Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-05
A Brave Servant Girl.

Some years since, two wealthy bachelors
lived in the vicinity Of Paris. They had a
young maid.of.all.work named Marie DE La
Font. Marie was a sweet, pretty girl, and
lively and piquant in her manners, although
modest in the extreme, and this was the
reason that the two brothers kept her in
their employ. They knew that she was iru-
gal, economical, and dressed in the most
moderate manner imaginable. One day,
Marie surprised her employers by informing
them that young artisan residing in Paris
had asked her hand They strove to dis.
suade her from accepting the offer Of mar.
rage, but she told them that she could not
be happy unless she become the wife of her
dear Henri. So it was arranged that she
should quit the service Of the two brothers
at the end of the coming month.
One day during this interval the two
brothers sold some valuable real estate which
they owned jointly, and the sum realized,
amounted to 100000 francs. 1t was all in
bills on the bank of France, and was paid
too late for deposit the same afternoon.
Night came, and as the old bachelors sell.
dom had such large amount in the house,
they were considerably concerned lest rob-
bers should attempt to rob them. Their fears
were strengthened by the numerous burglar
les that had recently taken place in that
vicinity.
The residence Of the old men was some
distance from the main road, aud stood near
the river Seine. II was a lonely, gloomy
location, and on the night in question the
wind swept through the tall larches sur.
rounding the mansion with dolelul aud moan
ing cadence.
About midnight, the old men retired, but
scarcely had they fallen asleep, when Marie
raped at their door and informed them that
robbers we're at work below.
Both the bachelors we're terribly frightened,
aud while one commenced to bar the door,
the other began removing tile from the
hearth to hide the bills.
"You have a gum said Marie, stake il
and shoot the villains"
But the two trembling men paid no heed
to her advice.
Coward" said the brave girl, scornful-
ly; 81 wish that were man for five min
utes."
Just then came heavy crash from the
apartments below.
The brothers crept beneath the bed, where
they shivered and crlnged, unable to speak
from terror.
1--WE shall all be murdered in our beds, u
said the girl. 1--WE will be found by the
police in the morning with our threats cut
from ear to ear. Peste fools give me the
gun"
She seized the double.barrelled gun that
laid upon the shelf, and started down stairs,
while the two frightened men watched her
without saying a word. Presently bang
went the gun, and q groan was heard.
Bang went the second barrel, and screech
of pain resouuded through the house that
caused the blood Of the brothers to run cold.
A bref pause ensued, aud then Marie
came tripping up stairs, but her face wore a
determined, satisfied look. She asked for
powder and ball, to reload, which we're fur.
nished but before she finished loading,
footsteps were heard retreatiDg from the
house.
No one slept in the house that night, nor
were they again molested. But at early
dawn, on going down stairs, pool of blood
on the hall floor showed that one robber at
least had been seriously, if not MORALLY
wounded. And it was plain to see by the
bloody path in the earth that the victim had
been dragged to the river. Gore marked
the whole distance, and the police we're at
once put on the alert for the arrest of the
living thieves and the recovery OF the body
Of the dead one.
But all efforts proved vain, and the brave
ry of the young girl was discussed far and
near.
The grateful bachelors were so overpower.
ed, that they offered to give Marie DOVER
"Ah monsieur" replied she, affection
ately, show can leave you? You may be
again attacked by robbers"
"But we will not, nevertheless, stand be-
tween you and happiness" they replied.
Here are thirty THOUSAND francs-you have
saved our lives, ard richly deserve the mou-
ey. If you choose to live in this house with
your husband, we will repair the lower part
for that purpose, and you can also be hired
to keep our room neat as at present"
Henri married Marie, and they accepted
the dover and the house.
Years passed, aud recently the real facts
of this midnight robbery came to light.
Both of the old bachelors were dead, and
had willed Marie another thirty thousand
francs. The brave girl did not refuse it. 1t
turned out, however, that the robbers were
not plural. Henri acted the burglar, the
blood was from a lamb killed for the purpose,
and the whole was but ruse of the two low.
ers to open the hearts and purses of the two
misers.