The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-09-04

GHtTSe0(,-ao OlQ iAaAi aAHu W. WAsSs wuS
had lived in the same room FOX seven years,
-ssk who was the little black haired girl
in the gypsy bonnet, that went tripping
every day over the Place du Carrousel,
clinging 80 firmly 10 the hand Of the new
Lodger!
No one ever asked after Monsieur lie
Merle no Letters ever came to Monsieur
LIE Merle. Once only, package was left
by facteur, addressed simply lie Merle,
&c St. Thomas du Louvre" The next
morning saw casket ON the table, and
afierward, on day when it CHANGED to be
open. l saw in il a rich pearl necklace.
On Sundays, and on days Of fete, the girl
wore it, and il was rich enough for a
Countess.
Sometimes, when ] was waxing the floors
in the corridor, heard snatches Of a soft
song from these rooms, and it seemed to me,
though do not certainly know, that it was
in strange language. My wife, too, has
said, that the talk Of the little girl had a
strange accent, as if, some day, she had
spoken in another tongue. Her eye, too,
was larger, and fuller, and saddei, than are
the eyes of Partisan girls, and seemed to
belong 10 a country farther to the South.
A few books were always lying on the Ia
BILE of Monsieur, but were all Of them in
French only once saw upon the bureau
a beautiful little volume with gold clasps,
and miniature Of lady in the cover
and it was written in language that did
not know. And once, only once that
remember, on a Sunday, when they wen1
om-Monsieur said to Notre- Dame-the
little girl carried the book with the gold
clasps, and wore the same day tn. beautiful
pearl necklace On some days, Monsieur
would 90 out for time alone; and ther
we always noticed that the little GIRL
whether from fear, or what do Lot know
took the key out Of the door ard fastened
it from within.
Meantime We heard nothing from the pc
lice; everything went on quietly we
should have thought no more about Mon
sieur LIE Merle than any other OF our lod
gers had il not been for the dark hairet
girl, who seemed to have no other friend il
the world.
One day it happened, that Monsieur hat
bsen gone longer than his usual time, ant
my wife heard gentle tap at the window o
the Conciergerie. II was the little girl o
the Attic she had put on her bonnet, ant
come alone down the stairs;-she was afraid
she said, to stay so long alone in the grea
chamber she wanted TO go out to fine
her papa. She did not know where h,
was gone, but she was sure she would fine
him. My wife persuaded her to put off hel
bonnet, and sit with her in the Conciegerie
and when it grew late, and still Monsieur
Lee Merle did not come, brought her som,
dinner from a Restaurant, but she wOuit
scarce eat any thing for her fear.
!. AT length, Just al dusk, and while Mon
sieur LIE Merle was still away, a carriag,
drove up to the door, and the footr1an tap
ped al the windOw-pane, and asked if it wa.
26 ST. Thomas du Lourre'
-Oui, Monsieur.
Madame wishes to see Lucie LIE Merle
1t is I--said the little girl:-till ther
We had not known her name NY wife
led her ont to the carriage She said two
ladies elegantly dressed were seated in it
One Of them whispered a few woros in tn.
ear Of Lucie. The poor child looked
wonderingly in her face moment-shook
her head, and turning round to my wife
said-Qmi est eUe-k ne sais pas-moi
The lady whispered to the child again
this time she touched chord in the it'll,
girls heart. A tear or two dropped from
her young eyes-Qui etus rous, done
Madame, dhes moi, je rous en- pris.
, The lady whispered something more il
Lucies ear-what it was. my wife coult
not hear. Our little ledger ran up stairs
and came down with the casket, which hat
stood always upon the table under The mir
ror, and caught up her bonnet from TN
Conciergerie, and presently was in the car
riage with the ladies.
Your father said my wife, doubt
ingly.
-t rdiS lie rOir-said our little lodger
and the carriage drove of. under the arci
OF the Louvre toward the Quay.
My wife and | were troubled We sa
up till midnight hoping to see Monsieur anc
the child again. went up to lock tn,
chamber,-on this table was lying the book
with the gold clasps and it seemed to me
as looked at it by the light Of the candle
that there was something in the fac. pain
ted upon it, like that Of the back-eye1 girl
| undid the clasps, and found written OF
the first leaf-Lucie--a sd file, Lucie
The next morning appeared Monsieur
lie Merle. His face was haggsrd, as if he
had not slept. His first inquiries were fo
Lucie and when we had told to hin
all that had happened the day before, h.
was made frantic. That very afternoon
he made me 60 with him, and stop BY him
upon seat up the Champs Elysees, to Sc,
if by chance. ! could detect the carriage, o.
the ladies who had taken his treasure from
him. We stopped until it was dark, bu
could See nothing of either.
The next morning note was dropped
through the window-by whom, my wifi
did not see, addressed simply lie Merle, ant
! remembered it was in the same hands
least so it seemed to me,-with the line or
the first leaf of the hook with the golt
clasps.
Our lodger seemed startled when he read
the note,-he paid US what was due for the
rooms. and took his portmanteau in the
afternoon, and put it upon a coach in the
Place du Palais Royal He babe me good
day, slipped a piece Of FIVE francs in my
hand, and | shut the door of the 6ocre