The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-11

Beyargue. her brother, and escorted by him, she rampaged- through the cafes and balls. sang songs and chucked the girls under the chin with much more spontaneous rollick than the lieutenant himself had at command.
 My, but I like that! Pierre, l wish you were the girl and I the boy of the family"
 Her father. too, the old marquis-a tall. dry lord with close-cropped white hair and long. dropping Inustache-oc- c1sionally came 10 town from his dis tant estates and explored curious phases of life under his daughters pilotage. Generally the day ended by his presiding over a joyous Latin Qaurter feast organized by his beloved u.inx for his benefit. She would seat him between two pretty girls.
 Now. father. here is a delightful blonde and a very enticing brunette. You must try to flirt with them very evenly"
 On those occasions the old gentleman cigars and sat there till iawn-taking it all in and having a royal time with cut smile
 After which he woul1 sally forth to other regions of Paris and. 1t Is safe to to say. to enjeyments more costly and more dangerous
 There came an end to that happy go- lucky period. Florence had passed the age of a student. Her father and her brother kept telling her that only her marriage with great wealth could re- trieve the family from the disgraceful fall that was impending.
 kI@ tntA to hn hilt. and the lieutenant. following his fathers example had borrowed from all his friends so lavishly that his credit was no longer good. even for new uniform.
 At this juncture Mime. Adam-she of the famous literary salon-took charge of Florence and tried to engineer proper match
 A worldly campaign of year result ed disastrously. All men offered love. none offered marriage. The Latin Quarter reputation had crossed the river.
 Finally the efforts of the matchmak- CT and of her ward centered on young French duke who was handsome. roy ally wealthy and positively foaming at the mouth with infatuation. When it came to the point. however, he was no so easy as he had seemed. He offered his fortune. his life. but his name never!
 He said so to the maid very >lainly one evening when she had consented to a certain lonely party with i'm in the hope of clinching the affair. At the insult she lashed her horeewhip across the dukes face. The lieutenant, her brother killed him in a duel the next day.
 Terribly wounded by this ambient mistrust, bounded on the other hand by the difficulties of all sorts that beset her family, Florence became at this period wildly indiscreet. No prank was too glaring. no irritation too audacious. Her mad laugh was almost uncanny. her fevered life was spent in doing things that defied all accepted stand ards and opinions.
 It was at this juncture that William Darmeniere appeared on the scene. The triumphant besslty of Florence reused his love--roused 1t tumultuous- lt. as the typhoon raises sand.
 Yes; he knew he was uncouth- and more than twice her years. But he asked not for love on her part-how could he dare to hope? He simply craved the right to worship and pro- tect.
 Did she know that the bankruptcy courts and all the little ignoble trage- dies of property were threatening Ter pride? She herself being beauSful, could escape want, but at what a price! And what of the old marquis? What of the dashing lieutenant, even then hanging to his commission by the skin of his teenth? Her father and brother. driven In desperation, sided with the Klondiker. She shuddered and hesitated. Her dreams had been so different! Could no other rich man be found to marry Florence de la Beyargue, whom so many had professed to love? Time was pressing; no. no one with so much ready gold and such a willingness to let the Beyargues dispose of 1t as they must.
 Gold! Gold!" she cried in fit of ex- asperation. "So be it then; can give you no love! But to save the title I'll sell myself for my weight in gold. to do with the price as I choose"
 Upon that distinct understanding she consented to enact with him the fable of Beauty and the Beast!
 Millions Made Beauty Quail.
 One month later more than a hun dred guests saw the daughter of twelve generations of lords-blanched but ar 
 to say the sacramental word of sur render.
 The same night banquet gathered the brilliant company at the feudal castle of her ancestors.
 Darmeniere, seated opposite his bride, looked rather the master of them all. The evening dress, though unfamiliar, sat we'll on his brawn-lent worldly polish to his brick-colored, energetic face.
 To be sure annoyance clouded his face, for he knew what was to come.
 ''I sell myself to you for my weight in gold!" had said Florence. He had taken that for mere figure of speech. Probably 1t was mere figure when she said the words.
 But later-was it the foolish amuse- ment of a spoiled child or the perverted fancy of a woman craving to cement and publicy emphasize her supposed degradation?-laters she had signifed that the sale must actually take place