St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-06-25
Tncksd and Tracked.
AN ADVENTURE IN PARIS.
By Mary Mark-Lenon.
PART TRICKED.

y
cident occurred in my life, which may
possibly prove interesting To those who,
like myself, are too easily imposed
upon; and although 10y the recital l
hold myself open To the ridicule of the
mind MASCULINE, which, by its own
showing, is,Sevcr duped or deceived 10y
impOstors, yet in order to warn those
of my own sex who are more readily
wrought upon, will narrate, as nearly
as can, Il strange adventure which be-
fell me during the winter of 1869.
l am the wife of an English officer,
and at the time of which | write was
residing i'll Paris. Late in June my hus-
band had received orders to be in read
mess to sail with his regiment for c. the
following month, but as his absence
was not likely to be of long duration, 1
had decided not to accompany him,
and had determined to make Paris my
headquarters during the time of our en-
forced separation.
The preparations for his departure
had to be pressed forward with all ex-
peditiOn, and as is so often the case
when time is valuable, every possible
difficulty seemed to crop up to hinder
the progress of our work.
The eliminating point at last arriv-
ed, when my husbands body-servant
fell suddenly ill, and sent in his resig-
nation the very week they were expect
ing to start. We at once made inquiries
on all sides for man competent of fl
ling the vacant post. In this instance
fortune favored us. just as we were be-
ginning to despair of success, French
man who spoke very tolerable English,
applied for the situation and his ref
erences being satisfactory, we hastily
engaged him, heartily glad to have
brought an unpleasant affair to so for
tunate a conclusion.
Although l had many friends residing
in Paris, had no near relations could
ask to remain with me during my tenn
pOrary exile; my husbands people all
lived in Ireland, and with the excep-
tion of few scattered cousins, my on
ly existing relative was one brother
(some years younger than myself, to
whom l was greatly attached, but who
for years past had been source of con-
slant anxiety to me by reason Of his
wild and reckless manner of living.
My husband had assisted him in numer-
Gus difficulties, but his patience had at
last become exhausted, and he had had
to tell my brother plainly and decisive
ly that only in case of extremity, such
as an illness which should really inca
pacitate him for work, or from some
such urgent cause, would he supply him
again with pecuniary help. Several
letters passed between them at this pc
riOd then followed an interval of ST.
lence, which had remained unbroken
up to the time of which | write. This
naturally caused me much uneasiness
at times, but / could only hope he had
at length felt the necessity of putting
his shoulder to the wheel, and was
striving to regain the good name he had
lest by his own foolish conduct.
Time passed slowly away. Many of
my friends had returned to England for
the winter, and l was more than ever
alone; my husband had now been gone
some months, and although his letters
began to breathe vague hope of his
return, l knew that some time must yet
elapse before we should meet again.
One evening Il remember it was the
22d of january, was sitting by my
self, vainly trying to get interested in
the book | was reading, when a note
was brought ME by one of the servants
of the hotel, who said the bearer was
waiting my reply. The letter was neat
ly folded, and addressed in a woman's
handwriting to "The Lady of Captain
Ralph BranscOmbe," and was marked
"Private." 1t was, however, rather a
strange looking document and break
ing the seal in spirit of curiosity,
read the following:
"Madame,-I write this to you un
behalf of your brother, Monsieur Rich
ard Willoughby, who lies at this house
dying. Would you see him alive, you
must come at once-withOut hesitation
Madame, the poor gentleman is very
sick-siek to death in body and mind
for he lies in fear of arrest, and worse
than arrest, even in his dying state. He
prays you ask your husband to assist
him as he promised, in this his last
sore strait. No one but Captain Bran
scOmbe may accompany you or know
of your errand; you must bring will
you fifty pounds in gold, if possible
English money will do, but not notes
Your escort will be little child, bu
: he knows every turn of the way vol
will have to traverse Como on foot
5 to drive might excite suspicion. Mon
sieur repeats, no one but Ralph ma,
come with you; he is too i'll to writ,
anything more than his name, which
enclose"
Here followed few directions abou
the way we we're to take, and an in
/ junction to bring the letter to guild
myself with. Then the name "Mari
2 Teisseau." InclOsed was scrap @
a mn hrot tnrf
e which l saw at once was genuine.
d l turned cold as finished the perusa
of this letter, but commanding m
c. voice as well as | was able, bade tn
II servant send the bearer to me at once
S, l was not left long in suspense th
s. door of the saloon soon reOpened, an
i a little figure appeared on the thresh
(, old. A fragile looking boy about eleve
rs years of age, dressed in q dark blu
s. blouse, which hung loosely about hin
a and wearing on his head a red knitte
: fisherman's cap, which was pulled dow
5 low on his forehead-a boy whose pal
:. face was lighted up with large dar
Il eyes, their long dropping lashes sweeI
ing his delicate cheeks. He shut I'll
3 door softly behind him, and gave
n swift, searching glance around til
ia room; then, as though abashed by m
A. presence, he stood with downcast ey,
e. and his hands loosely folded before hin
" awaiting my questioning.
: "My boy" l said, addressing him
French, 'can you conduct me to tn
gentleman who is so i'll ~
ID Again his dark eyes wandered abol
le the room, as though to reassure himse
l, L that we were alone, and then he replit
il softly in English, though with foreie