The Red Cloud chief., 1900-02-02

look as ancient as the sample by an
admirable process OF my own inven-
ton. The Rayonne de Clunys are i'm
mensely wealthy people. and. more
over. e~xtravagGnt. They care absolute
ly nothing II they fancy 1t. why not
pay the price | ask and get the material
from me and end your f~atiguing quest ?
i guarantee that II will be OF the best
material and a perfect copy. and you
can deduct as commission 200 francs
ON the yard. What do you say?'
No, monsieur
And why not?'
Because what | seek is an anthem
tic ancient brocade. and a cop Of this
present century will not do
II tell you that | guarantee to pro-
duce the fabric so exactly that no one,
not even an expert, could tell the difs
ference. The Rayonne de Cluny family
will have perfect faith ia its genuine
ness, and that II was made 200 years
ago. If you do not close with my offer
you may as well retire from the search
and save the wear and tear OF your
boots. for ! tell you hat you will never
find 1t. All the dealers have already
told you the same story
Then why do you come to me so
confidently. saying that you can fur
nish the exact thing II | will let Won
manufacture II for me?'
Because can make II exactly like
your pattern, and | thought you would
gladly treat with me and pay LOCO
francs per yard
All, well, We are wasting each
others time. Let MS end this confer
ence, monsieur
Come. now. III make you n more
liberal proposition. III give you 300
francs commission a yard by cutting
down my " price
IF you gave me 5000 francs a yard.
monsieur, should decline it. and have
nothing more to say
We'll, you will find out your mis-
take when II is too late. II is no doubt
excellent to be honest, young man, but
10 DC stupidity overhonest and so ridicu-
'ousiy s%crupulous as you seem to be
Toes not pay. to say the least of It,
And the tempter withdrew.
MY order "a to length of time had
nearly expired. when almost AZ the last
day when | had given up hope, and
merely TO acquit myself Of a stern duty
ana have nothing with which to re-
proach my conscience, | CHANGED upon
d safe where there was a tremendous
snow OF ancient. curious furniture and
iaprlcs OF many degrees of value.
among them | saw a large roll OF
brown stun and went closer to it with
my sample as usual in my hand. I
icoked at 1t a long time, but only to
hnd more perfect points of resemblance,
until at last 1t was impossible to be-
iieve 1t was not the identical fabric /
sought. The broker put 1t up at 20
francs a yard and I was outbid to 40
francs at which price il was knocked
down to me. The same day | DOL my |
sample and my precious burden to the
chateau de la Rayonne, where the mar
Quise and his wife received me as II
j were a veritable worker of miracles. |
Their kindness was even warmer when, |
accompanying me to the famous brown
chamber, l placed the open roll by the
side Of the velvet hangings OF that
room.
1T was n perfect match.
They were so pleased that ! believe
had l charged them several hundred
a yard they would have willing
ly paid it.
II asked them only 40 francs. exactly
what l had paid. They seemed salts
fled, but made me no offer of a reward
for my success.
II should be departing from the
truth IL l did not confess that this Bit
terly disappointed me. | had thought
from the manner of madam la mar
quise that she would have presented
me with a few hundred francs after my
desperate, persistent hunt, though it is
true she had paid me what she agreed
for my labor. But equally, | knew
that any n of the men with whom
her business had brought me in con-
tact would have charged her quite 500
francs the yard for the ancient fabric.
However, the interesting incident had
happily ended, and l went back % my
old work.
About three months after this oc-
currence | received a summons from
the marquise de la Rayonne de Cluny,
desiring me to call upon him at once
at his residence, Champs Elysee, Paris,
where the family had arrived for the
winter season. ] went, | need hardly
say. without delay.
MY friend said the nobleman. az
ter some preliminary conversation,
what think you IL I advance you the
capital to start you In business as a
tapestry dealer In one of the best quar-
ters OF Paris, where you will have a
large clientele? I can give you many
recommendations
81 should be deeply grateful, mon
sieur le marquis. and l would prove to
you that your generosity and con-