Omaha daily bee., 1885-09-23

Inc hrst success OF the patenteee, Whic
later on formed the company Of Auzln
encouraged every one. The ground wa
sounded In each commune; companis
we're established and grants made out q
once. In spite of the stupidity of ths
age, Baron Desrumsux had left bebinI
him the memory OF q great mind. Flo
four years he had struggled on withou
falterlng, In the midst Of continual OBJ.
stacles. The first explorations wer
fruitiess; new mines were abandoned
after long months of work; there wer,
~oavinss and sudden foundations, destroy
Ing the workmei; hundreds of thou
sands of francs were sunk; then Their,
was government interference, the panicl
of the stockholders, and o contest with
land owners resolved not to recognize
the royal grants, II they refused to trest
with them frat. At last the company,
Desrumaux, Fsnquenoix q Co., wa,
formed to explore the Montson grant, and
the first mines had commenced to give
some slight returns, when two neighbor
Ing companies, Cougny, belonging &c
Count Cougny, and Joiselle, belonging to
the company of Cornille & Jenard, went
under. The Esd of August, 1760, these
companies were consolidated and the com.
pany of the Montson mines, now exist
ing. was created. The assessments they
spportioned In accordance with the stand
ard of the money of the time.
In those days the baron owned Plo-
laine, and he had in his employ a clerk
named Honore Gregory, a boy from Ar
dennes, the grest.grandfather of Leon,
father of Cecil. At the time of the
treaty of Monstop, Honore, who had
boarded In a stocking q hundred thou
sand francs, %tremblingly yielded them to
his employer. With ak thousand llvres
he took some shares In the mine, though
fearing to rob his children of that sum.
His son Eugene received very small div
idends, and, when he had foollshly
squendered the other four thousand
francs OF his p~aternal Inheritance, became
very penurlous. But little by little the
interest increased. Fortune commenced
with Fellcien, who was able to ~reslize
the dream with which his grandfather,
the old secretary, had rocked the cradle
of his infancy, the purchase of Polaine
for a paltry sum. Then followed years
of reverses, the clouds breaking some
what after the revolution, then lowering
after the unfortunate downfall of Nopo-
leon. 1t was Leon Gregory who realized
from the timid and uncertain Investment
of his grandfather, whose ten thousand
francs multiplied with the rising prosper
ity of the company. In 1920 they yielded
cent per cent, ten thousand francs. in
1874, twenty thousand. In 1850, forty.
Then there were two years that the div
idend went up to the enormous sum of
fifty thousand francs; the value of the
stock had increased q hundred fold In a
hundred and some years.
Mr.. Gregory whom they advlsedto see
when the stock went up 30 high smiling |
ly refused. Six months later an indus-
trial crisis broke out AVID the dividends
again fell to six thousand francs. But
he still smiled, regretting nothing, for
the Gregorys now had an obstinate faith
In their mine. 1t would go up. God
was good. A religious conviction was
blended with g profound gratitude tor an
which, for a hundred years,
had nourlshed them In idleness, 1t was
well; their egotlsm lulled them Into fan
cied security, while they fattened them.
selves at their well filled table. This
had continued from father to son; why
to displease fate by doubling 2
And at length q superstitlous fear pos
sessed them that, If they converted their
stock into money it would be lost.
They preferred 1t deep down In the earth,
where a company of miners. generation
generation dying of hunger, dug
a little each day, according to their
Happiness was showered on that house.
While young, Mr.. Gregory had married
the daughterof q Marchiennes~ druggist, q
girl, without a cent, whom he
and who in return made him a
good wife. She remained at home, hap.
py with her husband, having no other
will but his; a similarity of tastes united
them /; a single thought of comfort was
theirs ; and they lived thus without care
for forty years. 1t was an even life, the
thirty thousand francs were quietly ex-
But the late birth of Cecil
ended their economy. All her caprices
were gratiied (; a second horse, two more
carrisges, even toilets sent from Paris.
She added to their joy and they could
find anything too beautiful for her,
though they themselves, with a horror of
had retained the costumes of their
youth. All Improbable expense seemed
for them.
Suddenly the door opened, and a
,!rorg voice cried:
"Well! what Is this, havs you break
lasted without me?'
1t was Cecil, just up, her eyes still
swollen with sleep. She had simply
her hair and clipped on a white
WOODEN wrapper.
"No," said her mother, ''you see we
havs been waiting for you. WE'LL that
Wind must have prevented you from
poor darling"
The young girl looked at them In sur
prise.
"Has 1t been blowing2 l knew moth
ng of 1t; 1 have not stirred all night"
This seemed so strange that they all
even the servants who wers
In the breakfast, smiled at the
dea of the young lady having slept SO
for twelve hours.
"Ahl that Is NICE" said Cecil as she
Jaw the milk bread. "That will be good
n our chocolate"
They seated themselves at the table;
he chocolate was smoking ia the cups,
md for q time, nothing was spoken Of
,ut the bread. Melanie and Honorins
'emained watching them devour 1t, say
ng, 1t was a pleasure to make anything
when 1t was eaten with such enjoyment.