Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-05-03
Fact Stranger than Fiction.
A PARISIAN STORI ]


it contains more than plot enough for half a
dozen of James novels. Ifany one should ask
us, seriously, whether we believed the tale,
we should say seriously, "not word Of it."
Blu. it is still we'll worth reading as a specimen
of what the French teuilletonistes can manufac-
turc, when they set their wits to work. Here
it is:
During the first three years Of the reign OF
Louis Philippe, man inhabited a magnificent
hotel in the Faubourg st. Honore, not far from
the place Beauveau. His fortune was immense,
his disposition saturnine. He saw no one, and
occupied small apartment on the ground floor,
which apartment was decidedly the most un-
hospitable in Paris. As for the other rooms in
the hotel, they were always empty and closed.
This strange parsonage went out every day at
midday, and returned at o'clock in the after
noon, the rest Of the time he was invisible. His
only relatives lived at Perigord, with the ex-
ception of nephew whom he had brought to
Paris, and sent to college, handsome boy,
active and bold, and fair as a Saxon. The un-
Gle and nephew dined together every Sunday,
and after dinner the old man said to the young
one, slipping louis dor into his hand "You
will be my heir" and the inheritance consisted
of seven or eight millions at least. Every
Sunday ard Thursday morning the proprietor
Of the Place Beauveau received a visit from
beautiful and elegantly dressed woman. She
always came in carriage, entered the garden,
and returned at noon on Sunday and on Thurs
day at midnight. On no other day was she
seen at the hotel. This state of things lasted
for some years. The scholar was growing into
a youug man; the single louis had been re-
placed BY double one, and still the cd man
said, "You shall be my heir!" to which the
nephew sometimes replied, "Heir or not, !
have time to wait
The truth is, that the millionaire was dry as
a rattan, green as a bunch of holly, and strong
as an oak One Wednesday they found him
dead in his bed. A charcoal fire, half consu
med burnt on the hearth; there had been as
physx or congestion of the brain. Justice
came and sealed up everything. The relatives
duly notified came, and before witnesses pro-
ceeded to the opening of the desk where the
papers of the defunct were kept. A will, writ
ten in the testator's own hand, left, as sole le-
gatee, the lady who had paid the Sunday and
Thursday visits to the hotel Of the Place Beau
veau, with the single charge of an annuity of
two thousand four hundred francs to the me-
phew of the deceased The family attempted
to set aside the viii. A thousand rumors as
to the cause of the sudden death prevailed;
but spite of rumors and law proceedings the
lady was maintained by the tribunals in pos
session of the goods and chattels which con-
stituted the wealth of the millionaire. The
nephew, who should have an income of three
or four thousand francs, had only an annuity
of one hundred louis. Rich, he would have
been sportsman: poor, he became sailor. @
Eight or ten years rolled on. The sailor, in
cruising aronnd the world, had doubled his
small fortune. Chance led him to Paris, and
having at the moment no voyage to make to
Vera Cruz or Calcutta, he paraded the Bou'
| leyard, believing that man who had five or sil
| thousand liyfes a year has good right to bask
in the sun.
One day, while crossing the Tuileries, he
met young girl he thought the most beau
tiful he had ever seen. He followed her
without thinking any harm, to her residence II
| the Rue de Bac. The next day, and without
any settled purpose, the sailor was again ira
versing the garden of the Tuilleries. The samt
woman and young girl were walking thert
again. He caught the young girls eye, ane
she blushed .celestial rosy red" The same
1 thing took place for several successive days
1 but on Sunday, instead of going to the TuiIle
RES, he betook himself to St. Thomas d 'Aquin
where, at the first glance, he caught sight Of
little white bonnet and little brown head
from which he could not turn his eyes. AL
though bold and resolute as rover, the sailo
4 was, by nature, sentimental and romantic. ON
day the young girl had dropped bouquet Q
yioo!ets, which he pounced upon and wore mex
to his heart as talisman.
I aMa foi,n said he to himself one morning
II should like to have that little girl for M
Il ,,o,,efS NJ nhouf aEincr innuiriaa n
the subject" W..
4 The result of which was that he learned ths
i the Young girl was immensely rich, and wit
| a sigh he said: ,..s@s.ssss.. 81
I aBon! if she had been poor might hay
J, married her; but rich as a fairy, it is imposs
: BIZ"
1 Thereupon he bit his mustachcs and wer
home to pack up his travelling traps. Iii
1 trunk packed, he went to bed and before slee
I had visited his eyelids had determined to put
continent between his bewitcher and himsel
The next morning hurried note was handle
8 him, requesting him to call at the office Of
certain notary without moments delay. &
ats probably an engagement ostake som
q ship out to China" said the sailor as he wei
. to the notary a. 5.yss
. aMonsienr,'' said the notary, who wore
white cravat and gold spectacles, ike lile ~
} taries Of the Gymnase, ''you 60 frequently
!, the Tuilleries, and to st. Thomas d'Aquing g'
u aIdo," replied the sailor, slightly trouble
BY this exordium.
. aYou have often met there a young girl, a
6 companied by middle-aged woman
! .Always.a
sThe young girl seemed toplease you e
4 Immensely" 8. s.sg j
1 an short, you love her!' ..s.s.
4 ~ do, with allmy heart. " s.s1'
: sand you would like to marry her =
e 4Very willingly
e aWell, sir, the matter can be arranged"
aDo you think 50 !" /.
ssCeriainly. My business is to think: !"
aBut she has seven or eight millions.
: sTen, sir."'
aAnd Ihsye nothing"
r =