The Irish standard., 1890-09-06
CUPID'S MANY WAYS.

Matrimonial Bureaus and Their
Methods in Paris
He was standing in front of the Grand
Hotel putting modify on huge cigar
whose gilt garter, ostent atiously dis
played, proclaimed its high price.
G1nger-colored shoes adorned his huge
feet, and his gray suit OF some fuzzy
cloth in pattern reminded me in turn
Of Sing Sing and q horse-blanket. The
pink face and stubby mustache, that
looked as if 1t were composed OF brass
wires. wore familiar look, and asked
myself in what corner of Europe / had
seon this parti-colored party before.
Then I rememb ered that he was the
Western gentleman who had distin-
guished himself last summer by pre-
senting sovereigns to the walters OF the
Empire Theater in London and went
rolling up the Strand one night firing
bullets through the top Of tho hanson,
an amusement that cost him many
shillings the next morning at Bow
street court
He was not emulating the example Of
Danae by showering gold this summer
TO any extent Experience had sad
dened him, and usurious Time had ex-
changed some of the gold on his Uranium
for some doubtful~looking silver. He
had returned home to find that the
cattle on his ranch had been blown
away in blizzard tat least so his part
ner explained), and he had come to
Paris with the avowed intention Of
making rich marriage.
He was of timorous disposition, SO
was engaged to pilot this passionate
pilgrim to the Mecca Of moneyed matri-
mony. 1t was very easy by turning to
the fourth page of my Partisan paper to
find dozen addresses where to apply
for an heiress. with a fortune ranging
from a hundred thousand to million
francs, and there was even the adver-
tisement of Russian princess who
wanted to get married, but she stipu-
lated naively than the intended hus-
band must be "a prince de finance"
He said he thought she would be apt to
come high, and anyway he was more
particular about the Doodle than the
blood.
There was one quite famous match
Matching house in the Rue Drouot, and
thence we wendell our way. We were
ushered into a salon handsomely fur
nished with white and gold furniture
and pale-blue hangings. No suggestion
of business anywhere. A nice family
looking sort of place that gave you a
feeling of home
Madame the proprie tress hustled in
at that moment with smile on her
face. That is, there were several
smiles, for her face was so fat and her
mouth so large that one would not go
round. She was a ponderous-looking
party, with palpably false front and
teeth like dominoes,
She criticised my friend of the amber
top with hungry and speculative
eye, and catechised him with the froe-
dom of an American census taker, dis
secting him bone for bone and exacting
a minute history of his past and pres
emit. Then she produced an album full
of photographs of females of every age,
from the cradle to the grave, discussing
their good points physically as If she
were selling horse, a conversation in
which the Westerner, as a judge of cat
tie, took an active part.
He finally settled on widow, a pert
looking party with stage smirk, who,
in addition to possessing fortune, was
the trelict OF a jockey. That fetched
the client for he wanted companion
Nv.
fodder and the ''blind staggers" in the
intervals Of love-making.
The question was now to arrange for
the first meeting between the unfortun-
ates. That was easily settled. Madame
agreed to take box at the hippodrome
for the next Sunday night he might
drop in between the acts like a casual
visitor, meet the widow and the next
day learn at the agency just what kind
OF an impression he had made.
Having paid madame's fee OF q hum
dred francs and double as much for a
box, my now radiant companion and
withdrew.
When saw him again after lapse
Of two weeks his face wore a mingled
expression Of gloom and regret
ssWell," said !, ..and how do you pros
per?''
Don't mention il, !" he groaned, GOV.
ering his face with his hands. ST de-
serve to be kicked from here to Idaho
by one OF my own steers. II ! don't,
call me q dodo. 1 Il was all . bloomin'
& humbug s...5
But you met the lad 3 you . elected7
u She was real22' Il 93
S. that So, part of her. She VA
d d here al HE box, and chinned to her
B while md the snex u day called on
lll she srni ling 6 eyer