The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-06-04

Madame de Pryne."
"Have you no papers about you-no
passport ?"
"Mon Dieul Yes-no that is of
course / have, but in my trunk, !"
answered the lady. "We are only 60
ing to Besancon. This is my maid,
Susanne we are two women travelling
on business. have an engagement at
Besancon and really, M. le Marie, L
had no idea passports were necessary
when travelling in France"
"You said you had one in your box.
Very we'll, Madame de Pryne, allow me
to see this passport"
Willingly call in your men and
let them bring my largest trunk all
my papers are in it,"
The order was given and the box
opened.
eft is useless your troubling your
self, cheyenne. See! Look at these
grand trains, these alone suffice to
prove that you belong to the court, and
intend emigrating into Switzerland,
cried the mayor, as he threw out of the
box on the table several magnificent
robes Of velvet, one of which was lined
with ermine. "And here-here my
suspicious are more than confirmed.
All! ah! Madame de Pryne!-that is
your name, is it ?-and you wear a
crown, do you?" exclaimed the mayor,
as he suddenly rose from his inspection
of the box's contents, brandishing in
one hand crown studded with large
gems, and in the other sceptre. "Ab !
ah!" laughed he exultingly, " Madame
de Pryne, so you were going over the
frontier with the crown Jewels of
France? know who you are"
"Who ?" asked Madame de Pryne, as
pale as sheet.
"You are Marie Antoinette, of Aus
tria, some time queen of France. In
the name of France and the law arrest
you"
Without any further proofs ?"
Certainly L do not require them. !"
"Will you not at least look at my
passport p
"Bah, borrowed passport" said
the mayor in an impatient tone. "You
had better give yourself up, madame,
without any further ado. Believe me,
it will be for the best"
"Thep, SIR" the lady answered,
rising majestically from her seat, and
assuming an imperial attitude, I" I am
the queen"
1t would be difficult to imagine a
more noble figure than that of the un-
fortunate princess as she spoke these
four words. Seeing that Susanne was
impatiently about to interrupt her, she
silenced her by an imperative gesture,
and then reseated herself with much
dignity in her chair. So queenly did
she appear at this critical moment of
her existence, that, staunch republican
as lie was, the mayor Of Jougne forgot
all about egalite, bowed low before his
fallen sovereign and retired at once to
give the necessary orders for her
maiesty's detention and to announce
the news of her capture to his fellow
citizens.
In less than an hour the mayor re-
turned accompanied by a dozen or SO of
the municipality. They found the
queen calm, and even cheerful. She
acknowledged their deferential manner
toward her with royal grace. and when
informed that the upper floor of the
hotel was placed at her service until
further instructions were received from
Paris, followed them thither with SO
quick and even gay step that several
of them afterward remembered it as an
instance of unusual self command.
Having assembled his fellow-func-
tionaries in the saloon of the inn, he
made them patriotic speech. in which
he invoked the spirits of Brutus and
Cato, and wound up by proposing that
the "patriots of Jougne form them
selves into battalion of true republi-
cans, and, placing Marie Antoinette of
Austria in their centre, lead that arch
traitress before the national tribunal.
Possessed as they were of her crown,
sceptre, globe, and royal mantle, they
could carry these emblems of fallen
despotism in their triumphal process
sion, and offer them as holocaust on
the altar of liberty"
An address to the national assembly,
stating their intention, and giving the
most minute details of the queens ar
rest, was forthwith written out and
signed by the entire conclave, and dis
patched Immediately to the capital. To
this letter was added private one from
the queen herself, and SO artfully was it
sealed, that do what they could it was
impossible for them to read a single
word of its contents. Having dismissed
the council, the mayor went once more
to the queen, to inform her OF what had
been determined.
While he was conversing with her
majesty, a gendarme hurriely entered
the chamber in state of great excite
ment.
"M. le Marie M. le Maire we have
arrested Polignac or Lamballe !"
"Ah !" exclaimed the queen, {" it is
that young man."
"What young man" inquired the
mayor.
IA gentleman who followed our
coach, that is ALL" answered she, in
some confusion, seeing that she had
evidently committed an imprudence by
this last observation.
"Let him be brought up here i'm
mediately," commanded the mayor, and
in few moments tall and remarkably
handsome young man was dragged into
the apartment by two guards. His
clothes were dripping wet, he had lost
his hat, and his soiled cloak dragged
on the ground behind him.
"It is the same" whispered Susan
ne; Perhaps he may help u.s."
"Please God % murmered the queen.
No sooner was this young gentleman
disengaged from the hands of his cap
tors than, throwing himself on his
knees, he raised her hand to his lips !:
"Pardon NE, madame. Had l but sus'
pected it was the queen of France to
whom presumed to raise my eyes, /
would have died rather than have SO
far forgotten what was due to my sover.
oin.n nSnna;nll.r In hnr hour of frnuhla