Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-10-13
The Last Stroke Of Fortune.


sanding III Cologne, which showed to the
street a frontage of FIVE small windows. 1t
was the house in which the first painter OF
the Flemish school. the immortal Ruhens
was born, A. u 1877. Sixty years later
tnan this date, the ground floor was occu-
ped tiy two old people, shoemaker and
| ms Wle. The upper story, which was usually
'es 70 'odsers' was empty at the time We
"fl'e OF. Two, however, occupied the gar
ret. The evening WAS cold and wet. and
the shoemaker and his wife were sitting to
gether in the room below.
You had letter 20 up stairs apain sail
slady is. The Oil gentleman went out early
and has not been in since. Has she not Ia
ken anything?
1t is only half an hour since was up
stairs, and he had not come in. took her
some broth up at noon, hut she hardly touch
ed it, and was up again at three; she was
asleep then, and at FIVE she said she should
not want any thing more
Poor lady This time of year, and
neither fire nor warm clothes. and not even
decent bed to lie on and yet am sure
she is somebody or other. Have you no
ticed the respect with which the old gentle
man treats herr
If she wants for anything, it is her own
fault. That ring she wears on her finger
wou! get her the best of anything
Then came knock at the door, and the
woman admitted the old man they had just
spoken Of, whose grizzled beard fell down
upon his tarnished velvet coat. The hostess
sadly wanted to have little gossip with him,
but he passed by, and. bidding them short
Good night. grnped his way up the steep
and crooked staircase. Ou entering the
chamber above feeble voice enquirsd the
cause Of his long absence.
i could net help it., he said. I had
been copying manuscript and as | was on
my way here a servant met me, who was to
fetch me to raise the horoscope of two ladies
who were passing through; they were la
dies whom have known before. thought
| could get little money to pay for some
; simples which will be of service to you.'
| ann cold
: It's fever cold. I will make you some
thing which you must take directly.
The fame of small tin lamp suficed t.
; heat some water, anil the patient, having
. taken what the old nun had provided, wa
4is B5y eqYere4 ~ hF Al I'M With id btfctRv f ttR
! Ell that she was fast asleep, and indeed long
!; after; he then retired into a small closet
and sought repose on the hard floor
' The next morning the lady was so mucl
!. better that her attendant proposed she shoul
f. endeayor to leave the house for momen
0 or two, and he succeeded in getting her fort
/ AS far as the Place St. Cecilia 1t was Sc
!, dom that she left the house, for, notwithstar
= ding the meannrss Of her dress, there W;
i that about her carriage which rendered it di
6cult to avoid unpleasant observation.
DO you see that person yonder?' ST
said suddenly. If am not much mist
ken it is certainly the Duke Of Guise'
The strangers attention had also bee
= attracted and he bad now approached ther
PorJtsuF said he, why this is Masca
t. W hat. are you married!
d!t He does not know me- sighed the lad
must indeed he altered.
m, MaScali had. however, whispered 81
re gle word in the dukes ear and he start,
w a< if struck hy thunderbolt but instar
M s y recovering himself lie hastily uncovere
sh and bowed nearly to the ground.
he beg your forgiveness he said b
ON my eyes are growing so weak, and cOu
- 50 little expect to have the honor Of meeti
the your
ial For the love Of God interrupted the
-, dv, hastily, name me not here 4 ii
'i"- i'e would too strangely contrast with my pr
l9n ent circumstances. Have you been Ioug
use Cologne =
lng Three days. am on my way from
the Iy took refuge there when our conn
lrse enemy drove NE forth, and con6scated
ata iaer my earthly goods. am going to Brusse
"N0 And what are your ad ices from Fran,
Is the helm still III the hands Of that wrct
ed caitiff!'
He is in the zenith Of his power
See, my lord duke your fortunes
my own are much alike. You the son
the man who, had he not too much deSp
ated danger. might we'll have set the crown
'o'i+' his own head, and once the Queen of
afdS mightiest nation in the universe =: and
theF both of us alike But adieu,' she said .
ape- denly. and drawing herself up. the S
liou Of you my lord duke has ref. eshcd me NJ
= e. and | p ay that fortune once more may s.
',e upon your steps
tGc Permit me to attend your majesty t.
ac- A slight color tinged the lady's featt
as she answered, with gentle comman
'dfu tone
I'n"- Leave us, my lord duke, it is our pI
true uie'
"is Guise bowed low. and, taking the Ia
~ I hand, he pressed it reve! emily to his lip
;a;a At the corner of The street he met some
'''' to whom he pointed out the old lady,
then hastened away.
'G9 h The next morning. knock at the
~; announced person inqui ing for Mons
"a Nsscali; she had a small packet for
az and also billet. Inside this was distil
80; written:
nable Two hundred louis d'ors constitute
whole of my present fortune, one hundl
{ the send for your use. GUIsE.'
on. And the packet contained hundred
zR. d'ors.
The sum thus obtained suficed to 81