Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-27
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Flight of an Empress.
IOriginal.l

the Empress Eugene, like her prede-
cessor, Marie Antoinette, awaited the
coming of mob. The shouts of the
malcontents already rang in the gar
den of the Tuileries. Then the crowd
broke into the reserved garden before
the palace and tore down the imperial
eagles. Now comes the cry of ''Vive
la republiquer'
LET me entreat your majesty" said
Prince Metternich. the Austrian am
bassador, ito leave the palace"
II add my entreaties," said Chevalier
Nigra, the Italian ambassador, ito
those of his excellency"
1t was critical moment. The en-
press was in the rose colOred room
among her attendants of the service OF
honor, who We're trembling to be re-
lieved from duty and to save them
selves. The empress declined to leave.
Madame" said her secretary, Pietri,
your refusal to depart will cause u
general massacre of those whose duty
it is to remain with you"
General AIillinet," said the empress,
''can you defend the palace without
bloodshed?
Il fear not, madame"
"Then all is over"
When those i'll attendance perceived
that her majesty had yielded, there
was a quick sigh of relief. though re-
newed yells at the front of the palace
brought terror lest the flight had
been delayed too long. All remembered
the breaking into the palace at Yer
Antoinette had fed and the massacre
of the Swiss guard that defended her.
BreathleSsly the service of honor wait
ed Eugenie'S departure. First she must
bid farewell to them. When this had
been finished. she left the room with
Pietri, Nine. Lebreton and the two am
bassadOrs and passed through the gal
leries leading to the Louvre. At the
same moment the mob was breaking
into the front of the palace. Suddenly
Pietri found the way blocked by
locked door. Pale rs ghost, he cried:
1.-The keyl The key"
For a moment it seemed that they
were lost, but suddenly one of the at
tendants ran forward with the key
and unlocked the door. Hurrying past
pictures that the rulers of France had
| been centuries in collecting, the party
made an exit at the end of the palace
| fartheSt from the mob and entered the
| place OH which stood the Church of
st. Germain FAuXerrois. The whole
city was in an uproar. A mob was
passing down Rue Rivoli; another was
coming from an opposite direction.
Metternich, who had left his carriage
on the Rue Rivoli when he entered the
Tuileries, went to seek it A street
boy, recognizing Eugene shouted,
There's the empress Fortunately a
cab was driven past. Nigra stopped it
and, opening the door. put in the en-
press and Nine Lebreton, then turned
to the boy and endeavOred to stop his
mouth. The driver of the cab, seeing
the terrible wave of revolution pouring
down the street, belabored his horse
with the stump of a whip and drove
no one knew where. When Metternich
returned, the empress had gone She
was deprived of the two ambassadors
protection, but she was safer where
she was.
On went the cab with the woman
who for years had been the first lady
of France, now Il fugitive from a
crowd of her Infatuated subjects. Far
Their and farther their hideous yells
were left behind till at last they had
become confused murmur. Then the
cabman drew rein and asked where
he should drive the occupants.
Where? The question was the most
serious Eugene had ever been called
upon to answer in all her romantic
life. Where? To the home of one of
the favOrites of her late court? Should
she seek those of the diplomatic corps?
Would it be safe to rely upon one
prominent in the corps legislatif, the
commander of the army? All of these
were passed in review and dismissed.
Some old friend must temporarily hide
her. Deciding upon one, she told the
cabman to drive to her home. The
friend was not there. The fugitive
was driven to the house of another
and another. None was at home. They
were either mingling in the exciting
events or were hiding from those who
had known them for court favorites.
Then a happy thought struck the en-
press. In trying to remember one she
could trust who did not live far from
where she was at the time it occurred
TO her that the house of an American
dentist, DIR. Evans, was but a short
distance away. She gave the coach
man an order to drive there
Arriving at the house, she sent i'll
word that lady wished TO see the doc
tor.
Tell the lady that 1 am about to sit
down to dinner"
THE lady says she must see YOU"
said the messenger.
Evans answered the summons, a
summons from the ex-empress of
France.
With all the respect he had ever paid
her when at the height of her power
DR.. Evans took her in and with his wife
befriended her in every possible way.
This was fraught with danger. Had it
become known that the empress was in