St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-10
The QUEEN WINS.

InougntleSS youth of the French ariS-
tocracy still danced through the salons
OF the royal castles. Maurepas still
reigned prime minister-that same
friend OF humanity who made the COM
passionate decision concerning the peo-
pies welfare: ''Why build hospitals?
Can not the people die on the roads if
they like?"
This evening Maurepas had the honor
or being permitted to lead the beautiful
Mary Antoinette to the card table, but.
complaining of severe headache as
they passed through the saloon, the
good queen excused him from further
attendance that the pain might not be
Increased. As he was fastening back
through the ante-chamber to the dane
ing hall. where the king was taking his
coffee, ne perceived beneath the gobelin
tapestry of the famous LouvoiS window
a man in citizens dress. who regarded
him eXpectantly, and bowed low before
him.
ut is all right. Dumonet," whispered
the asthnatic old man. "This evening
his majesty will taste of it, And he
thrilled out one of his hundred madr-
gals, which, in truth, were tame enough.
ouo NhiSh illo lldtlCICIS very
witty. In the royal apartment he saw
just then LOUIS XVI. take from a sugar
basin two delicately broken Jumps of
sugar and Sweeten his coffee with them.
AS the king took mouthful of the cof-
fee the ministerial friend of his people
approached and asked respectfully:
"How does your Majesty find the cof-
fee this evening?''
'As usual. excellent"
1.-The best Mocha is always upon your
MajeSty'S table, but does tine sugar suf-
ficiently moderate the bitterness of the
coffee?''
Louis XVI. was sensitive to mockery
and irony even to timidity; therefore he
said. inquiringly:
What do you mean by that?'
Maurepas laughed. "YOur Majesty,
permit me one question. How much.
sire, do you think these two pieces of
sugar cost?'' The king looked uneasy.
do you wish to test my mathematical
ability" Maurepas continued to laugh.
Well. then, will answer your prob
lem: Sugar costs the people about so
cents pound. If | reckon eighty piece
to the pound it makes l sou for eachs
piece; but since to me as king every
consumed sous worth of sugar."
"IhiS sugar is the gift of one of your
subjects, who counts himself happy that
it is considered worthy of a place on
your Majesty's table; therefore it costs
you nothing, sire, but the giver values
every piece at full louis dor"
You are beside yourself, nj. de
Maurepas. Eighty louis dor for pound
of sugarl At that rate [ should be COM
PEELED to sell Rambouillet to supply my
brother with sugar for year, for you
know he takes handful to every cup.
But explain to me your jest"
"in moment, your majesty" And
he took the sugar-baSin and emptied the
contents upon the marble table and
counted the pieces. ''Forty-three, with
the ones used fOrty-five, worth 1.0S0
francs; but look, YOUR majesty, what
dazzling WhiteneSS, and how light it is,
and how sweet, without any bitter after
taste"
Come now,' said Louis, interrupting
his 7babble. lis sugar ever bitter?''
'-And your majesty will never guess
from what this sugar is made"
The king was not without some knowl-
edge OF chemistry, therefore answered
thesitatingiy:
Naturally from the sugar cane"
r ''Pardon me, your majesty, it is beet
root sugar."
Beet root? What is beet root?''
The Duchess of Chartreuse, who was
listening, drew near and said: "BeetS,
sire. are little red leaves, of which nv
servants make saiad.''
NJ. de Manrepas cut off her explana-
ton with a malicious laugh. ''Beets
are edible roots, which people as well as
cattle find palatable, and now they have
been found to yield sugar.
Respect kept the brilliant company
ont 0T hearing hiSfapoa
watched eagerly the strange proceed
lngs. All this examining, weighing and
counting of the sugar tossed up the
court gossip among them like q bright
soap bubble. Who first whispered it:
"The king has been poisoned by a cup
of coffee?''
Heaven forbid! And we have drank
the same coffeen'
'No, not the coffee; it was the
sugar."
"Some one go tell the queen."
So whispered. murmured and chat
tered the excluded circle.
Marie AntOinette sat with the Duch-
ess of Polignac, her tenderly loving
friend, at cards.
what ails you, Agatha?" asked she
kindly, as the favOrite sighed.
Agatha de Polignac raised her roguish
brown head and said. saucily, Three
millions, my adored queen!"
Sigh not, my angel; l will beg Louis
to grant them to you. We owe it to the
great families"
The designing princess lifted the
queens lace sleeve to her red lips, Whis-
pered gratefully, 80, that | might be
permitted to die for my beloved queen?'
Live for me, you dear child. and. nv
word for it, will provide the 100000
for which you will be willing to live"
At this moment cOurtIer approached
and broke to them the dreadful tidings:
"His majesty has been poisoned by NJ.
de MaurepaS with sugar."
A moment later, the queen, white to
the very lips, stood beside her husband.
For heavens sake Louis,'' cried she,
in her distress, unmindful of all cere-
mOny.
"What is the matter, my queen?''
asked Louis, in the gentle way he had
never abandoned toward his beloved
wife. "What brought you to me? You
are very pale" He seized a glass of
water, poured some of the newly dis
covered sugar in it and handed her the
glass.
Drink. 1t is too warm in the saloon,
and the company is too exciting. This
sugar water will refresh you.'
The queen cast a penetrating glance
at Maurepas, who now fully understood
what he had only half heard With n
quick movement he took the glass from
the kings hand and drained it at a
draught.
Red with anger. the king demanded
an explanation CT this insolence, but
Marie Antonette offered the minister
her hand and was about to explain to
the king, when suddenly the broad
leaves OF the great door flew open and
the palace guard led in a man
quite up to the feet of the
king. The terrified appearance
of the prisoner. his coarse coat,
the brown waistcoat and pantal0ons,
the broad, clumsy shoes with leaden
buckles, contrasted strangely with the
gay silken attire, the gilded hangings,
the laces and diamonds of the surround
lings.