The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-18
THE PRESS.
[Harpers Bazar.l
A Story Of the Prince Imperial

About fifteen wears ago, when the Second
Empire was in the heyday OF its prosperity, q
great commotion occurred one day at tie
Palace of the Tuileries. The Prince lmperi-
al was missing His tutor NJ. Monnier, his
valet Uhlmann, his equerry NJ. Bachon,
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 to hold him respon-
sible for the mishap which they dreaded,
for every now and then they turned round,
gesticulating, and sharply repeated The ques-
ton, "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 nurse-maids and
children Some other walkers were abroad,
too, inhaling the tonic of Partisan June air,
and several of these, noticing the goings to
and fro of the persons Oh the terrace,
stopped and stared, imagining that some
court dog must have played the truant. 1t
would have given them an electrical sensa-
ton if they could have guessed that it was
the heir to the throne that was being sought
for among the rhododendrons and lilac
bushes. This little bit of news, retailed by
hem in caf6s-as it would have been very
speedily-would have been enough to occa-
sion a heavy fall in rentes, and to have
spread a panic on the Bourse that afternoon.
The Princes tutor, equerry and v7let
knew this but too well; and so did young
Ccnneau, whose youthful mind had long ago
opened to the comprehension that his impe-
rial playmate was not Il 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 func-
tions of whipping boy had happily been abol-
ished before Louis Conneau's time; but
whenever the Prince did anything amiss, it
was Conneau who was held blameworthy.
He was told that he oughl to set better eX-
ample, that he ought not to lead his Imperi-
al Highness astray; that he was 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. Now 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 a long days spree by himself in
the streets of Paris. There was a certain
frieo-potato stall where ii. l. III. had said he
should like to regale himself incOgnitO, and
he much wished to go and mix with the
out of the Lycees towards four in the after
noon, and to join in some of those delightful
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 sol
EMMY warned him that on the first occasion
when he should catch NJ. 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 Con-
neau had treated this confidence as sacred,
but he had used the voice of wisdom to per-
suade the Prince that there were just as good
fried potatoes to be had at the Tuileries as
at the corner of the Rue st. Honore, and
that eating these delicaces with ones fingers
out of piece of greasy yellow paper consti-
tuted no such treat as III. l. I'll. fancied.
However, the Prince seemed now to have
disregarded the advice, and Conneau, har
ried by questions, was at length fain to own
that he thought his Highness had gone out
for bit of fun.
''Funw yelled N. Monnier, lifting his
arms in desperation; ''does he think it is
fun to make us run about. after him i'll 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 Con-
neau, timidly. 1t was a hazardous state
ment to make, for the three officials glared
at him as if they thought jest would be
most unsuitable at such a moment,
''Potatoes." echoed the erudite NJ. Mon
nier. ''Why, he only breakfasted an hour
agon'
''Boys are often ready for two breakfasts"
remarked NJ. Bachon. the equerry, luminous
ly.
''That's not the question" cried the tutor,
retracing his steps, and alking rapidly
back toward the palace. You must lead
us to the potato shop, Conneau, if you know
granted you are not misleading u.s."
81 can't affirm he has gone for potatoes"
whined Conneau, feeling the conjuncture
was serious. "Perhaps he has gone to have
fight with the Lycee boys
''Mein Colt. q fight nit UdurieRs" eX-
claimed Uhlmann, his honest Alsacian face
turning to the color of beet-root.
'Not word more,' gasped M. Monnier,
for they were nearing sentry, and observed
the captain of the guard standing on the
steps of the Pavilion de Flore, and shifting
''Come along, come along: we must keep
this from the Emperor: he would become ill
from alarm"
''And from the Empress" whispered III.
Bachon, who feared that her Majesty's
wrath might possibly not manifest itself in
silent prostration.
1t was great responsibility that the party
were assuming in concealing the Princes
disappearance from the Emperor; for there
was a standing order at court that if any
thing happened to the Prince, his Majesty
was to be Informed of it without delay, and
that the Project of Police was to be tele-
graphed for. 1t was just possible that the
Prince nigh have been kidnapped; and I'M
der these circumstances it was Of the ut
most Importance that the Project should be
warned at once, in order that the entire
brigade of the secret police might be thrown
out over the capital like huge net enclosing
its meshes over all the railway stations and
the gates which lead out of Paris. The
truth is, though, that the persons who were
hunting for Napoleon's heir dreaded to be
called sharply to task for dereliction of duty
in suffering their precious charge to slip out
unobserved; and they hoped that by putting
their best feet foremost, they might be sue
cessful in overtaking his Highness without
police assistance Louis Conneau avouched
that the potato stall which had tempted his
comrade was within q stone S-throw of the
Tuileries, and as to the Lycee, it was proba-
BILE that the one which the Prince knew best
by sight was that of Charlemagne, near the
Bastile end of the Rue de Riyoli. So NM
Monnier, Bachon, and Uhlmann, along with
young Copneau, might soon have been seen
scudding across the Place du Carrousel to-
ward the Rue de Rvoli entrance; but so well
used the police of the Tuileres to be con-
Quoted in hose times, that u couple of the
palace Observation-Disclosures gentlemen
with red ribbons in their -holes-who
saw them hurry out, suspected something
wrong, and stole after them. Perhaps they
fancied that NJ. Monnier had purloined some
of the crown diamonds, and that NJ. Bachon
and NJ. Uhmann were going with him to
share the proceeds Mistrust of honest men
is the prime virtue of detectives.
The old woman who kept the fried-p0tato
stall at the corner of Rue ST. Honor6 and the
Rue des Bons Enfants was known in the
quarter by the nickname of Mere Rissole.
She was rather character in Der way, and
though not possessed of such fine Ii erary
and artistic customers as her sister friers
who sell potatoes to the rising talent OF the
Quarter Latin, she nevertheless welded
some social influence by reason of having
some hundred garrulous female concierges
for Der customers. To such a woman any
hit of news was welcome as broad piece of
silver, and worth it, for it helped to keep her
customers in patience while the process of
slowly gliding the potatoes in the hiss
Going Wherefore