Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-12-11

to the very lips, stood beside her hus-
band.
For heavens sake. LouisP cried she
in her distress, unmindful of all care
mony.
What is the matter, my queenT
asked Louis in the gentle way which
he had never abandoned toward his
beloved wife. What brought you to
me2 You are very pale" He seized
a glass Of water, poured some of the
newly discovered sugar in it, and
handed her the glass.
Drink. 1t is too warm in the sa-
loon and the company is too excit-
ing. This sugar water will refresh
you.'
The queen cast penetrating glance
at Maurepas who now fully under
stood what be had only half heard.
With a quick movement he took the
glass from the kings hand drained it
at draught.
Red with sugar the king demanded
an explanation of this insolence, but
Marie Antionette 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 waiss-coat and panta-
looms, the broad, clumsy shoes with
leaden buckles, contrasted strangely
with the gay silken attire, the gllded
hangings, the laces and diamonds OF
the surroundings.
'What does this meant? asked the
king astonlshed.
Permit me, your majesty, to bring
this man before you, who understands
how to make sugar out of vegetables.
Dumonet is trying to 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
Maj. Serre, who, during the regency,
deceived by the beautiful red color the
beets gives out in cooking, fancied he
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, and hope l have
succeeded" r.
lit is not a poison, then7' cried
Marie Antionette, meaningly. The
king for the first tine 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 q
piece of sugar in her lovely mouth.
That was the signal for the young
courtiers to rush upon the before dis
trusted sugar, vleing with each other
to exhibit their courage, their devo-
tion 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. demonstrated
the queen, 'and it is only a curiosity
leading to ruin nsc "a
Dumonet dropped on one knee
your majesty is in measure correct.
Experimenting in small way, at the
same expense as o great trade, natural.
ly makes this sample excessively dear;
but if your majesty will advance me
two millions for the development of
larger facilities for Manufacture 1
shall be able to furnish pound of
sugar for 10 sous instead Of 4 francs.
The king fecoiled involuntsrily, and
Marie Antionette grasped her famous
necklace, which had cost two millions,
as if the plain man before her had
been d robber. Her disappearing
glance gave direction to the kings
answer.
DIR. Dumonet. I honor enterprise;
accept this snuff box as recognition
of it. But two millions the state can
not possibly lend you. That is too
much money for the exhausted exche.
quers.'
Dumonet received the gift respect
fully. Sire, sooner or later my enter.
prise will find the money
The whole shallow, subservient
swarm Of courtlings cried out in ex.
cited echo to the royal words:
Two millions for sugar. Two mil
mionsl The man should be in mad
house! The man should be so shame.
less? Just as if it were not all the
same whether one pays 10 sous or 4
francs for pound Of sugar: And if
any can't pay it let him take his food
unsweetened. What has the govern
to do with thatT
And so Dumonet was dismissed. He
had only needed 1000, 900; the second
was the price demanded by the minis.
ter for the introduction. This eve-