St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-07-24
AN AUTOGRAPH.

Scarcely had the postman gone out Of
the house, after having left the morning
letters, when Jules Dupre, who was
watching from his sixth story window,
descended hurriedly to the porter's Of
fee.
"Any letters for me?" he asked.
The porter put on his spectacles,
gathered up the letters which had just
come in, looked them over one by one
and replied laconically:
"None."
"Thank you," said the young man,
and he slowly remounted the stairs,
where his friend Armand was waiting
for him.
Through economy the two young men
lived in the same room. There were to
be seen all their furniture, all their
books and all their papers. There were
more papers than anything else, because
both Of them ran manuscript mills. We
regret to say that while the two young
men turned out great deal of manu-
script they succeeded in placing very
little. Once in awhile one of them
would get an article inserted in one of
the papers, but they scarcely made
enough to live on, even by making
partnership of their assets-and liabili-
ties.
"Well?' said Armand, seeing his
companion enter.
Nothing as l told you. We shall
have to wait until the end Of the month.
Ny uncle is man who is believer in
fixed dates. -
"The DEVIL We have five days yet to
wait. Still, would not object to break
fasting today instead of five days from
now"
eve needn't breakfast. In that way
we can save taking a cocktail"
"Oh, 1 could spare that. l am as
hungry as wolf. You know we had
rather light supper yesterday"
"Yes, it is true that smoked herring
for two is scarcely gluttony."
Armand, his hands in his pockets,
walked up and down the room reflect
lively.
"See here, said he, don't you know
anybody who could loan US hundred
francs?"
eyes, l know lots who could, but I
know no one who would.
Armand suddenly cried out, II have
an idea.
SIS it a good one?"
"Listen. Have you not often spoken
to me of an old collector of autographs
who lives in this house?'
eyes. He lives on the first floor, a
man named Bridoux.
"What sort Of man is he?''
"Well, l don't know. have scarcely
seen him more than couple of times. "
Suppose we try to sell him some
thing?"
"That is a good idea. 1t is true we
have plenty of autographs, but they are
mostly our own. He wants historic
ones. -
care you sure that no celebrity ever
wrote to us?'
81 don't think so, but there is the
correspondence Golfer. Look through
it."
Armand seated himself at the table,
emptied the box upon the table and be-
gan to go through the letters. For at
least half an hour he carefully turned
over the sheets of paper.
Suddenly he cried out:
"Eurekal | have found it--a letter
from the Empress Marie Louise.
Feverishly he waved in the air vel
lowing sheet of paper almost cut in two
by the folds
Jules looked at it. "Why, recognize
thatp' said he. cit is note from little
Marie Louise, who used to be sales
woman at the lace counter in the Louvre.
/ got that letter from her when I was
serving my volunteer term Of year,
with the grade of corporal"
81 tell you, old man, that it is from
the Empress Marie Louise, and it is ad-
dressed to the great Napoleon. "
"And dated 1892"
"lS13, my dear fellow. The seven
looks exactly like one. 1t is after the
victorious battle of Lutzen, and this is
what the empress wrote:
"MY LITTLE CORPORAL - You have won
enough of laurels for the moment. Leave your
army and come to me at the Louvre, where
am yawning in the midst Of pillows Of lace.
"MARIE LOUISE"
"And you think you can sell that to
our neighbor Bridoux? Why, you are
Joking. 1t would be a swindle."
"You can aid me. Have you that
false beard that you wore at the mas
querade last year?"
"Yes, I think it is around some
where"
"Listen, then, and l will teach you
your role. " ,
In a few words Armand instructed
his friend what he had to do, and then,
putting the precious autograph in his
pocketbook said: "Do not forget
Knock in quarter of an hour"
Armand repaired at once to the apart
ment of Bridoux. The autograph col
| -. l;x.od olone He was man OF