The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-11-09


Hoary old sinner unrepentant OF his deser-
ton nifty years ago, Of his true American wife
in Baltimore. he had the court ladies in full
Islander OF Eugene before Napoleon had mado
up his mind and he exercised diabolical In.
genuty in trying to prevent an honest mar
rage.
Those first ladies Of the Second Empire had
extraordinary manners. one evening. at Com
pegne. when Eugene was going in to dinner
on the arm of Colonel do Touougeon, slight
confusion permitted him TO whisk EugenIe
ahead OF Madame Fortoul, wife of the minister
OF that name.
How" exclaimed audibly to her cavalier,
do you permit that - creature to push
past me-"
The next morning Mile de Montjo with
tears In her eyes, stood the terrace apart
from the others. 1t no ruse to attract
Napoleons sympathy, the girl saw her prince
hero disappearing in a nightmare Of hateful
gossip Napoleon. who had sought her. asked
the cause OF her sorrow.
u must leave Compeigne," she faltered-
and told of the sights and insults TO which
she was subjected
The emperor listened to the beautiful girl
Then, when she had finished. he tore a green
string OF Ivy from park tree, deity twisted
It into n crown. and said loudly--that all might
hear-as he placed 1t on her head:
Wear this One-meanwhile."
1t is twice.told anecdote but as II was
Napoleons proposal of marriage. | see no way
to omit IT, He never actually asked her hand
he took IT, Not another nurmur arose from
the court ladies' At once they hocked around
Eugene
II was another matter, however for Napo
leon to force his choice on the statesmen and
soldiers backing his still risky empire. Opin
ions were divided on what royal alliance he
should make, Some we're for n princess OF
Sweden; some for Braganza some for the
Hohenzoern. Then. suddenly Napoleon
speaking OF Eugene. sprung the mine by say
ing, There is no question but the right OF
hand"
NO question but the right of hand" The
words ran through his hackers like an alarm
of FIRE One with the strongest hold upon
Napoleon-De Persigny. his minister OF the In
teror-was sent to tell him In the name OF all
that II would not do.
De Persigry, mixed up with Napoleon in
many an adventure had kept his old-comrade
liberty of speech He joked about Napoleon's
admiration for Eugenie surely the emperor
must amuse himself When he noticed that
Napoleons face grew stern he rose to fighting
arguments, brutally accommodating proofs and
reasons why marriage would be idiotic. both
dynastically-and otherwise. He sneered at
the Montijo title; brought out the grandfather.
Kirkpatrick. bankrupt Malaga rasin merchant:
and then he took up Eugenies rowing life.
What was the girl doing here In Paris?"
Did you ever hear of the young Duke OF
Sesto'" asked De Persigny. Did you ever
hear OF Mermee7"
"Merimee is great writer" said Napoleon.
"Surely-for he writes Eugenie's letters TO
you!" laughed De PersIgny. Mother, daugh.
ter, and newspaper man sit round the table
and concoct the beautiful letters that you cher.
'sh. Really, It was not worth rlskng the coup
d'etat to arrive Mt that"
What a triumph for the aged lady to recall
Napoeon's steadfast love In face of both policy
and Islander! II was always known why Eu.
genie hated De Persigny. Prince Jerome and
the Princess Mathilde. She could forgive pc.
ltical counselors who pressed the royal prin.
cesses upon Napoleon: she could not forgive
the powerful ones who sought - take away
her character behind her back
Napoleon heard them all alike = ,-swered
nothing. Fould and most of the riIl,.ary back.
era, with Edward Ney and Toulongeon for
their spokesman formed rapidly The Clan
OF the Lovers" In vain did Mathllde drag her.
self at Napoleon's knees, begging him to re-
nounce marriage that would be the ruin OF
them all. The emperor had decided you will
give great ball TO announce the engagement"