The daily Alaskan., 1915-02-08
How a Dowry Was Procured
By MARGARET C. DEvEREAUx

daughter. Clochette, was q very pret' ty girl. seventeen years old, with black hair and eyes and m olive conpiexion. through which on each cheek shone roseate color like that on a ripe peach Alphonse Boyer a young woodrutter. met Clochette at a dance and there upon came one of those quick love at fairs that spring up like mushrooms between young persons of opposite sex.
 For awhile Clochette concealed the affair from her father. for wOodcutting has never been a profitable occupation. and Alphonse was poor as church mouse. She did not think, therefore that her father would permit her to marry her lover, especially since there was no dowry for her. But those who love and are kept apart soon are worn out, and at last Clochette told her ia ther her secret. adding that If she could not marry Alphonse she did not care to live. CremieuX, fearing that his daughter would destroy herself, after much thought said to her:
 "I will consent to your marrying Al phonse on condition that you or he can make enough money for your dow ". You will need POGO francs with which to begin housekeeping and have a nest egg. will help you know a manufacturer in Geneva who will furnish me on credit with watch springs. There Is heavy duty on them when transported to another country. We are near the border of France. If you or AlPhonsc can snug gle enough watch springs Into that country to produce profit of 4,OOO francs I will consent to the marriage. The duty is 40 per cent Therefore to produce 4,OOO frames you must get lO' 900 francs worth of watch springs Into France free of duty. But if you are caught smuggling the goods will be condscated. Therefore you must not risk doing all at one time Risk only 2,OOO francs wort at each attempt"
 Clochette conveyed this information to her lover. and the; agreed to accept the conditions, mnkinG alternate trips with each other uyrOs; the mountains Into France The customs officers were alert, and inEc' lous devices were needed to deceive them Clochetto agreed to make the List trip, and Al phonse made for her a pair of wooden shoes in such fashion that when the outside and inside. which were sep, arate, were placed 1gether the whole would look like one shoe. But hs2tt;;s cen them them ne ieit a space, which would con. tain the watch springs. Using this device. ClOchette P+Ssed the customs officers successfully. and the first tn stallment of the drwry was won. Alphonse next started with an equal number of springs. Since It was the hunting season. he took his gun and game bag al going up into the noun taIns, began to shoot squirrels and Oth- CT game. A customs officer, bearing the reports. approached and. seeing huntsnan, made iHp necessary examl- nation, then let h.n 70 where he liked Alphonse's gun had two barrels, and one was full of watCn springs Clochette's turn coming rc&t, she carried her consignment through In bandbox with falSr bottom An otii- cer took everything o"t Of tie box. but did not discover the trick
 This left one more trip fng each. Al phonse's turn coming next He as cended the mountains wiih an-ax on his shoulder and on v,:ching the sum- nit began to chop < customs officer Joined him. and unlUcEily he was the sumo man who hHd seen him as a huntsman, This mrde him suspicious.
 "l thought you l...tedT' he said to Aphonss.
 "Oh. that was on. for days sport, 1 am a woodchor., l am to cut twenty cords of Wet. and must do 1t at once"
 Nevertheless | :.' search you'' said the other
 He made d carefu b.. Stigation, but found nothing on AIF. ."$v that was dutiable. Having SatiSre'i himself, ne went away. and the w0oG .opper soon 1 slipped down the mOunta... de to the westward His ax hand& Has hollo" and full of watch springs
 There was now but one 2. 'H trip to be made by Clochcttr. but D" ing made two and meta different cnS,om2 officer each time. she trIr'd that she might meet ou> Ul ;h" two. in wuirh case his suspicious wC:...: @y' excited.
 When sine went up :Ha "munraiD with her watch springs she r"rri,a q large bouquet of flowers. %1" dil Uoi attempt to go through Gl "Hy unfr2 ouented route. but by a p"r. T road. When she came to tEr summit there stood a man who was cXnr tril t0 look out for smugglers A soon aS Clo chette saw him she wiurrd He was the man she had pnssed with the band box.
 "You come this way very often" ho said, eylng her suspiciOusly.
 "Only once before"
 "Twice before. The first time saw you, but you did not see me Come In here"
 He took her into a customs stat'on where he turned her over to wOman to be searched. Nothing was found on her, and. picking up her bouquet, she held 1t under their noses, then walked