The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-10-17
FROM BELGRAvIA.


About fifteen years ago, when the Second
Empire was in the heyday of its prosperity,
great commotion occurred one day at the
Palace of the Tuileries The Prince Imperi.
al was missing. His tutor, M. Monnier ;
his valet, Uhlmann ; his equerry M. Bach
on, might have been observed tearing down
the terrace which skirts the Quai du Louvre,
followed by young Louis Conneau, the
Princes playmate. Young Conneau ap.
peared ready to cry and the three officials
above.named seemed disposed to hold him
responsible for the mishap which they dread
ed, for every now and then they turned round
gesticulating, and sharply repeated the ques-
tion, When did you see him last?' 1t was
about ten O'Clock on summer morning, and
the public part of the Tuileries gardens was
already crowded with nursemaids and chill
dreu. Some other walkers were aboard, too,
several of these, noticing the goings to and
fro of the persons on the terrace, stopped
and stared, imagining that some court dog
| must have played the truant 1t would have
given them an electrical sensation if they
could have guessed that it was the heir to
the throne who was being sought for among
the rhododendrons and lilac bushes. This
little bit of news, retailed by them in cafes
as it would have been very speedily-would
| have been enough to occasion heavy fall
in rentes and to have spread panic on the
Bourse that afternoon.
The Princes tutor, equerry and valet
knew this but too well and so did young
| Conneau, whose youthful mind had long ago
opened to the comprehension that his I'M
perial playmate was not boy like Others
Guards surrounded him all his steps were
watched he could not wander out of the
sight of those appointed to keep their eyes
on him without raising an amount of fuss of
which Conneau himself always suffered
rather more than the Prince did. The funct
ions of whipping-boy had happily been
abolished before Louis Conneaus time but
whenever the Prince did anything amiss, it
was Conneau who was held blameworthy.
He was told that he ought to set better ex
ample, that he ought not to lead his imperial
Highness astray that he was a boy who
enjoyed great honors and had consequently
big duties, all of which sayings Conneau
bore with an air of outward penitence but
with inward mutiny. New, this much lec-
| tured youth happened to know that the
Prince Imperial chafed considerably under
| the tutelage in which he was held, and had
long cherished the ambition of going forth
and having long days spree by himself in
the streets of Paris. There was certain
| fried potato stall where H. |. H. had said
he should like to regale himself incognito,
and he much wished to go and mix with the
herds of boys whom he had seen streaming
out of the Lycees toward four in the after
| noon, and to join in Some of those delight
| tul combats which they waged among them
selves with their dictionaries and satchels
Too generous to drag his comrade into a
| scrape, the Prince had never asked Conneau
| to join him in an escapade but he had
| solemnly warned him that on the first oc-
| casion when he should catch M. Monnier
mapping, the officer on guard doing, and
the sentry at the garden gate looking stupid
| on his post, he should avail himself of this
| combination of circumstances and be off
Louis Conneau had treated this confidence
as sacred, but he had used the voice of wis
dom to persuade the Prince that there were
just as good fried potatoes to be had at the
Tuileries as ut the corner of the Rue St.
Honore and that eating these delicacies
with ones fingers out of a piece of greasy
! yellow paper constituted no such treat as H.
/. HI. fancied. However, the Prince seemed
now to have disregarded the advice, and
Conneau, hurried by questions, was at last
fain to own that he thought his Highness
had gone out for bit of fun.
"Fun r' yelled NJ Monnier, lifting his
arms in desperation "does he think it's
| fun to make us run about after him in this
fashion Where has he gone now? Tell
US at once if you know"
Perhaps he has gone to buy two sous
worth of potatoes, suggested young Conneau
| tlmluly. IL WIS udZdTuOuS statement 10
make, for the three officials glared at him as
| if they thought jest would be most unsea-
sonabe at such a moment.
Potatoes = echoed the erudte NJ. Mon
nier, 'Why he only breakfasted an hour
ago.
Boys are often ready for two breakfasts
remarked NJ. Bachon, the equerry, lum
nously.
That's not the question:, cried the tutor,
retracing his steps, and walking rapidly
back toward the palace. You must lead us
to the potato shop, Conneau, if you know
where it is. Quick come, now, take it for
granted you are not misleading u.s.
4 can not affirm he has gone for pota-
toes whined Conneau, feeling the conjunet.
ure was serious, Perhaps he has gone ia
have fight with the Lycee boys
'Mein Gott ! fight NIT uauriens p ex.
claimed Uhlmann, his honest Alsatian face
turning to the color of beetroot