The diamond drill., 1890-02-15

mlkut DC perfnfttca W oto toT my oc-
loved queenr'
Live for me. you dear child. and.
my word for It, will provide the 81
00). 900. for which you will be willing
TO live"
Al this moment courtIer approach
ed and broke 10 them the dreadful It'd
ings:
s'Iiis majesty has been poisoned by
M. de Maurepas with sugar
A moment later the queen, white TO
the very lips, stood beside her hus-
band
..For heavens sake. Loulsln cried
she In her distress, unmindful Of all
ceremony.
'Ayhat Is the matter. my qucenP"
asked Louis in the gentle way which
he had never abandoned toward his
beloved wife. What brought you 10
meP You are very pale" lie seized
glass OF water. poured some OF the
newly discovered sugar in IL, and hand
cd her the glass"
Drink. II Is too warm In the
saloon and the company Is too excit-
ing. This sugar water will refresh
you" isfstIftf
The queen cast penetrating glance
at Maurepas. who now fully under
stood what he had only half heard.
With a quick movement be took the
glass from the kings hand and drain
ed 10 at a draught atss-
Red with anger the king demand cd
an explanation OF this insolence. but
Marie Antolnette offered the minister
her hand and WIS about 20 explain 10
the king when suddenly the broad
leaves OF the great door flew open and
the palace guard led In man quite up
10 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 siIken 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.
Dumoret Is trying 10 ruin our colonies
and make them useless To us. This Is
the discoverer OF beet sugar
'Discoverer? No. that honor does
not belong TO me-" exclaimed the
Chemist Dumonet 1T was a learned
Mai 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 10 the dis
covery. Nor was IL fully developed.
learned abroad In Prussia. new i'm
provements. expended my small pos
sessions TO test IL, aud hope | have
succeeded
at is not n poison, thcnp" cried
Marie Antolnette, 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 the 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 20 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. ''aud IL Is only curiosi-
~ leading 10 ruin"
Dumonet dropped on one knee.
Your majesty Is in measure correct.
Experimenting in small way. at the
same expense as u great trade. natural
ly makes this sample excessively dear;
but II your majesty will advance me
two millions for the development OF
larger facilities for manufacture shall
be able 10 furnish pound OF sug 10 r
10 sous instead OF francsn
The king recoiled involuntarily, and
Marie Antoinette grasped her famous
neckla ace. which had cost two millions,
as II the plain man before her had been
robber. Her disappearing glance
gave direction TO the kings answer.
"Dr Dumonet, / honor enterprise;
accept this snuff-box as n recognition
Of H. But two millions the state can
not possibly lend you. That is toe
much money for the exhausted ex-
chcquer."
Dumonet received the gift respect
fully. "Sire. sooner or later my en-
terprise will fnd the money"
The whole shallow. subservient
swarm OF courtierlings cried out an
excited echo 20 the royal words:
Two millions for sugari Two
/ milliousl The man should be In n
mad-house! How can any one be so
shameless? just as II II were not al |
the same whether one pay 10 sous or
4 francs for pound OF sugar: And II