The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-10-08
A PIOUS FRAUD.

II
Twenty years ago there lived wild
ow lady in the South of France, in a
seaside village called Compiegne, near
Marseilles, who had occupied the same
house for half a century, and was es-
teemed as kind friend to the poor.
For French lady, she was, ccnspi-
cuously wealthy, having an income of
about eighty thousand francs a year;
and this income she had njoyed for
fifty years, to the constant benefit of
the neighborhood in which she lived.
But the evil day came at last, and this,
too, in her old age, when she lost al
most the whole of her large property:
some said through the pertidy of her
broker; some, through rash ventures or
speculations; and some, through her
honorable desire to pay the gambling
debts of brother who had lost his hon
or as he had lost everything else. Be
the secret what it might-and it was
never cleared up--she was so reduced
as to be practically penniless, having
sold even her jewels and her library,
and keeping nothing but her household
furniture and effects.
The house that she lived in was not
her own. She rented it from not too
as much disliked in the neighborhood
as the lady was affectionately esteemed; !;
and when the time came that the lady
was so impoverished as to be unable
even to pay six months rent, the land
lord was perhaps the only man in the
whole neighborhood whose pity was
shadowed by Self-interest. He did not
so much as express sympathy with his
old tenant. Thou oh she had paid him
a handsome rental for so long time
the villagers said for forty-eight
years-the landlord was a man who
had but one idea Of humanity, and that
was to get his own at quarterday. We
must not presume to pass censure on
the landlord. These are men, excel
lent men, whose one weakness for
money is such an absorbent of all the
force of their character that they have
no capacity left for appreciating any
thing else, and must be regarded as ir-
responsible idiots.
Now it SO happened that, about a
mile from the lady's house, there lived
a gentleman who had grown rich by
picture-fancying The name of this
gentleman was Monsieur Grafton. He
wos nnnsidnrad tn ha one of tho hc~+
judges OF pictures, not only III the
neighborhood, but in all France. His
word fixed the value of any painting.
And so wondrous was his gift of dis
elimination that he had been sent for
to f'sris by the Government of his day
to settle rare disputes on art subjects.
1t was said of him that he could tell a
Vernet from a Gaspar Poussin by one
glance of his tyre-discerning eyei that,
on one occasion. ,yben, at first sight OF
a fine picture, he was asked, Can this
be French or Italiau?'' he replied in
stantly, Neither, sir; It Is a george
Morland;n and that he had even
turned the Jest on some art critics IN
Vienna, who had labelled picture
wrongly to deceive him.
Now this gentleman, who had
amassed a large fortune-some said
five millions OF francs-by his happy
knack OF picking up unsuspected
gems was well known to the hard
landlord, and still better known to the
lady whom ill-fortune had now placed
in the landlords power. He had been
deeply grieved to hear of the lady's re-
cent troubles. And he became savage
downright spiteful-when the news
reached his ears that his lady-friend
was about to be "sold up"
Without loss of a moment he called
to see the lady. He begged her, most
respectfully, yet most earnestly, to per-
nit him to defray the tritliug debt
She could repay him, he suggested, i'll
few months or years, if she preferred
a loan, and would decline to accept g
gift; but meanwhile he implored her
not to let so small sum-not to let SO
small a service on his part-stand in
the way of her saving her household
gods The lady was grateful, but OBJ
durate. If the landlord. she said must
injure anyone, it had best be that per-
son who was his debtor; and, for her
part, she was not unhappy in the con-
temptation of at least honorably dis
charging a just debt.
So the worst came to the worst at
the appointed time. All the villagers
were full of sorrow for the kind lady.
Many of them dubbed together, and
tried to raise the full amount. which
was no more than two thousand five
hundred francs; but the lady, when
she heard of it, instantly stopped the
| subscription, and assured the good vii
layers that sit was of no Importance. "
| Indeed, she bore up so sereneiy under
| her sudden change of fortune that she
might be said to be as admirable in ad-
versity as she has been in her uses OF
| great wealth.
The date of the public sale was duly
| advertised IN the newspapers; and the
| huge placards which were posted all
about the village were read with tear
full eyes by many villagers: TO be
| sold, by auction, on the morning OF
| Tuesday, September 10Th, at eleven tc
! twelve O'Clock, the household furniture
| and contents of the Villa Antoinette, y
ETC., was the announcement which
| occasioned grief to hundred friends
and which aroused no little resentment
| against the landlord.
Accordingly, on a fine morning IL
September, just twenty years ago-ir
1S65-a little crowd was gathered early
round the Villa Antoinette, and not {
few persons passed within the villa
Everyone of note, or rather everyone
who had money, was anxious to secure
some souvenir from the sale. Indeed
many persons were present, not to buy
anything for themselves, but to ''buy
in" what could be bought for the kline
lady. And here it must be mentione,
that the law Of France, in regard t,
sales, is more considerate and NOR
just than in the English law; for it i
not permitted, in French sale by auc
ton, to sell one stick more than is re