Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-01-19
In a Cup Of Coffee.
4 Fly That Has Fallen Into 1t Turns
the Course of Ira gedy.
GTrom the French of Ferrier.)

fixed idea, that 50 often pushes the one
possessed of it TO success and fame,
but still more often becomes the pro-
polling agent to crime.
But to comprehend what follows we
must go back Il little-10 years-to the
times when jacques F'leurnois, young
and unknown physician, a native of
Marseilles, and without sou in his
pocket had come to settle and practice
his profession in Paris. There, for
months, he had gone through the strug-
giles and sorrows that fall TO the lot
OF the poor but ardent seekers of Il
career in big city.
Cold and want and semi-starvation
were daily visitors to his garnet in the
Rue Nouvel before he could secure
patients enough to provide for his
simplest wants. Then, one day, with
out the slightest warning. that tickle
jade, Forunc, took q turn in his favor
Amanda Flint. an American maiden
lady of mature age. but ample means.
true TO the thrifty instincts of her
Yankee nature, came to take up her
quarters in the cheap little hotel where
DR.. Fleurnois lodged, and to do"
Paris at her leisure.
Taken suddenly i'll one night, a ply
sickln was needed in haste, and DR.
FleunoiS was called. He was as
shrewd as skillful, and Miss Flint as
susceptible as the rest Of her sex who
have reached 10 years without suffer
ing touch of Cupid's dart He was
10 years her Junior, but what did that
matter when she had 100000 secure
III her own right. was absolutely alone
i'll the world without a single living
relative, and exactly the wife for a
needy wooer!
In Six weeks time. SO well did the
doctor exert his fascinating powers
Miss Amanda Flint, spinster. had be-
come Madame jacques FleTnois.
Suffering and privation were, of
course, gone forever, but, alas for the
plans of the happy bridegroom, he had
forgotten TO reckon in his calculations
the fact that his wife was not fool
He had wanted and expected to get
absolute possession of her money in
making Miss Flint his wife; but
Amanda, though willing to commit the
folly of marrying foreigner 10 years
her Junior. had Il clear head for bust
ness. She held fast her property, both
principal and interest, though she
agreed TO the securing of her income
to her husband for life, should he
chance to survive her, the bulk of her
property to be distributed at her death
according to her will.
Mistress Of the situation, she meant
TO keep, and did keep, the reinS of
power in her hands. though dealing al
ways generally with her husband. She
really loved him, was proud Of his
skill and ability. and no children came
to them. unfortunately to interfere
with the Sin%lenesS of her devotion
Sh" cared for his comfort, looked after
his home, catered TO his taste and
made him a handsome allowance: but
neither tears nor wrath could induce
her TO sign over to him any portion of
her estate. One might almost say that
she knew or felt instinctively the i'm
portant factor her wealth presented
in the maintenance of the peace and
He had married her for money. and
he did not get it-at least. not all. He
hated his wife for this, and. as | say,
a direful purpose began to develop in
his mind-a purpose all the stronger
and more determined because, aS the
years passed on, DR.. FIeurnois fancied
himself on the verge of an important
medical discovery, which money was
required to perfect-money by the
thousand francs and which could not
be saved from his allowance or his
wife's judiciously invested income.
Again and again he had appealed to
his wife, and urged her to peril her
property in behalf Of this enterprise.
but persuasion, tenderness, anger and
threats and turn by turn he tried
them all-Were equally unavailing.
Madame Flcurnois had been poor her
self once, and never again, if she
could help it, should the. bitter bread
of poverty be pressed to her lips Her
money was safe in sound treasury
bonds. and there it should stay. Such
threats, too. rs he persisted in would
speedily oblige her to appeal to the
protection of the United States consul
And then. mon cher mari" said She
looking her husband full in the face
Il should sail for my own country
and leave you 70 Your own devices. A
good home and Il comfortable living
as you have are worth at least a civil
tongue in your head; I'd advise you to
keep it,
A little conjugal tempest then left
its mark, though Fleurnois was too
wise and too alive to his own interests
TO permit it to stand long in the way
of i reconciliation with his wife A
drive in the Bots, a little dinner at the
Cafe Anglais, and, to all appearances,
the Fleurnois household had settled
again TO its former peaceful train.
In the husbands mind, however, was
that ever malignant and darkening
purpose. His invention absorbed his
entire thoughts; the money needed for
its development he 1onged for as hun
grily as Z starving animal longs for Il
bone. If only his wife could be brought
10 reason. or only be brought-to die!
assured him her entire income. and
perhaps. after all. she had made no
will. He watched her daily and hour
ly. but the why. sturdily-built spinster
gave no signs of failing health to en-
courage him in his evil wishes.
The cholera was now raging in Eu-
rope, had reached Marseilles. and was
!