The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-09-26
AN AUTOGRAPH.

descended hurriedly to the porter
Office.
"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 re.
greet to say that while the two young men
turned out great deal of manuscript 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-ant
liabilities.
'Well?' said Armand, seeing his com
panion enter.
Nothing, as told you. We shall have
to wait until the end of the month MY
uncle is a man who is believer in fixed
dates"
"The devil! We have five days yet t.
wait. Still, I would not object to break
FASTING today instead of five days from
now"
ave needn't breakfast In that way
we can save taking cocktail
sob, could spare that. am as hungry
as wolf. You know we had rather q
light supper yesterday"
eyes, it is true that a 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 a hundred
francs?'
EYES, ! know lots who could, but
know no one who would"
Armand suddenly cried out, 81 have
an idea"
'ls it good one?"
'Listen. Have you not often spoken t.
me of an old collector OF autographs who
lives in this house?"
eyes. He lives on the first floor a mar
named Bridoux."
what sort Of man is hep
"Well, don't know. | have scarcely
seen him more than couple of tines
Suppose we try to sell him some
thing"
THAT is good idea 1t is true We
have plenty of autographs, but they ar,
mostly our own. He wants histori,
Ones"
"Are you sure that no celebrity eve,
wrote to us?'
Il don't think so, but there is thu
correspondence Golfer. Look through
it,"
Armand seated himself at the table
emptied the box upon the table and be
gan to 90 through the letters. For at least
half an hour he carefully turned over tn,
sheets of paper.
Suddenly he cried out:
Eureka! l have found it-a lettel
from the Empresi Marie Louise"
Feverishly he waved in the air a yellow
sheet of paper almost cut in two by thu
folds.
Jules looked at it. "Why, | recognize
that" said he. 1T 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 | was serv.
ing my volunteer term of year, with the
grade of corporal"
Il tell you old man, that it is from the
Empress Marie Louise, and it is addressed
to the great Napoleon"
And dated 1892"
''1S13, my dear fellow. The seven looks
exactly like one. 1t is after the victor
ious 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 swindle.'
"You can aid me. Have you that false
beard that you wore at the masquerade
last Year,"
Eyes, think it is around somewhere.
''Listen, then, and | will teach you
your role"
In a few words Armand instructed his
friend what he had to do, and then, put
ting the precious autograph in his pocket
book, said: "Do not forget. Knock in a
quarter of an hour"
Armand repaired at once to the apart
ment Of Bridoux. The autograph collector
lived alone. He was man Of about 80
years of age. Armand looked at him