, 1889-07-03

torch lights over the still weltering battle
fields of France. Fox, my friend, has
written me to be on my guard for this
evil one. And how do you know him?
Where have you seen him7'
AT this Josephine burst into tears.
'Oh, do not cry" he said. "but answer
me; your charity has beer abused. The
traitors imagined a petition which you
should propose could not be denied, and
then they would in Paris, under my very
eyes, AVE begun their wretched play.
Fouche is right; these people are ire
deemable."
81 do not know him." replied Jose
phine; d not get angry. Tear up the
petition and we will speak no more of it;
if you knew how it came to me-"
Josephine related how the petitioner
came to her and the wonders he produced.
"And you open the door to such peo-
pie? Jugglers and magicians, who try to
strew sand in the eyes of the first consul,
because they could not deceive himl How
childish you are, Josephine, to be blinded
by m~agiciansl"
With these words he approached the
sideboard and took an apple from a bas-
ket.
"See, In such an apple 1 found the petit
ton. These are on my table every day
and accident led me to it."
Bonaparte shrugged his shoulders and
cut the apple. 1t concealed a similar pc
tition. Bonaparte showed Josephine the
ingenuity with which the kernels were
taken out and the space filled out with a
rolled up paper,
THE man could not but succeed" he
said, you may nave wished as you
would. He was in league with the fruit
erer, who shall serve you no longer. l
shall recommend your magician to
Fouche and"
At the mention of this name Josephine
trembled. The name of this blood
thirsty person sufficed to arouse horror
in an innocent person. Josephine knew
now that her charge was irrevocably lost.
"Ahi ~Bonaparte, 1 pray you, do not
have him taken here and do not soil the
innocence of my house."
with you? He is here thenT'
mo, but he will come again; 1 hoped
to entertain you with his artful tricks
this evening""
"Fouche will find him."
Without listening any more he tramp
ed ON the apple and its contents, which
were on the floor, to hurry back to Paris.
Josephine's sorrow was in~describable.
For the first time she felt that there was
a place in Napoleon's heart to which she
had no access. She instituted search in
the vicinity of Malmaison and went to
all imaginable trouble to find him. She
wished to give him money and have him
taken over the boundary line by one of
her own people, but all her trouble was
fruitless. Dinner time arrived and Jo-
sephine, worried with unpleasant
thoughts, left the victuals untouched.
But when dessert was served both fold
ing doors opened and George Marco ap-
peared with his little table, his fine ebony
sticks and tin cups.
ely, sir, fyl" Josephine addressed
him, "or you are lost, You have muir
dered French soldiers and deserve death.
I can protect you no longer in my house.
The consul has probably given you up to
Fouche and you are helplessly lost"
The magician, on whose features were
cast such q dismal look yesterday, looked
quietly at Josephine and begged her to
give him a quarter of an hour of her
time. He set the table down and brought
forth the cup from his pocket. This
time he offered neither rubies nor dia-
monds, and neither did he let flowers
rain, but there tumbled out little soldiers,
footmen and riders.
These" said he, ARE the Austrians,
these Prussians and these Russians, and
they all unfold on q level. Do you see
their battalions, their squadrons, divis-
ions? Do you see Melas on a horse? He
Is their leader, and the horse on which
he is mounted promised the holy Nico-
laus the guns of the French. There is
h French army. Do you see the gen.
eral with a flying plumep He stretches
forth his hand and all the armies attack
each other. Do you hear the thunder of
the and the sound of the trum-
pets2 Do you SEQ the tri-colored 6ag2
Do you hear the enthusiastic shout of the
rejoicing multitude: Long live the re-
publici Long live Gen. Bonapartel"
And all the soldiers seemed to tumble
out of the cups and go in order ready for
the battle on the table, where they per-
formed the movements which George
Marco commanded. When the battle
was won victorious and defeated re-
turned to his pocket, and the magician
offered to show the wife of the first con-
sui still more wonderful things, the
I6y pblhi SADSuillOh anu buO DdIIlC OI
the pyramids.
Josephine could not enjoy the treat.
Believing the man exposed to danger,
she said to him: ''Take this money and
go away"
Marco, who was more quiet and col
lected than yesterday, said: 81 would not
sell my art for gold yesterday, much less
will l today. Show me n favor; open
one of these apples"
Josephine did SO and found the follow
ing letter;
MADAME: 1 have just delivered proof
unto the first consul that this Marco,
who has the honor to appear before you,
is not tho murderer who has deserved
the punishment of law. The one you
protect is an honest man, who has taken
part in h expedition of Amberon and
fought bravely, but emigrated after the
defeat of the Royalists. he did not,
however, go to England, but to Germany,
and from there has brought with him
the marionette plays, which will prob