Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-18
WOMEN WHO LOST.
vo,,Ne NAPOLEON ONCE REJECTED
az A WEALTHY WIDOW.
General Ecrnadotte's Love for Bea"titni
Girl who Was n Drudge When ne
Was King OF sweden.
rcnamherr,s Iournal.l

he tosSessGd IN so rcmaIhaois usEit. -
Bnt IN the opinion OF BaIras. Napoleon,
~ his chance of achieving fame. ana ne
,yonoscd 10 remedy this by selecting foI
him rich wife.
Ra~ras chose for this position woman
u,ho tbongh still undcniably handsome
Ses no longer young. Though she was
rallied Nile. Montansler. she was IN reaiity
widow. who. because she had oeeh on she
stage. had never adopted we naIno % no'
husband. She was sixty years OF age
Lns n was sand that she made herse!f ap-
,ca- 10 be no. more than forty by the IN,
INNATE knowledge that she possessed OIL
the secrets Of the toilet table. =.
To Introduce Napoleon and Mile. Mon
tansier Rarras gave supper. to which they
were botn invited. Ho so arranged mat
fors that they were placed together NJ the
teble and hoped that this precautOn,
sd1ed 10 the iniunctions which he had
given TO Napoleon 10 behave for once IN
Els life with some show OF civility TO lady
would have the happiest results.
Napoleon was quite the last man 70 rely
upon in such respect. His manners to-
wards the fair sex were those OF cost r,
rnongor. and though he could generaliN hoiu
his own in a conversation with men he was
entirely without the knack OF nhhlns
himself interesting or agreeable 10 women
lie felt that his place was IN the camp OF
the field. and he was quite out OF ms ele-
ment among the conventiOnabues OF a
kqloa. Had be been inclined 10 WOO II
would have been IN straightforward
soldier-ikc fashson. not with the dallyings
and compl mcnts so dear 70 the frencn-
woman OF his tire.
So presently Rarras had the mort fica-
tion of seeing Mile Montansier. her back
Turned TO Napoleon, engaging IN hVely
conversation with the gentleman on her
other side. while the future cOnqueror was
maxine with little pellets 81 bread plan
of battle on the table before HIM. Hardly
word passed between the two during the
remainder Of the meal.
supper over Barras drew Napoleon aside
and smoke forclblv 20 HIM Of the foolish
way In which he was throwing away his
chances. "You know" said he. that
money is everything 20 Won; here are a
million francs, and YOU will not stretch out
vour hand to take them; a most attractive
woman. and YOU VIII not show her the
smallest gallantrv Nile. Montansler has
come here this evening prepared y hear a
declaration from Won. Strike while the
iroa IS hot AID VIII the wealth that you
cannot DO without at one bold stroke"
THE woman Is old enough TO be my
grandmother" sand NAPOLEON. who was
then TWENTY-FIVE wears old; but that is
no matter, Tor 90 me all women are alike.
Money ~ what want and If | cannot get
IL without q wife ] must take the two to-
getheT | am no conner of pretty speeches,
but before the evening Is over VIII say to
hrT 'NaGemOiselIe. are YOU willing 10 &C
cept me a. your husband = More than that
! cannot do"
The very kind Of proposal that any
woman would expect from a blunt soldier"
replied Barras. Say that and desire no
more You arc 10 be envied. for, besides
her wealth. madomoiselle isvcry handsome
STILL
Napoleon turned away with gesture OF
impGtience; but half an hour later Iarras
noticed that the two were a.One together
In o recess. Presently Napoleon got NJ
and went away. and the lady beckoned to
BarrGs with her fan.
Take away that dreadful little man.
she SAID with q shudder "he has bored
me 70 death and / only prevented him
from proposing by sending him for glass
of lemonade"
But why prevent him?" said Barras.
"i lie Will be q great man vet"
GIVE myself and nv money 10 such a
little horror, such an lll-mannercd bOur as
that " replied mademoiselle. Never.
would sooner take the first bcgcar il the
streets. What have / done that | should
be given such a wretched evening? Don't
let your
But at this moment she was checked by
the arrival OF Napoleon with the lemon
sde. Barras hurried away, still hoping for
the best; hut soon be saw at the other end
of the room Bonaparte stand ny in the at
tItude in which he has SO often been de-
picted, with his arms folded and his chin
sunk upon them.
Well, are yOu 10 be marredi" he said.
fastening toward his profGgc.
I" That old actress" said Napoleon, that
female Cr0sus, refused me before | had
opened my mouth TO ask her hand. | was
on the point of speaking, rs | told YOU
should speak, when she began 10 inform
me that her wealth was the cause Of her
constantly receiving offers from adyentu-
yers who cared nothing for herself that
she thanked Providence she had so far
seen through such fellows. and that she
was resolved to keep her independence
] was glad had not spoken for IL gave me
the opportunity OF SAYING: 'Mademolselle,
pray persevere in that trustworthy inten
ton il is one which | am sure no one viii
ever try TO persuade you 10 alter" Let hel
Keep her millions 10 bait the hook for some
one else. have done with her"
In after days Mile. NOntansier was FOND
of Boosting that. had she chosen. she might
have been Empress of France and wife Of
the NEST famous man of the age.
When the people of Grenoble in 49,
were preparing for the revolution Jear
5aptists Bernadotte, afterward King OF
Sweden and Norway, was quartered in The
town. At that time he was simple ser
peant, distinguished by the attention h,
paid TO his military duties. by his skill al
cards, and by his popularity with the fail
FOX. On the famous Day Of the Tiles.
when the women Of Grenoble mounted on
TO the roofs and assailed the troops with
tiles, Bernadotte was with his regiment IL
the Rue PertuIstere.
There were cries from one house-top to
another to spare the popular Sergeant,
but III spite OF the good intentions Of the
sssailants he received o blow on the head
which stretched him apparently lifeless on
the ground. But presently he showed
some signs Of life and was carried into q
Deighboring cafe, where he was laid upon a
table which Is shown TO this day. A sur
Reon was called. and the wounded man
showed such signs Of vitality under his treat
ment that II was soon evident that he was
preserved for some other fate than that of
Pyrrhus. As he recovered his senses Ber-
nadotte slowly raised himself on one
elbow and. looking al the faces crowded in
the doorway, was attracted by one. that OF
n beautiful young Girl. whose big blue eyes
were sufused with tears of pity for him.
But faintness oyercame him. and when he
again recovered the sympathizing face was
gone.
Bernadotte was not long in getting over
the effects Of the blow that had Frustrated
him, and when be was quite recovered he
Lost no time in endeavOring to find the
maiden whose face he remembered like that
OF some plying angel For weeks his search
was in vain, but one day as he was walk
ing along and trying in vain TO persuade
himself Of the futllity of the search, be
raised his eyes. and there before him was
the face which had haunted him for so
long. The girl walked past him without
recognizing the wounded Sergeant Of the
DAY of the Tiles" He followed her, and.
entering her home. made himself known
70 her parents and offered himself as a can
oidate for the band OF their daughter.
AT first the far Amelie was well enough
pleased 10 receive the attentions of the
ttnart young soldier: but after awhile q
rival suitor appeared on the scene, and, as
pc was the owner of & Matchmaking estab-
hshment that yielded a comfortable in
come, bus ,protestations of love sounded
tweeterto her ears than those of the ponui-
less sous-ofhcer. At last the DAY came
when BernadOtte was met on the threshold
py her mother, who informed him that
fmeie had the evening before betrotbed
hGrSatt -nht ,,.I.