Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-10-17


dreaded to be called sharply to task for dere-
LECTION of duty in suffering their pre-
cous charge to slip out unobserved; and
they hoped that by putting their best feet
foremost they might be successful in over
taking his IIighness without police assistance.
Louis Connoau avouchcd that the potato stall
which had tempted his comrade was within
stones-throw of the Tuileries, and as TO the
LycGe it was probable that the one which
the Prince knew best by sight was that of
Charlemagne near the Bastilo end Of the
Rue de Rivoli. SO NM. Monnier Bachon,
and Uhlmann, along with young Conneau,
might soon have been seen scudding across
the Place du Carruusel toward the Rue de
Rivoli entrance but so well used the police
of the Tuileries to be conducted in those
times that n couple Of police detectives
wei. dressed gentlemen, with red ribbons in
their button-hO -hOlos-who saw them hurry out,
suspected something wrong, and stole after
| them. Perhaps they fancied that NJ. Mon
nier had puroned some Of the crown dia-
monds, aud that VI. Bachon and NJ. Uhlmann
were going with him 10 share the proceeds.
Mistrust Of honest men is the prime virtue of
detectives.
The old woman who kept the fried potato
stall at the corner of the Rue st. Honore and
the Rue dcs Bons Eutants was known in the
quarter by the nickname of Mere Rssolc
She was rather character in her way, and
| though not possessed Of such fine literary and
artistic customers as her sister fricrs 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 her custom
era. To such woman any bit of news was
welcome as a broad piece of siycr, and worth
it, for it helped her to keep her customers in
! patience while the process Of slowly gliding
the potatoes in the kissing grease was going
| on. Wherefore Mother Rssole fairly painted
with excitement when she wasaccostedb three
perspring men and little boy, who all asked
! her with breathlcss cagerness whether she
had seen another little boy aged about nine,
! dressed in black velvet "A handsome boy.
with large soft eyes and winning ways-'iu
fact the Prince Imperial" blurted out poor
NJ Monnier, who was beginning to have mis-
! giyiugs that he should sleep at Mazas, and
! subsequently be tried on a capital charge.
! You must know the Prince Imperial, mad
! ame tell us truly whether you have seen
! him"
"Seigneur Dieu! Why it must be the boy
who came here about an hour ago, but |
| didn't notice him, exclaimed the old woman.
| dropping her knife into the frying pan from
surprise, and splashing drop Of scnldiug
! grease on to the round chin of NJ. Bachon,
who murmurcd benison as he wiped it off.
Mon Dieu mon Dieu 80 added she: why.
he gave mc franc, and wouldn't take any
change then he walked of with shabby
man in bad hat, who often cones TO me to
buy his breakfast"
shabby man-bad hat :" echoed NJ. Mon
uier. beside himself Which way did they
go? Quick we've not moment to lose"
Il really don't know" answered Mother
Rssole, bcwildered.
. .l.,l.
of yours lives - asked NJ. Bachon, putting
more practical question.
is his hat so very bad Perhaps we
might know him by that asked Louis Con
neau, anxious also to display his acumen.
Il dou't know where the man lives, but
I've heard that he's a journalist" answered
the fried potato woman. He sometimes
gives me y bundle of newspapers to pay his
breakfast, instead of money
what papers 2" inquired NJ. Monnier.
II don't know, Sir, | can't read, was the
| puzzled answer.
Anyhow, the mans a radical" opincd NJ.
Bachon. NO conservative would come to
buy fried potatoes at stall, and pay for
them in kind
This little sally made no one smile, for mat
tiers were beginning to look ugly. The Crown
Prince in the hands Of a shabby radical might
mean all sorts of abominable things, not the
least probable Of which might be the demand
for u humping ransom. 70 make matters
worse, it began TO rain at that moment, and
the party had, Of course, no umbrellas. They
could not get into a cab, because it was now
their duty TO walk up the Rue de Rivoli rs far
as the College Charlemagne, aLd See if they
could not fall in with the Prince on their way,
Damp and wrctched, they trudgcd of on
their unpromising orrand, little Conneau hav-
ing to run to keep pace with them; the two
detectives, who had never lost sight Of them
followed at a respectful distance behind by
the time they reached the Hutcl de Vile they
were dripping sops; and upon arriving at
the college they were stoamiug from heat and
moisture like boiled vegetables. Unhappily,
their perseverance, was not to be rewarded,
for on looking up and down the street, where
the rain was falling in torrents, they saw
nothing resembling "A Prince, nor even
shabby radical. There were men with bad
hats enough, but they were ordinary folks
hurrying through their business in the rain
and Offering nothing suspicious to the eye of
the beholder II had been the practice of
NJ. Monnier to improve the shining hours
which he spent with his imperial pupil by
taking the casual objects and incidents of life
as texts in instructive sermons. lie had al
ready made mental note of the fact that if he
recovered his pupil safe and sound, he would
discourse to him about potatoes, scaldng
grease, radicals, and the uses to which hat
may be put when the nap is gone but he
now added to his mental notes that constric-
ton of the throat which is a symptom of great
fear, and from which he began to suffer
acutcly Mt that moment. He remarked also
how his friend Bachon and the valet Uhl-
mann were marking time nervously ON the
pavement, as if they too saw no pleasing Wis
Ia opening before them but this interesting
observation did not cloak from him the ne
cessity Of returning to the Tuileries without
DELAY SO a cab was hailed, and the whole
dismal party got into it, Louis ConneHu,
who had borne up brayely till then, began to
cry by doing which he rendered great ser
vice to the three men, who only wanted such
an excuse to upbraid him, all three together,
and vow that the whole thing was his fault
Let us tread lightly over the scene that took
place at the Tuileries when it was disclosed
to Napoleon III. and the Empress that their
son had taken what the French figurativey
call the key of the fields, and had been seen
in the company of tatterdemalion quill
driver. How aides-de-camp rushed about
and how maids of honor tainted how Secre-
taries of State were sent for, and arrived with
their hair dishevelled how the Prefect of
Police drove to and fro about the city, giving
orders and cross-orders and how, during
five mortal hours, the entire police of the
best policed city in the world left of hunt
ing rogues to chase their imperial masters
heir-al these things will be recorded some
day when the court history of the Second
Empire gets written. Enough to say here
that towards six in the evening, when the
confusion in the palace was at its height
rather dusty and somewhat abashed little
boy was seen parleying with the sentry who
mounted guard under the triumphal arch of
the Cauousel
"Why, it's he !" screamed NJ. Monnier,
who Witnessed the sight from his window
and he would have dashed out of the room
but he was practically in the hands of two
officers of the guards who courteously re-
strained him. The next moment however,
shouts of joy, greetings, etc, mingled with
reproaches, could be heard in the passage
outside, and NJ. Monnier knew that his pupil
had come home safe and sound Etiquette