St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-04-26

tered the excluded circle.
Marie Antoinette sat with the Duchess
OF Polignac. her tenderly-loved friend
at eards
'What ails you. Agatha?" asked She
kindly, as her favOrite sighed.
Agatha de Polignac raised her roguish
brown head and said, saucily: Three
millions, my adored Queen!"
'Sigh not, my. angel; Twill 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 nigh,
be permitted to die for my beloved
Queen
Live for me, my dear child, and my
word for it, l will provide the 5000, 600,
for which you will be willing to live"
AT this moment courier approached
and broke to them the dreadful tidings:
Ills Majesty has boen poisoned by NJ.
de Maurepas with sugar"
: a moment later tho Queen, white to
the very lips, stood beside her husband.
''For Heavens sake, Louis." cried she
In her distress, unmindfsl Of all cere-
mony. .-- ...s t..s
''What is the matter, my Quecn?''
asked Louis in the gentle way which he
had never abandoned toward his be-
Loved wife. What brought you to me?
You are very pale" He seized 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. The
sugar water will refresh YOU"
The Queen cast a penetrating glance
at Maurepas. who now understood what
he had only half heard. With a quick
movement he took the glass from the
Kings hand and drained 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 to explain to
the King when suddenly the broad
leaves of the great door few 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, contrastcd strangely
with the gay silken attire, the gilded
hangings, the laces and diamonds of the
surroundings
"What does this mean?" asked the
King, astonished.
Permit me, your Majesty. to bring
this man before you, who understands
how to make sugar out Of vegetables.
Dumonet is trying 70 ruin our colonies
and make them useless to US. This is
the discoverer of beet sugar"
''DiscOyerer? No, that honor does not
belong to me-" exclaimed the Chemist
DumOnet. 1T was a learned Major
Serre, who, during the Regency, deceived
by the beautiful red color the beet
gives out in cooking, fancied he could
make red wine out of it. Instead OF the
desired wine he found the bottom
of his retort covered with fine sugar.
At that time France was rich in
colonies on the Mississippi. therefore no
one paid any heed to the discovery.
Nor was it fully developed. l learned
abroad. in Prussia, new improvements,
expended my small possessions to test
it. and l hope have succeeded"
..'It is not a poison, them" cried Marie
Antoinette, meaningiy. The King for
the first time understood what had pre-
ceded, and discovered also that the
chemist was bound. At sign the bond
was cut and the guard left the room
without Dumonet
Meanwhile the Queen bravcly took
piece OF sugar in her lovely mouth.
That was the signal for the young
courtiers to rush upon the befOre-dis-
trusted 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 botter
than our ordinary sugar." demonstrated
the Queen, land it is only curiosity
leading to ruin"
Dumonet dropped on one knee. 'Y0ur
Majesty is in . measure correct Ex-
in small way. at the sa me
expense as great trade, natHrall y
makes this sample excessively dear;
but IL your Majesty will advance me
two millions for the development of
larger facilities for manufacture shall
be able to furnish . pound Of sugar for
ten sous instead Of four francs"
The King recoiled involuntarily. and
Marie Antoinette grasped her famous
necklace, which had cost two millions,
"A if the plain man before her had been
= robber. Her disapproving glance gave
to the Kings answer. 81
/, .sDn. Dumonet honor enteeprise; ae
,ept this snud-box - . recognition Of it
But two millions the state can not pos-
,ibly lend you. That is too much money
'orthe exhausted exchequer.".
Dumonet received the gift respectful
v. .Sire, sooner or later my enterprise
will find the money"
The whole shallow, ,subservientswarm
# courtierlings cried out an excited echo
o the royal words:
Two millions for sugar! Two mill |
ons! The man should be in mad
rouse! How can any one be 30 shame |
ess? Just as il 1t were not all the same
whether one pays ten sous or four francs
or . pound of sugar. And il any can't
NV it let him take his food unsweet- |
med. What has the government TO do |
nth that?" " @
And 50 Dumonet was dismissed. He |
,ad ouly needed one million dollars; the |
econd was the price demanded by the
~ 30
vening Maurepas composed the only
,ood verse Of his life, which, translated,
uns somewhat thus: