The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-02-19
Paris Correspondence Of the N. Y. Express
ARE DECEIT.
A FRENCH STORY.

| FRENCH STORY.
In one Of the nirrowest and dirtiest streets
of Paris. on the ground floor of crumbling
old house. is the shop Of Monsieur Thomas,
a rag merchant. In the hack part of this shop
is sort of glass office, in which an exceeding
ly Pretty s irl not long since transacted the bu-
| siness OF the establishment. This girl was
Macemoiselle Julie, old Thomas daughter.
Not great while ago, an elegant looking
young gentleman, CHANGING to pass through
this dirty street, observed the pretty bird in
the glass cage, and involuntarily halted to ad-
mire her. The next day he came again, but
it was not chance that brought him this time;
for after pausing in the street as before he en-
tered the shop, under pretext of asking his
way, but in reality to approach nearer the OBJ
ject Of his sudden admiration. A very few
words suffced TO confirm and fasten first i'm
pressions, and he was about to go away in a
very disconsolate frame Of mind, when, amidst
the old junk which the shop contained, he OBJ
served pile of second hand books. Seizing
upon this excuse to prolong his stay, the young
man turned over the tattered refuse, and pur-
chased several of the books, promising the
fair saeswoman that he would from time to
time, replenish his s'library' at her establish
ment. He must have been very studous that
day, for. early the next morning he returned
and obtained another supply. So, too, the
next and the next-until, at last, troubling
himself no longer about the old books, he came
and passed much Of his time in soft conyersa-
ton, at the window of the glass cage, and final
ly wound up by asking M. Thomas to give
him his daughter in marriage.
AS the old fellow, without being seen had
witnessed all that had transpired, and liked
the youths appearance, he at once granted his
prayer, on condition that the demand should
be made officially by the gallant's father
Here was the difficulty. the father of the
lover, M. Georges, was dry goods merchant,
having handsome store In one of the most
brilliant quarters Of the city, and looked for
something better for his son than a rag-mer-
chants caughter. However, as there was
nothing else for it, the Young man broached
the subject 20 his parents. At first he was
laughed at; but as he frequently returned to
the charge, the father and mother, in the hope
of diverting him by other means from his made
project, finally invited old Thomas and his
daughter to family dinner, in order to talk
the matter over. II was hoped that the ride
ulous figure that The old man would cut, and
his inability to give his daughter respecta-
BILE marriage portion, would put an end to the
affair. The invitation was accepted and the
parties came. At the desert, the merchant
endeavored to jest with old Thomas and turn
him into ridicule. That didn't seem to work
particularly well, and nothing remained but to
try the financial question. This was Madame
Georges part, and she commenced by asking
Thomas what amount he intended to give his
daughter on the day of her marriage
"Oh, pray, MOTHER" cried young Georges,
who saw the trap, "don't talk about that.
Another time
"Not at all, young man." interposed Mons.
Thomas, 'Let US talk Of it at once, since your
mother wishes it. A little ready money does
| a newly married couple no harm, certainly
II Madame will state how much it is proposed
| to give her son, 1 will to furnish a like sum-"
"We intend" said Madame Georges, with
superb air, 'to give our son fifty thousand
francs, sir.''
"Well, WE'LL" said Thomas with shrug,
81 must say, expected better than that for
my little girls husband; but, as the young peo-
pie like each other, viii throw no obstacle
in the way. Julie Is my own child, and, on
the day Of her marriage, shall give
her four hundred thousand francs, money
down.
/ 1t NAV readily be imagined that the Georg.
es, changed their gait" in hurry, about
this time. But now came another difficulty.
Expecting to frghten old Thomas off, Madame
Georges had rather stretched the truth, in
naming 10000 francs as her sons wedding
present, and both she and her husband were
now very anxious to see the son so richly mar
lied, sacrifices were made and loans negotiated
in order to get together the sum mentioned
Things went on in this way for some time, and
the day of the ceremony had been several
times postponed, when, one morning the mer-
chant received a package, containing fifty
bank notes, for thousand francs each, and
these few words:
i "SIR-I see where the shoe pinches, as, fol
ia triae, woun't have things drag on any
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