The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-05-16
THE QUEEN WINS.

Y
racy still danced through the saloons
of the royal CASTLES. Maurepas still
reigned prime minister the same
friend of humanity who made the COM
passionate decision concerning the peo-
ple's welfare: why build hospitals.
Can not the people die on the roads il
they likepN
This e, enins Manrepas had the honor
of being permitted 10 lead the beauti-
full Marie 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 lie was Fastening back
through the ante-chamber To the dane
ing hall. where the king was taking his
coffee. he perceived beneath the gobelin
tapestry of the famous Louvois window
a man in citizens dress. who regarded
him expectantly aud bowed lew before
him.
1T is all right. Dumonet, whispered
the asthmaiie old man; ',this evening
his majesty will taste of it.n And lie
forthwith thrilled ont one of his hun
dretl madri.als. which. in truth. were
tame enough. but which his fiatterers
found very witty. In the royal apart
ment he saw just then Louis XVI. take
from q sugar basin two delieately
broken Jumps of sugar aud sweeten his
coffee with them. As the king took
mouthful of the coffee the ministerial
friend of the people approached aud
asked respectfully:
How does your majesty find the
coffee this evening?n
'.As usual, excellent"
The best mocha is always upon your
maiesty's table: but does the sugar suf-
iiciently 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 Won think these two pieces of
sugar cost?' The king looked uneasy.
do Won wish To test my maihen:,-
tical abiiity7n Maurepas cont nued TO
laugh. We'll. then. viii answer
Your problem: Sugar costs the people
about 50 sous pound. Ii | reckon
eighty pieces To the pound it makes l
sou for each piece: but since to me as
king every thing is quadrupied | have
this evening consumed s sous worth of
sugar"
This sugar is the gift of one of your
subjects. who counts himself happy
that it is considered worthy of a place
on your maiesty's table; therefore it
costs you nothing, sire. hut the giver
values every piece at a full Louis dor. ="
You are beside Yourself Nj. de
Maurepas. Eighty Louis dor for a
pound of sugar! At that rate | should
be compelled to sell Rambouilet to sup
ply my brother with sugar for year,
for you know he takes a 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, interrupt
Ing his babble, ''is sugar ever bitterP"
''And YOUR majesty will never guess
from what this sugar is made"
The king was not without some
knowledge of chemistry. therefore he
answered hesitatinglv:
Naturally from the sugarcane."
Pardon me, your majesty, it is beet
root sugar"
"Beet-rooti What is beet-rootPn
The duchess of Chartreuse. who was
listening. drew near and said: "Beets,
sire, are little red leaves of which my
servants make salad"
Nj. de Maurepas cut off her explana-
don with a malicious laugh. s'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
out of hearing distance. and they
watched eagerly the strange proceed
ings. All this examining. weighing.
and counting of the sugar tossed up the
court gossip among them like a bright
soap-bubble. Who first whispered 1T:
THE king has been poisoned by cup
of coffeePn
''Heaven Forbid And we have drunk
the same coffeei'
No, not the coffee-it was the
sugar"
"Some one go tell the queenr'
So, W mucmpgs1 and -
tered the excluded circ,c.
Marie Antoinette sat with the duchess
of Polignac, her tenderly loved friend,
at cards.
''What ails you. AgathaP" asked she
kindly, as the favorite sighed.
Agatha de Polignac raised her roguish
brown head and said, saucily, Three
millions, my adored queenI'
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.
whispered gratefully, oh that |
might be permitted to die for my be-
loved queenr'
Live for me, you dear child. and,
my word for it, l will provide the
3.000,0O0. for which you will be willing
to live"
At this moment courtier approached
and broke to them the dreadful It'd.
ings:
His majesty has been poisoned by
M. de Maurepas with sugar"
f A moment later the queen. white to
the very lips. stood beside her husband.
For heavens sake. Louisr' cried she
in her distress, unmindful of all cere-
mony.
What is the matter, my queenp"
asked Louis in the gentle way which he
4 had never abandoned toward his be-
4 loved wife. what brought YOU to
meP You are very pale.n He seized a
/ glass of water, poured some of the
newly discovered sugar in it, and hand
ed her the glass.
s.Drink. 1t is too warm in the saloon
| and the company is too exciting. This