El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-11
THE COAT OF ARMS.

had no coat of arms. Her husband,
when she married him, owned
little shop in Paris. During the first
years of their married life the business
had grown wonderfully, until monsieur
was the possessor OF pretty little for
tune. Then relative OF madame's had
died and left them 100000 francs, and
their income amounted to 1900 francs.
To retire from business, buy pretty
house, with park, in the suburbs Of
Paris. was the dream of the man, and
dream it seemed likely to remain, for his
wife had quite another inspiration. With
money one could do everything, SO why
not buy a title? Such thing was not
unheard of.
She scanned the papers eagerly, and at
last her eye fell upon this advertisement:
Foreign decorations and titles for
sale. Fernando de Ia Mimosa, 24O Rue
Montmartre, from 2 to A O'Clock.
Needless to say that 2 o'clock found
madame at 24O Rue Montmartre. NJ.
de la Mimosa was neither old nor young
in appearance and had intensely black
mustache and hair.
He listened to the object of madame's
visit and then cried enthusia stically:
my dear madame, nothing is easier,
1 can give you, in perfect form, the ducal
title of the republic of st. Marin
"Oh, that is too much. Count would
suffice" said the ambitious woman mod
estly.
"Wen, can manage that, too" said
the stranger There are a few titles
which will be sold by representatives Of
old families there"
And what will the price beT' Ma
dame was a little anxious.
give hundred francs" said the man,
observing the look of relief on his clients
face, will defray the first expenses. /
shall have to go there and get the neces-
sary legal papers"
Mime. Patrouillot went home content
after giving the sum of money.
One day, a month later, as she and her
husband sat at dinner q letter was hand
ed TO her.
Madame am happy to tell you that my efforts
have been most successful. / have in my hands
the document which makes your husband thu
Count de Monte-Rotondo. II you will call, will
deliver it to you upon payment OF the cost
Please accept, madame Ia countess, the homage
Of my profound respect,
FERNANDO LA MIAosA-
She managed to hide her delight from
her husband, to whom she wished to say
nothing until she could put the title in
his hands.
For the sum of 10000 francs she re-
ceived a beautiful parchment, covered
with decorations, with a coat of arms at
the top and many signatures at the bot
tom, written in Italian, which created NJ
Caesar PatrouillOt Count de Monte-Ro
tondo.
The first care of the new countess was
to order a wardrobe whose elegance
should be in keeping with her position.
She spent in one day just $4,000 francs.
NJ. Patrouillot commenced by shrug-
ging his shoulders when his dignity was
thrust upon him. But he was a good ma
tured man, simply, easily Influenced and
anxious to please his wife, with whom he
was still in love. So he accepted the sit
uation and allowed his wife to manage
everything to suit herself.
The first result of the new honors was
that all of their old friends turned their
backs upon them. They were all people
in trade, prosperous and, happily, with
out ambitions toward nobility, and they
found the count and countess ridiculous.
'"They but anticipate my own inten-
tions,' said the countess. I'VE should
have been obliged TO drop such ordinary
acquaintances. Noblesse oblige. We
must go away from this neighborhood
altogether
They established themselves in su-
perb apartment in the Faubourg St. Ger
main. They furnished it magniticently.
They bought a carriage. with their coat
of arms on the windows. All this was
terribly expensive, but ''noblesse oblige-'
They made many calls upon people of
title who had been among their old Gus
toners, but not visit was returned.
But, instead of being discouraged, they
continued to spend money lavishly in the
hope of buying their way into society
and position.
One fine morning the count received
summons from a police court to be wit
ness against a person by the name of
Pochard, alias Fernando de la Mimosa,
who had been amassing fortune by
selling to people whose ambitions outran
their common sense titles and crests
which existed entirely in his own mag
nation.
The couple were able to give informa-
ton only too we'll.
''She was the easiest person 1 ever
saw" remarked the villain upon the close
of their testimony.
When she learned that the title was
fictitious one and that the whole expert
ence had cost just 100000 francs, Nine.
Patrouillot nearly died of chagrin. She
consented readily enough to hide herself
in the country house of her husbands
dream, and so at the last he had his
hearts desire. They sold their furniture
at a great loss, but there still remained
enough to maintain them in comfort, for
they lived quietly, seeming, as their
neighbors said, to care nothing for So
ciety.-Chicago News.
A Second or Third Rate Man.
The Philadelphia Post says that Bishop
IL