the age Of. 10. as vagabond. He had
grown up In dire straits. always hungry
and constantly beaten. A street arab
he was, ragged and forlorn. No one
claimed him, so he was sent to reform
school.
They boy was not very intelligent,
and all they could teach him, IN ms
ignorance and clumsinesS. was how 10
reseat chairs. Yet as he did as he was
told and was quiet, he was not contami-
mated by the vicious schoolfeilows with
whom he was thrown. When he was
II he was released, thrown again on his
own resources in the streets OF Paris.
Then. some months later. he was ar
rested for stealing cheap pair OF SHOES
and sentenced TO year In prison.
Again at liberty, he wandered abroad
In Paris. but watched constantly by the
police. When the law Furnishes man
and then sends him out, II keeps tabs
ON him. so as to be ready to apprehend
him for his next offenSe. II Is o.
though a fisherman threw back his fish
into the pond so that the supply would
never be exhausted.
For two years Lecture kept out oi
prison, and then he was arrested on
suspicion for being found In the COM
| pany OF some young urchins who were
caught robbing sleeping drunkards. Ht
| protested his innocence, but he wal
| known by the company he kept anc
| sent to prison for three years. Ini'
| time he was out only six months
| plunged anew into the sink OF Faris
| when he was caught and sent TO prison
for being implicated In night bur.
| elary--this time his sentence was nve
| years nc hard labor.
Those i've years--brOiiing hot Sum.
mers and winters full OF raw blasts .oi
wind--were full OF the ball and chain
| blows from cudgels and fare OF black
bean soup. At the end of that time ne
was sent into exile, but escaped ano
returned TO Paris In disguise.
He convinced q landlady that he Was
| a ahlpwrecked sailor who had lost ms
papers, and so got lodgings. He kept
pretty we'll under cover, but risking 9
walk In the streets one day. he chanceo
TO pass the school where he had learned
| To read. II was recess time. and on the
wall he happened to read this biblical
inscription: Joy shall be In heaven
over one sinner that repenteth. more
than over ninety and nine just persons
| which need no repentance.
Memories of hts youth were brought
back 10 him, and the text from the Hi'
BILE kept recurring to his mind. Finally,
| he thought It might not be too late. II
| would seem heavenly to be at liberty
| making his own way. He was strone
| and agile~~masons needed helpers, ano
he could earn 3 francs a day. He go'
O Job.
In three months he was Q new man
| lie earned the reputation OF being q
| good workman. At night he was giori.
oiisly tired and ate his evening meal
with good appetite. He was free and
enjoyed IL.
Then he found a friend. fellow
workman. They became 1ovial cofi-
rades, and IL became the constant fear
| OF Lsturc that his friend might iind
| out about his past, For the friend was
a rural lad. unacauainted with the city
| and Its Wickedness. and might easily be
| frightened II he knew that he was taxi
| ing To his bosom an eK-convict, They
| shared their room with another work.
| or, an old man who was iabori0usls
saving money 10 buy himself q vineyard
| In his native land.
| In Paris without discovering some ot
the temptations OF dissipation and vice
| lie began 10 look at the women whd
! wanted 10 lure him for tho sake OF
what lac might spend on them. Leture