Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-28

she In her distress, unmindful OF all
ceremony.
f"What is the matter. my queenp"
asked Louis in the gentle way which
he had never abandoned toward his
beloved wife. "What brought you to
meP You are very pale" He seized
a glass OF water. poured some OF the
newly discovered sugar In II, and hand
cd her the glass"
Drink. II is too warm in the
saloon and tho company is too excit-
ing. This sugar water will refresh
you"
The queen cast penetrating glance
at Maurepas, who now fully under
stood what he had only half heard.
glass from the kings hand and drain
ed it at draught
Red with anger the king demanded
an explanation OF this insolence, but
Marie Antoinette offered the minister
her hand and WAS about 70 explain TO
the king when suddenly the broad
leaves OF the great door flew open and
the palace guard led In man quite up
TO the feet of the king. The terrified
appearance OF the prisoner, his coarse
coat, the brown waist-coat and panta-
looms, the broad, clumsy shoes with
leaden buckles, contrasted strangely
with the gay silken attire, the gilded
hangings, the laces and diamonds of
the surroundings.
What does this meanp" asked the
king astonished.
Permit me, your majesty, 10 bring
this man before you, who understands
how to make sugar out OF vegetables.
Dumoret Is trying to ruin our colonies
and make them useless to US. This is
the discoverer of beet sugar.
'Discovererp No, that h onor does
not belong to me-" exclaimed the
Chemist Dumonet. at was a learned
Maj. Serre, who, during the regency,
deceived by the beautiful red color the
beet gives out in cooking, fancied ne
could make red wine out OF it. Instead
OF the desired wine he found the bot
tom of his retort covered with fine
sugar. At that time France was rich
in colonies on the Mississippi, there
fore no one paid any heed TO the dis
covery. Nor was it fully developed.
| learned abroad in Prussia, new i'm
provements. expended my small pos
sessions to test it, aud l hope 1 have
succeeded"
at is not a poison, then?" cried
Marie Antoinette, meaningly. The
king for the first time understood what
had preceded, and discovered also that
the chemist was bound. At sign the
bond was cut and tho guard left the
room without Dumonet.
Meanwhile the queen bravely took
piece OF sugar in her lovely mouth.
That was a signal for the young court
iers to rush upon the before distrusted
sugar, vieing with each other to exhibit
their courage, their devotion through
this harmless poison.
Gently, my ladies, my lords" cried
Maurepas, every little piece OF that
sugar cost golden louis"
but the sugar is not one bit better
than our ordinary sugar." remonstrat-
ed the queen, land it is only a curiosi-
ty leading to ruin"
Dumonet dropped on one knee.
"Your majesty is in measure correct.
Experimenting in small way, at the
same expense as n great trade, natural
ly makes this sample excessively dear;
but il your majesty will advance me
two millions for the development OF
=
be able to furnish a pound OF sug ,r for
10 sous instead OF francs"
The king recoiled voluntarily, and
Marie Antoiuette grasped her famous
necklac which had cost two millions,
as II the plain man before her had been
robber. Her disappearing glance
gave direction to the kings answer.
CDR. Dumonet, l honor enterprise;
accept this snuff-box as recognition
of il. But two millions the state can
not possibly lend you. That is too
much money for the exhausted ex-
chequer."
Dumonet received the gift respect
fully. "Sire. sooner or later my en-
terprise will find the money"
The whole shallow. subservient
swarm of courtierlings cried out an
excited echo to the royal words:
1.-Two millions for sugarl Two
millions! The man should be In
mad-house! How can any one be so
shameless? Just as IL 1t were not all
the same whether one pay 10 sous or
francs for pound OF sugar: And il
any can't pay it let him take his food
unsweetened. What has the govern
ment to do with thatP"
And SO Dumonet was dismissed. lie
had only need 1,000,000; the second
was the price demanded by the
minister for the Introduction. This
evening Maurepas composed the only
good verse OF his life, which, translat-
cd, runs somewhat thus:
"Altho' his life to sweeten
is all his royal care
Two million francs for sugar
The king finds rather dear"
The fiiror. which his VIII Gran fnd at