The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-24
Loves Stratagem.

| AOyC . 0toSCms
The Baltimore Gazette says: eth
is the story of dowry gained by stra
agem which comes to us from abroad
Two wealthy bachelors lived in tn
vicinity of Paris. With them lived
young girl named Marie. French hero
ines in humble life, nine times in ten
are named Marie, ard the tenth tim
Lisette. Marie was pretty, fresh, mod
est. Like most French glrls of her sta
ton, she was frugal and neat. Sh'
must lave a lover, of course. Such
prize was not born to bloom unseen
| The lover was a young artisan of Paris
Need we say he was all manly perfec
ton? He was. So at least Marie. al
| confusion and bushes, informed hel
employers, the two rich old bachelors
She was sorry; she must leave them
she was to be married. In vain they
tried to dissuade her. If they could
find q place for her husband she would
stay, she replied otherwise che could
not. She could not be happy without
her Henri and Henri (and here she
lifted up her face and applied the cor
ner of her apron to her eyes) would go
mad, Le loved her so he was so de-
voted ; SO good such an angel without
wings. So Marie carried her point.
Before she had gotten through her lit
tie piece of acting, the old bachelors
were crying, too. 1t was so affecting.
Marie was SO true SO sincere 30 fond
of them, and 80 loath to leave them SO
simple-hearted and without guile.
They resolved that they would bring
her name before the municipality as
candidate for the prize given to the
'Rosiere' of that year. 30 Marie was
to go-poor Marie. But then she was
to go with Henri-happy Marie. But
Marie had resolved otherwise, and when
Stay she would, and put money in her
purse also, and Henri should stay, too.
She knew the bachelors had in the
house nearly hundred thousand francs,
about which they were always in hut-
ter. The residence of the old men was
some distance from the main road, and
stood near the river Seine. It was a
louely, gloomy location, and on the
night in question the winds swept
through the tall larches surrounding
the mansion with doleful and moaning
cadence. It was the night after Marie
had announced her determination to
leave them. Robbers were in the
house. The bachelor brothers shivered,
unabled TO speak with terror. In
rushes the brave Marie. You have a
gun, cried she; protect yourselves.
The terrified old men shivered the
more, and stared at her. 'Oowardsp
said the brave girl, scornfully. 1 wish
were a man for five minutes just
then came Q heavy crash upon the
apartments below. we shall all be
be murdered in our BEDS said the
girl I'VE will be found by the
police in the morning with our
throats cut from ear to ear. Pesie
fools, give me the gun She seized
the double .barrelled gun that was lying
on the shelf, and started down stairs,
while the two frightened men watched
her without saying word. Presently
bang went the gun, and q groan was
heard. Bang went the second barrel.
and scream of pain resounded through
the house that caused the blood of the
brothers to run cold. No one slept
that night. In the morning marks of
blood were found in the hall and the
path along which the bleeding body
had been dragged. The robbers had,
it seemed, been severely wounded, but
had gotten off. The bravery of the
pretty and modest Marie was the talk |
Of the country side. The two old bach |
elors were profuse in gratitude. They |
offered her dowry. She accepted on
condition that she was not to leave
Them. 'You might be again attacked
by robbers said she. ingenuously. So
hey settled it that Marie and her faith
Jul Henri were to live in the lower part
Of the house and see that the whole es-
was kept in order, and es-
pecially that no robbers were allowed
On the premises. Henri married Marie,
and they accepted the dover and the
house. Years passed, and recently the
real facts of the midnight robbery came
70 light. Both the old bachelors were
lead, and had willed Marie another
thirty thousand francs. The brave girl
lid not refuse it. 1t turned out, how
over that the robbers were not plural.
Henri acted as the burglar, the blood
was from lamb killed for the purpose.
md the plot was but ruse of the two
overs to open the hearts and purses of
he two old misers.