The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-26
A VISIT TO DIR. EVANS
STONES ABOUT AN AMERICAN WHO
BECAME FAMOUS IN PARIS.

Her Life-His Part In the Escape q the
Empress Eugene.
When party of visitors called ct On.
Evans house, near the Champs Elysees
In Paris, some years ago, they heard
sounds from beneath the white marble
steps where they stood as they rang the
bell, and directly afterward DIR. Evans
emerged from below in his shirt sleeves
covered with oobwebs, but not In the least
disooncerted by being caught In such .
guise. He lauehingly explained that he
was In search Of his pet duck, Columbia,
which could not be found. As he seemed
much distressed, his visitors followed him
through the garden, peering here and
there, but were surprised at the evident
pleasure with which he told the story OF
the duck.
1t seemed that when very young the
duck showed q strong affection for Mrs.
Evans, following her about the garden
and even into the house, where she perohed
on the back of Mrs. Evans chair during
meals and made herself quite at home In
the drawing room. The bird proved 30 in
telligent and xffectionate that Mrs. Evans
devoted considerable time to teaching her
different tricks and the proper manners
for polite society till the duck finally be-
came an acknowledged member Of the
family, much admired by all who came to
the house.
During the commune, when Paris was
starving, this adored duck suddenly disap-
peared, and great was the grief In the
Evans household. Rewards were offered
and every effort made to discover the thief,
but all to no purpose and the family
mourned the loss of the duck with sincere
grief, trembling as to the probable fate of
their pet. Some months afterward, while
entertaining number of friends at din
nsr, a servant whispered with much ex-
element that a soldier was outside who
said the duck had been found. The good
news ran around the table. The man was
brought into the room, and there perched
on his shoulder was Columbia, much bo-
draggled as to plumage and far from being
the sleek and naughty bird Of the past.
She blinked her eyes In the candlelight
and then, suddenly recognizing Mrs.
Evans voice as the hostess called her
name, gave joyful quaok and tapped
| across the flower bedecked table to Mrs.
Evans bare shoulder, where she nestled,
rubbing her head lovingly against her
mistress cheek. h. ca
Then the history of the previous months
was explained. 1t seemed that, the gar
den gate having been left ajar one day,
| the soldier spied Columbia waddling COM
fortably along the path, fat, sleek and to
his hungry eyes the embodiment OF a
| goodly meal. In q trice he had the duck
beneath his coat and was speeding down
| the side street, sitting as best he could the
| indignant quacks Of his prey, but on ar
irving at the barracks and being set down
- ~ Col,x n CIV tvkt e
way began her programme Of tricks
Waiting, bowling, kissing, ETC., ending by
nesting lovingly against her captor's neck
with gurgle OF satisfaction. Her faith In
human kindness saved her life The men
one and all voted to remain hungry rather
| than eat SO delightful creature, and CO.
| lumbia was their pet from that hour.
| His story finished, the soldier received q
substantial reward, and all drank his
health with much laughter, while Colum-
bia nodded approval from Mrs. Evans
| shoulder.
As Dr. Evans ceased speaking the hero
Inc of the tale emerged from beneath q IL
| lac bush and came waddling across the
lawn to meet the visitor, stopping now
| and then to bow deeply to her master with
much dignity. When she was quite near,
| DR.. Evans began to whistle waltz Co.
lumbia stopped, then began to dance, keep
| ing perfect time to the music, and surely
| nothing was ever more irresistibly ludi-
crous than the awkward gravity with
which she went through her steps, with
head cooked coquettishly on one side and
neck outstretched
The host then led his visitors to the
house, stopping on the way to show his
aviary. When they entered the large hall,
filled with palms, divans and eastern
lamps hanging from the groined stone cell
| ing he called attention to a small brass
tablet set in the floor at the foot OF the
stairs.
at is there" he said, "where the EN-
press Eugene first learned she was nc
longer an empress. She was a brave
| woman"
From there he led the way to long
gallery opening out on the garden and
filled with beautiful things. The walls
were hung with portraits of many OF the
crowned heads of Europe given to Dr.
Evans by the originals.
Before the visitors left he showed them
the room up stairs where Eugene dressed
for her flight From a drawer he drew out
the shabby plaid shawl, old fashioned
SCOOP bonnet and lace veil which she hac
| worn anu WI lCn eDc bSnb buCh uieSi Noae
as souvenirs. DIR. Evans said as he folded
them away:
"Only twice in my life have actually
known fear. The first was when l pro
posed to my wife. The second was wher
told the guard at the gate of Paris thai
had poor, mad woman with me whom
was taking to her friends. As he knew
me he was not suspicious, but If he hac
so much as asked the empress to raise hel
veil neither of our lives would have beer
worth franc piece. 1 could feel hel
trembling beside mo and her breath com
ing in faint gasps, but just then she faint
ed which was the most sensible thing sh'
could have DONE"
The conversation turned on the beauties
of the new Paris, and the writer Is glad o
this opportunity to say that the many ar
ticles published recently In the American
press to the effect that 1t was the empires
who gave DIR. Evans the tip as to TIT
streets to DO cut through the city are EN-
phatically wrong. DIR. Evans said tina
afternoon that it was Baron Haussmani
himself who confided his plans to him, ant
IL was to the baron's friendship he owet