Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-07-22
The Last Stroke of Fortune.

standing III the city of Cologne, which
showed TO the street frontage of five
small windows. 1t was the house in
which the first painter of the Flemish
School, the immortal Rubens was born,
A. ID. 1871. Sixty years later than this
date, the ground floor was occupied by
two old people, shoemaker and his
wife. The upper story, which was usu-
ally let to dodgers, was empty at the
time we write OF. Two, however. occu-
pied the garrett The evening was cold
and wet, and the shoemaker and his
wife We're sitting in the room below.
! ~ on had better go up stairs again. 2
said the man to his wife, "and see how
the poor lady is. The old gentleman
went out early, and has not been i'll
since. las she not taken anything?''
| cit is only half an hour since / was
up stairs, and he had not come in. /
took her some broth up at noon, but she
hardly touched il, and Z .wasoup again
at three; she was asleep then, and at
five she said she should not want any.
thing more"
'Poor lady! this time of wear. and
neither fire nor warm clothes. and not
even decent bed to lie on; and vet /
am sure she is somebody otherg Have
you noticed the respect with which the
old gentleman treats her?"
"lf she wants for anything, it is her
own fault. That ring which She wears
on her finger would get her the best Of
everything" .fo @...,.ef I;a 9r.
Then came knock at the door. and
the woman admitted the old man they
had ustspoken of whose grizzlcd beard
fell down upon his furnished velvet coat.
The hostess sadly wanted to have a lit
tie gossip with him, but he passed by,
and, bidding them short goodnight y
CROPPED his way up the steep and crook
ed staircase. On entering the chamber
above, a feeble voice inquired the cause
of his long absence. I.',r moi. ..s..
81 could not help it, he said; II had
been copying manuscript, and as | was
on my way here a servant met me, who
was to te.ch me to raise the horoscope
OF two ladies who were passing through:
they were ladies whom | have known
before. | thought | could get a little
money to pay for some simples which
would be Of service to you" 3'oa
81 am cold" - t9s9se13 wa
"lt is fever cold. l will make YOU
something which you musttake directlv.'
! The flame of a small tin lamp sufficed
to heat some water, and the patient, hav-
ing taken what the old man had provi-
ded, was diligently covered up by him
with all the clothes and other articles of
dress he could find. He stood by her
motionless till he perceived that she was
fast asleep, and indeed long after; he
then retired into small closet and
sought repose on the hard floor. II ~
The next morning the lady was SO
much better that her attendant propos-
ed that she should endeavor to leave the
house Tor moment OF two, and he sue
ceeded in getting her forth as far as the
Place st. Cecilia. 1t was seldom that
she left the house, for, Notwithstanding
the meanness OF her dress, there was
that about her carriage that rendered it
difficult to avoid unpleasant observa-
ton. ec- Gfts .qa. n...8
''Do you see that person yonder?n she
said suddenly. ''IfI am not much mis-
taken it is certainly the Duke of Guise."
r The strangers attention had also been
attracted and he had now approached
them. a.sas5oaaq II1-4sf4..
"For6leu!" said he, "why that is
Mascali. What, are you married." e.
Mascali had, however, whispered a
single word in the Dukes ear, and he
started as if struck with thunderbolt;
but instantly recovering himself, he has
tily uncovered, and bowed nearly to the
ground. -roi at.if asn - hfaf 81.
81 beg your forgiveness" he said;
"but my eyes have grown so weak, and
could so little expect to have the hon
or OF meeting your----" saages
"For the love of Gnd," interrupted
the lady, hastily" name me not here.
A title would too strangely contrast with
my present circumstances. Have you
been long in Cologne"
'Three days. am on my way from
Italy. [ took refuge there when our
common enemy drove me forth and con-
tiscated all my earthly goods. | am 60
ing to Brussels" ~ aa.as .8.
"And what are your advices from
France? Is the helm still in the hands
of that wretched caitif?'' 3a aF
"He is In the zenith of his power"
NSee, my lord duke, your fortune and
my own are much alike. You the son
of a man who, had he not so much de-
spised danger, might well have set the
crown on his own head, and /, once
/ queen of the mightiest nation in the uni
verse, and both of us alike But adieu,''
she said suddenly, and, drawing herself
up, "the sight Of you, my lord duke, has
refreshed me much, and pray that for
tune once more may smile upon our
steps," ......r...
] Permit me to attend your majesty
{. A slight color tinged the lady's fea-
lures, as she answered, with a gentle
commanding tone:
leave us, my lord duke, it is our
pleasure" I'D
! Guise bowed low, and taking the la
dy's hand, he pressed it reverently to
his lips. AT the corners of the street he
met some one, to whom he pointed out
the old lady, and then fastened away.
The next morning a knock at the
door announced person inquiring fol
Monsieur Mascali; she had small pack
ct for him; and also billet. Inside
this was distinctly written:-
1.-TWO hundred louis d'ors constitute The
whole of my present fortune: one hundred
send for your use." 'sGUIsE."
, And the packet contained a hundred
: louis d'ors.
|
The sum thus obtained was sufficient
to supply the wants of the pair two long
e years. But the last louis had been chan
ged, aud the lady and her companion