Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-08-01
AN AUTOGRAPH.

| 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 a
partnership of their assets-and liabili-
| ties.
'Well?'' said Armand, seeing his
companion enter
Nothing, as 1 told you We shall
have to wait until the end of the month.
| My 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"
1--WE needn't breakfast In that way
we can save taking cocktail.
FOh, l could spare that. / am as
hungry as wolf You know we had
rather light supper yesterday"
eyes, it is true that smoked herring
for two is scarcely gluttony.
Armand, his hands III 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, know lots who could, but
know no one who would. +"
Armand suddenly cried out, 81 have
an idea -
us it a good one?"
Listen. Have you not often spoken
to me of an old collector of autographs
who lives in this houser
eyes. He lives on the first floor, a
man named Bridoux -
"What sort of man is hep
''Well, don't know / have scarcely
seen him more than couple of times. "
Suppose we try to sell him some
thing?"
''That is good idea. 1t is true we
have plenty of autographs, but they are
mostly our own. He wants historic
ones "
'Are 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:
Eureka! l have found it-a letter
from the Empress Marie Louise. -
Feverishly he waved in the air yell
lowing sheet Of paper almost cut in two
by the folds.
Jules looked at it. "Why, yFeeognize
thatl'' said he. SIT is note from little
] Marie Louise, who used to be a sales
woman at the lace counter in the Louvre
l got that letter from her when was
serving my volunteer term of year,
with the grade of corporal I"
81 tell you, old man, that it is from
dressed to the great Napoleon.
And dated 1872"
"1813, 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 swindle -
"You can aid me. Have you that
false beard that you wore at the mas
querade last year?'
Yes, l think it is around some
where. -
Listen, then. and 1 will teach you
your role F"
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 atonce to the apart
ment of Bridoux. The autograph col
lector lived alone He was a man of
about 60 years of age. Armand looked
at him critically.
81 wish to speak to NJ Bridoux"
That's my name, sir. +"
''r wish to see you on serious af-
fair"
Come in, said Bridoux
Armand entered, and Bridoux offered
him a chair.
"Sir, +" said Armand, 81 have heard
of you as being one of the most erudite
autograph collectors in Paris, and
wish to show you something very rare
an autograph of the Empress Marie
Louise. +"
So saying. Armand unbuttoned his
coat, carefully took out his lank pocket
book, and from it took the letter. which
he placed under the eyes of the auto
graph collector.
Bridoux read it. unused and said:
1T is very short You say that those
characters are from the hands of the En-
press Marie Louise. Her autographs are
very rare. y
at is authentic The empress adj
dressed it to the great Napoleon the day
after the battle of LutzeI.
but the emperor lived at the Tuile-
| ries then. /"
Certainly, sir. and that observation
| proves your intimate knowledge of the