Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1874-03-20
A LUCKY MISTAKE.

a little while ago, was a youE. Frenc
girl named Loilise DumOnt. Her lies
tination was Newark, Delaware, wher
size had distant female relative liz
ing, in INDECENT circumstances, and, a
she believed, the only surviving XII
she had in the world. BY some mis-
take, owing to her inability to under
stand the English language, she tool
a train on the Delaware, Lackawan;
and Western Railroad, and got Oft a
Newark, Nj. When she was inform
ed Of her error, she bought a ticket t,
return again to New York on the mex
train, but on account of IL very re
markablc occurrence she was induced
to change her mind.
AS the girl sat in the depot, down
cast in spirits, alone in strange land
and almost penniless, visions of he1
home in LA Belle France crossed
her mind. She thought of her mother
who had recently died, of her only
brother who fell with his father as
they fought side by side in the terrible
cattle Of Saarbruck, and as she mused
upon her past joys and present loncli
ness, she uncOnsciously toyed with a
large gold locket that was suspended
by a strong silver chain from her neck
while tears trickled down her cheeks
She was a brunette Of the ioveliest
type, and her jet black, wavy hair was
arranged with such exquisite taste
that it made the broad, high forehead,
expressive brown eyes, and graceful,
full throat appear to the best advan,
tage.
While Louise was abstracte,lly play
ing with iier locket, there came into
the depot a tall and handsome gentle
man, about sixty years of age. He
had something of a military bearing,
and his c0untenance indicated intelli-
gence and refinement. The girls ap-
pearance Immediately attracted his
attention, and as he, too, was waiting
for a train, he occupied his time in
watching her. AS he walked to and
fro in the ladies' room, he came near
to where the giIks was sitting just as
she opened the locket and revealed 4
well-known face, that was the exact
counterpart of a picture that he had
at home in his library 1t represented
the Empress Josephine the deceased
wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. The
gentlemen Immediately asked the girl,
in good French, where she obtained
the picture. She replied, with much
simplicity:
"My mother gave it to me-"
Requesting the favor of examining
the locket, he took it in his hand, and
with the greatest astonishment, read
the following inscription:
"J0sephine, to Hortense De Miratel,
1922
"My mother was a Miratel,n said he,
scanning the beautiful French girls
features closely, ':and," he added, as a
light seemed to flash in upon his con-
fused ideas, "she was a sister to hor-
tense De Miratel, who, for some act of
to the unhappy Josephine,
received this lOcket and portrait as q
reward. My good girl, who are you,
The child then related her story
how her father and brother had been
killed in battle, and that her mother
had recently lied; that she had COM
lnitted her to the care Of the only rela-
live that she believed to be living, at
Newark, Delaware.
The gentleman then being satisfied
that the girl was his own niece, dis
closed his own name, Victor Provost.
He had escaped from prison when
young man, having been incarcerated
by the BOurbons about the time of the
so;ourn of Louis Napoleon in America.
He fed to this country and settled
1t Wlkesbarre, Pa, where he now
ives in affluence, being interested in
arge coal and iron tracts in that To-
,ality. It is hardly necessary to state
hat the niece needed but little per-
,uasi0n to accompany her uncle home.
The romance Of her story is increased
oy the fact that Mr.. Provost has a son,
Who is q very promising young man,
md that he Immediately became fasci-
lated with his newly found cousin.
The old gentleman is in ecstacy at the
urn things have taken, and has re-
'Olved that his son shall marry the |
,irl on New Years Day. Of course
7oung Provost has accepted this prop
,sition with much joy, and orders tor
! magnificent bridal trOusseau are now
,eing filed by various parties in New
York, for the fortunate girl wto, but
! little more than a week ago, was q
,enniless steerage passenx ger in an emf
,rant ship.
Poor Arte.nus Ward, with all his
;leverness, was a very modest fellow.
He used to say privately, "NobOdy
Flows better than myself how little /
amount to. But if people insist on be-
ng such fools as to pay me handsomely
or playing the fool, Tm not such q
OOl as not to take the f0oly money.
A fool and his money, according to
he proverb, are soon parted, and ac-
;ording to the fact, I am the parter."
HERE is the most beautifully bad
which we have ever met
With, and We have rarely met with o
rood one: What is the difference be-
;ween q gauxs dress aud a drawn
0othi Answer. But, really, we
rope it be well understood that he
lidn't guess it; and still better under
'tOod that the cOnundfum is none of