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Show THE FIVE FRANC PIECE. By JAMES 8. EVANS. (Copyright, 19 t, by Dally Story Pub. Co. ) The cub v-s roundly congratulated when he returned to the office. In the early hours of morning, after the papers had gone to press, he recited the story of the traveler. "And do you know, boys, I believe that fellow who told me the story is the same man that tortured that woman and drove her to an asylum. Doggone if I don't!" "Why, sure thing," replied the city editor. "And, say, cub, I think there is the making of a reporter in you, after all. Your assignment today will be to find the Frenchman and make him confess." In the "cub" days of the newspaper reporter Troupe Mcintosh saw little in life that had more than1 ordinary Interest for him. He got few assignments, assign-ments, and these were chiefly obituary obitu-ary notices, church bazaars and small fires. The city editor did not have confidence in him. He had displayed little of the instincts that are- essential essen-tial to reporters who make names and are permitted to sign stories. But Mcintosh knew the stuff was in him and that some time or other, he would show it. One afternoon the city editor walked walk-ed hurriedly from his room- to the boardr-d it. He attempted to write on the cars, but he found that difficult: gave that up and tried to talk to the conducior, but the conductor was busy, in a double seat just in front sat a man calmly smoking a cigar while looking out at the flashing shadows shad-ows the train was making in the darkness. dark-ness. Hat boxes and valises were piled up around him. The cub sat down by the stranger, uninvited. He had to talk to some one; he must find some ear to listen to the horrible tale that would appear in the Morning Morn-ing Herald; his story the most local room. In his hand was a piece ; of yellow paper and he was excited. "Where is Davis? Where is Horn? Where is Allen?" he shouted at Mcintosh." Mc-intosh." "I think they have gone," said the "cub" meekly. "You think they have? You don't $ee them do you? And they don't usually leave with you a memoranda of their doings, hey?" . The "cub" attempted to . say something, some-thing, but before he could proceed the city editor said: "Here, go to Butler on the 3 o'clock train. I do not like to trust so important an assignment to such ah ordinary blockhead, but you are the only one in sight. ... Get some expense money down stairs and hurry. You've barely time to catch the train. Take this telegram. It will explain why you are sent. Get jyour facts and write all you can get on the story. By the time you arrive there, I have made arrangements with the telegraph company to handle your matter as fast as you can write it. Get along now, and do your best. Z PI 1 ft u ! It ' v hi He Was a Frenchman and a Traveler. awful tragedy he had ever read about, much less assigned to write its history. his-tory. The stranger listened without displaying dis-playing any excitement or curiosity. He was a Frenchman and a traveler, so he informed the cub. After the cub had told the story in all its ghastly details, the Frenchman looked intently intent-ly out of the window for some minutes min-utes before making any sort of comment. com-ment. Finally, he turned his head and remarked that it was "too bad, too bad." ' "I remember a story of a wife's insincerity," he went on after a bit. "A young Frenchman married the most beautiful woman in Paris. He was immensely rich; so was she. They had been sweethearts for years and when they were married it was the most fashionable ceremony that had taken place hi Paris for a decade. In the suburbs of that city, he built the most expensive home that architects archi-tects could suggest; filled it with the costliest of paintings and surrounded it with every luxury. Apparently the woman loved him and worshiped him with unmeasured devotion. He was always devising little trips, making her presents, doing things he thought would please and delight her. Occasionally Occa-sionally he would take a hand satchel and drive to the station, saying that he would be gone for the day, only to return within an hour or so, his sudden reappearance being for the purpose of surprising her, the surprise sur-prise being one filled with joy. And sc they lived for a year with no serpent ser-pent in that beautiful paradise of theirs to strike at them with its fangs and annoy them with its hissing. The cub fairly flew to the depot. Out of breath almost, he found a seat lie the car and for the first time looked look-ed at the telegram. It was merely a bulletin from the Butler correspondent correspond-ent and read: John Billings, cashier Second National bank, found his wife in arms of William Champenois this afternoon. Billings killed Champenois, then his wife and then him-eelf. him-eelf. Society is greatly startled. Both the wealthiest and most influential in town. How much? Well, here was a story for the cub after all. Butler was forty miles distant, and the train would make it In less than an hour. As the cars sped along' the utjri mind-' was framing sentences. He paced nervously nervous-ly up and down the aisleway, occasionally occa-sionally throwing back the lapel of his coat, showing his reporter's star. Regaining his seat, he would take out a pad of paper from his pocket aid scribble. The opening sentence of his story could not be framed exactly ex-actly right to suit him. He wanted something that would catch and gladden glad-den the city editor's eye at first (glance. Finally he wrote something, looked at it a long while, smiled and put the paper in his pocket. At Butler But-ler there was little difficulty in obtain-. obtain-. fng the facts. The coroner's jury was In session when he alighted from the train. He heard the testimony of the servants in the Billing's home, who saw the shooting. They also testified that Champenois had been a frequent visitor at the Billings home, both while Mr. Billings was at home and occasionally when the husband was absent. Their testimony was somewhat some-what sensational and disclosed a phase of Mrs. Billings' life that was pot in keeping with her reputation in the community. Champenois left a widow; Billings had no children. The- cub secured photographs which he mailed on the 8 o'clock train. "But one day the husband returned home to find his wife in the embrace of one of his supposed friends. Both were wild with fear when they were discovered. But the husband spoke calmly, almost kindly. They need not fear. He would not, harm either. He even assisted the false friend in putting put-ting on his overcoat, and. as the man started to the door, invited him to call again. As he reached the steps the husband called him back. 'The kisses? The pleasure of those beautiful lips ah, should you not leave the madame some memento of your sweet experience experi-ence a five franc piece, say? Yes, that would be the thing.' So the man, now weeping because of his shame, went' to the hysterical woman and placed the coin in her lap. "The husband ate his dinner alone. In the morning he asked the maid to .say to his wife that he should be pleased to have her breakfast with him, and the woman went to the din-;:igroom, din-;:igroom, her eyes red and swollen from long hours of crying. He even kissed her as she entered, and dur-'Htg dur-'Htg the meal made no reference to what had happened the day before. cut wnen sue cm m jjk- kin, or to uncover a dish there would appear before her a five franc piece. In the morning she would find a gold coin in her stockings; if she went to pick up a rose, there would fall from its petals a five franc piece always. Wherever she would turn would be tbe cruel reminder of her unfaithfulness. unfaithful-ness. And so, this went on from week to week, and from month to month, until finally, ah, that grand, beautiful, royal, clear-eyed woman sbe go mad." I "I Think They Have Gone," Said the "Cub," Meekly. By 10 o'clock he was jn possession of all the information -necessary for a long story. He began to write. At first he was nervous and uncertain of -himself, but after he had written two or three hundred words, the rest became be-came easy to handle. He wrote rapidly rap-idly and by midnight he had three columns of matter in the newspaper office. At 1 o'clock the fast train for Hew Orleans was due and the cub |
