New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-23
TRICKED AND TRACKED.
AN ADVENTURE IN PARIS,
BY MARY MARK-IEMoN.
PART I.-TRICKED.

occurred in my life, willcn may posSieOlJ PiVNo
interesting to those who, ike myself, are TOO
easily imp0sed upon and although, by the re-
cItal hold myself open TO the ndlcule vi 'ue
mind masculine. which, by its own showing, Is
never duped OF deceived sbytimpostOrs, yeF' III
order to warn those OF my own sex Wno " NC
more readily wrought upon, Wall narrate, as
nearly as | can, a strange adventure WHICH
hefel me during the Winter of 1869.
am the wife of an English officer, and, az the
time of which write, was residing n farls. Ld.c
in June. my husband had received orders TO .i pe
in readiness to sail with his reg ment Tor " lne
follovinp month but, as his absence was nOC
likely to be of long duration, nad ueclueu ~, To-
accompany him, and had Determined l" en" ar,
Paris my headquarters during TUG 'iln0 Vi ~
The nreparations for his departure had to DC
messed forward with all expedition, and, as Is SO
ppften the case when time Is valuable, evy[y
possible difficulty seemed 10 crop up W HinUOA
the prOgress of our WORK. -, H.,
The eliminating point at last arrived, when
INV husbands body servant fell suddenly III,
md sent in his resignation the very wen ny ~;
were expecting to start. We at once hitut III &c
ouir;es on all sides for man competent vi
HilinO the vacant post. In this instance fortune
favored ms. Just as we were beginning 10 ue-
sDair of success. Frenchman, VINO spohe very
tolerahle English, applied for tue slIuauVni
and his references being satisfactory, we hastliy
engaged him, heartily glad to have bT0ugnt an
nn3ieasant affair to 50 fortunate conclusion:
3lthOngh had many friends residing III Pails,I
had no near relations could ask 10 remain VIII
Inc during my temporary e4ile ny ~" oTcHno
tion of a few scattered cousins, my only exist
ing relative was one brother tsOme years
Younger than myself, to whom l was gFeatiy
attached, but who for years past Ll''u oeen g
his wild and reckless manner OF hVlhg; my
husband had assisted him in numerous Uncul-
ties but his patience had ut last become SA-
bausted and he had had to tell my oI9tler
i Jnoisiualu flat OnlV case oil pX-
tremity, such as an illness, which should really
;nconacitate him from work, or from some sucil
urgent cause, would he supply INN again, WIN
pecuniary help. Several letters passed De
tween them at this period; then followed an
interval of silence, which had renamed u, nm
broken M to the time of which write. lhlS
naturally caused me much uneaslueSs az
times; but could only hope he had at iehe 4I.n
felt the necessity of putting MS shouider 10 lng
wheel aud was striving to regain the gOOd
name he had lost by his own foolish conduct
Time passed slowly away. Many OF my
friends had returned to England Tor the
Winter, and l was more than ever ai0he my
husband had now been gone some months, anu
although his letters began to breathe vague
lone of bis return, knew that some time must
vet elapse before we should meet AGAIN: Qne
evening q remember 1t was the "a OF Jun H.
uarv1 I was sitting by myself, vainly trying 10
get interested ID the book i was reading, Wuen
n note was brought me by one OF the servants
of the hotel who said the bearer was W3luhg
INV reply. The letter was neatly foldeu' an
addressed IN Il wOman's handwriting To ne
LADY of CaItain Ralph BIanscOmbe," ana was
marked Private" 1t was, however, IathcT
strange looking document; and breaking the
seal in a spirit of curiosity, read the following :
Madame-I write this to you on Oehal1 OF
vour hrother. Monsieur Richard WillOughby,
who lies at this house, dying. Nouid you see
him alive you must come az oncc|WlthouU
hesitation. Madame, the poor gentleman Is
very sick-sicE to death in mind and BODY ;
I, l;oO in, fpar of arrest. and worse LlldU
arrest, even in his dying state. tie prays you
max your husband to assist LIN, as he pr0mlseo'
in this his last sore strait. No one Out Capl"ie
BranscOmbe may accompany you, OF knoT Sf VI
your errand you must bring WITH you MY
nounds in gold, If possible. English money
will do, but not notes. Your escort VIII ODiy
be little child, but he knows every turn OF tAe
way you will have to traverse. Conc on iO9t-
repeats, no one but Ralph may come with
Won he is too i'll to write anything more than
his name, which inclOse."
Here followed few directions about the way
we were to take, and an injunction to Drlng
the letter to guide myself with: linen inc
name Marie TOlsseau." lnciosed was scrap
of paper bearing my brothers signature, when
saw at once was genuine .o, r. At,
turned cold as finished the perusal OF lnls
letter but commanding my voice as we'll as 1
uaa able babe the servant SEND the bearer 10
me AT once was not left long In suspense
the door OF the salon soon, reOpened, anu q
little figure appeared on the threshold:
froO1le-iOoking boy, about eleven years or age,
dressed in a dark-blue blouse, which hung
loosely about HIM, and wearing on his heaH
red knitted fsherman's cap, which was puIed
down low on his fOrehead-a boy whose paie
face was lighted up with large dark eyes, theli
jonS droOping lashes sweeping his delicate
cheeks He shut the door softly ibehlnd nun I
aud gave a swift searching glance AROUND the
room; then, as though abashed ny my pres
ence he stood with dOwncast eyes, ana Ills
4. - F,,l,1 oil haf,rn hmm awaiting
Nv bow said, addressing him in French
can you conduct NE to this gentleman who Is
SO illT ,, -. A.,
noon, as though to reaSsure himself that VIC
C,ere alone and then he replied softly III
English, though with foreign accent, -,
GSurely, madame, will but 1t must De Nitl
all speed or it W iii be lost journey"
Telling him to wait for me where he was,
left the room, and hastened to prepare for my
expedition. My heart sank within me at tht
idea of Venturing out into the niGht WIN ht
other protectOr than the little child waiting
below but | nerved myself tn perform. the duty
felt had fallen across my path, ana inaOe w
nv mind to act as became SOLDIERS wne-
fearlessly. had labOut thirty soverelgns II
my possession, as 1t happened anu n - HrS ~ ~
the sum required as nearly as cOuld III rTehci
money, paced IL carefully III small pay !!
which | hung on my arm. Dressing myself II
dark bonnet and travelling CLOAK dcscehoc'
quietly to my apartment, without ielVihg M ~
fimatiOn Of my departure to any. one. t .l'
child stood precisely as had left HIM, WIN Hl'
light falling on his pale face. and his hands
loosely locked in one another. told hum
was ready to start, and walked TO the table By
which had been sitting t. get the letter th'
woman had written, aud which had,caused m'
SO much anxiety.
The boy then approached me, and, taking
nv hand In his cold ones, said, in a whisper
as his pite0us eyes filled with tears:
Madame the gentleman baue me say II
Won. for the love of Heaven, and for the SAKE
~ yonr dead mother, bring the money"
1 showed him the little sack carried unde
INV cloak, and he was satisfied; we then left tn
ho.el silentIy, scarcely noticed by the servants
bns;aS shont the entrance-hali. Once out II
$780, rn.a 80 7 eoemed To breathe more freely