The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-03-23
A Lovers Ruse.

A Lovers Ruse.
Some years since two wealthy bache-
lors lived in the vicinity Of Paris. They
had young maid .of.all-work named Ma
rie de La Font. Marie was u sweet, pret.
ty 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 frugal, economical, and
dressed in the most moderate manner
imaginable. One day Maria surprised
her employers by Informing them that a
young artisan, residing in Paris, had ask
cd her hand They strovo to dissuadc
her from acc oting the offer of marriage
but she told tn I'm she could not be happy
unless she became the wife Of her dear
Henri. So it was arranged that she
should quit the service of the two broth
ers at the end Of the coming month.
One day during the interval the two
brothers sold some valuable real es-
tate, which they owned jointly, and the
sum realized amounted to 100 900 francs.
1t was all in bills on the Bank Of France
and was paid too late for deposit the
same afternoon
Night came. and os the old bachelors
seldom had such large amount in the
house, they were considerably concerned
lest robbers should attempt to rob them
Their fears were strengthened by the
numerous burglarics that had recently
taken place in that vicinity.
The residence Of the old men wa;
some distance from the main road, and
stood near the river Seine. 1t was q
lonely, gloomy location, and on the nigh
in question the winds swept through the
tall larches surrounding the mansion with
doleful and moaning cadence.
About midnight the old men retired
but scarcely had they fallen asleep wher
Marie raped at their door and Informed
them that robbers we're at work below.
Both the bachelors were terribly
frightened, and when one commenced tc
bar the door tho other began removing a
tile from the hearth to hide the bills.
avon havo a gum" said Marie "taks
it and shoot the villains.
But the two trembling men paid no
heed to her advice.
"Cowards !" said the brave girl, scorn.
fully, II wish that | were man for
five minutes
Just then there came heavy crash
from the apartments below.
The brothers crept beneath the bed
where they shivered and cringed, unable
to speak from terror.
I'VE shall all be murdered in our
beds" said the girl. Ave will be found
by the police in the morning with ouI
throats cut from ear to ear. Peste fools
give me the gun"
She seized the double. BARI eled gun tha,
had laid upon the shelf, aud started down
stairs. while the two frightened mer
watchedl her without saying word
Presently bang went tho gun, and .
groan was heard. Bang went the sec
ond barrel, and screech Of pain resound
ed through the house that caused tn,
blood of tho brothers to run cold.
A brief paused ensued, and then Marie
came tripping up stairs,but her face wore
determined, dissatisfied look. She ask
ed for powder and ball to reload. which
were furnished but before she finishel
loading footsteps wcro heard rctreatint
from the house.
No one slept in the house that night
nor were they again molested But a
early dawn, on going down stairs, poo
Of blood on the nall floor showed tina
one robbcr at least, had been seriously. i
not mortally wounded and it was plail
to see by tho bloody path in the eartl
that the victim had been dragged to th
river. Gore marked the whole distance
and the police we're at once put on tn
alert for the arrest of the living thieves
and the recovery of the body of tho dea,
one.
But all efforts proved vain, aud tn
bravery of the young girl was discusses
far and near.
The grateful bachelors we're so over
whclmed that they offered to give Mari
a dover.
"Ah messieurs," replied she affection
ately, show can leave you? You ma
again be attacked by robbers.
But We will not. nevertheless stan
between you and happiness they re
piled. "Hore are thirty thousand franc
you have saved our lives, and richl
deserve the money. If you choose t
live in this house with your husband, W
will repair the lower part for that pul
pose, and you can also be hired to kee
our room neat as at present"
Henri married Marie, and they accep
cd the dover and the house.
! Years passed, aud recently the rel
facts Of this midnight robbery came
light. Both of the old bachelors wei
p dead, and had willed Marie another thirt
. thousand francs. The brave girl did n,
> refuse it, 1t turned out, however, th'
the robbers were not plural. Henri acte
as the burglar, the blood was from
lamb killed for the purpose, and Il
Q whole was but ruse of the two lovers
o open the hearts and purses Of the two o
Q misers.
The large two-story dwelling hou
Q ownel by Geo. p. Whitney, aud w
70 known as the "old Captain jackson Ma
,r s;on on tha hill half n ,,;la nor,h