Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-03-10
A Female Iron hIA,k.

On the banks OF the Marne, close by the
village OF r., and about three-quarters of
an hour distant from Paris, stands the cha
teau OF the Marquis of Il. Ii is very
grand old chateau, built at time when
every country residence was u fortress, and
tourists travel thither from afar to admire
its turrets and its donjon, aud It's portcul
lis and, above all, It's armory, which is said
to contain the finest private collection of
offensive and defensive weapons in France.
There hangs the authentic SUIT of armor
worn by Francis ], at Marignan, and no
less authentic buckler brought back by one
of the noble owners ancestors from Pales-
tine where once 1t had been carried by
Saladin. There, too, is TO be seen the
"glaive of justice" before which fell the
head.of the count of Montmorency- -Boutte-
vile, with illustrious ctiSSdrds and cele-
brated 6rdSsardS and daggers and rapiers
and cimetars, each with its especial history.
But the gems of the gallery are the nell
NETS, of which there are specimens of every
shape and epoch, from the humble morton
OF the retire TO the plumed and gilded
casque of the knight. In fact, helmets are
the particular hobby OF the marquis; who
is, or rather was, prouder Of his collection
than of anything else in the world, until
he took unto himself wife, when, so long
as the novelty of the situation, lasted, she
assumed the first place in his affections.
But the Marchioness, who vas restless lit
tie ParisIenne, did not like the village OF
r., nor the chateau Of X. She found the
nelghbors dull; and saw no more charms in
the Sunday evenings game of whist with
the notary, the cure, and her husband.
Time hung heavily on her hands; she had
nothing 10 do, and s0 looked about her for
some distraction, as she was as much out
of place in that gloomy old castle as would
be canary bird inside of a cannon. She
found il naturally; most people do find
what they want if they seek diligently and
are aided Ey the devil, as she was, for the
distractor appeared in the form of MIR. j.
p, the son of an eminent Partisan doctor,
who has villa In tie envlrons. All
through the summer their hirtations went
ON nicely, ii wickedly, but, as usual, the
pitcher went to the well once too often.
One of the servants considerably informed
his master of Madame's ''carryings on"
and when Monsieur came in Unexpectedly
upon the turtle doves last Wednesday even
ing he was not left in any doubt; Mr. L.
p. jumped out of the window and was not
shot after; the lady dropped upon her knees
and asked for mercy. MADAME" said
NJ de r., with calmness more terrible
than would have been an explosion of
wrath, 'be good enough to get up and ac-
company me.' "But this costume" she
venturcd to protest. sis perfectly appropri-
ate, was the reply and, like another statue
of the commander, he led the way TO the
armory ''It Is all over with me, thought
the Marchioness, she means TO cut my
head of" but they passed by the ''glaive
of JUSTICE and never stopped until they
reached the helmet department. so far the
prologue. On Thursday morning as the
milk-carts came in at the Grenelle gate OF
the Notifications, their drivers were aston
ished TO see female sitting on the pave
ment clad only in chemise, but with her
head surmounted by an iron casque from
which floated an immense plume of ostricL
feathers. Who was she, whence came she
what was the meaning of this strange ac-
Coutre .nenll All those questions were ask
ed, first by the milkmen and then by the
police agents who conveyed her TO the
nearest guard-house. The answers came
but were inaudible; from behind that low
cred visor her voice sounded like the bark
of little dog at the bottom OF a copper
kettle with its cover on. At last somebody
thought that perhaps she might be able to
write her story, which, as my readers may
have supposed, Is a continuation of the
promenade in the r. armory. Then lock-
smith was sent for, bur he could do nothing
toward Kidding her of her cumberson head
gear, the secret spring Of whose fastenings
is only known to the marquis himself. A
dispatch was posted off To r., but the mar
quis had left-for two years, said the stew
ard, and without giving any address. ex
cept that of his banker in Paris, who has
not been told yet whittier he is to direct
his correspondence. So stands the affair
now, and there Is no reason to anticipate
its speedy termination. The victim is fed
on liquids through tube passed between
the bars of the helmet, ard gets just
enough air to avoid suffocation; but can
she endure the torture until her lord relentsl
The steel is so marvelously tempered that
it turns the edge of every tool SO far tried
upon it, and the unlucky heroine of this
extraordinary but positively veracious his
tory is not likely TO derive much consola-
ton from the inscription found upon the
piece of armor, from which 1t appears that
il is one Of the chefs d'OeuUre OF the cele-
brated Florentine armorer Galottl, made
by him expressly for Alphonso dEste, the
fourth husband of the notorious Lucrezia
Borgia.