The daily Alaskan., 1915-01-21
How a Dowry Was Procured
By MARGARET C. DEVEREAUX

Between Switzerland and France there is q chain of mountains running in northeastcry direction to Basel. Within the Swiss border there lived watchmaker named Cremieux. His daughter Clochette, was very pret. ty girl, seventeen years old. with black hair and eyes and an olive complexion, | through which on each cheek shone roseate color like that on a ripe peach. | Alphonse Boyer, young woOdcutter, met Clochette at a dance and there upon came one of those quick love af- fairs that spring up like mushrooms between young persons of opposite sex.
 For awhile Clochette concealed the affair from her father, for woodcutting l has never been a profitable occupation, and Alphonse was poor as n 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. CremicuX, fearing that bis 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 2O00 francs with which to begin housekeeping and have a nest egg. l will help you. I know manufacturer in Geneva who will furnish me on credit with watch springs. There Is a heavy duty on them when transported to another country. We are near the border of France If you or Alphonse run snug gle enough watch springs into that country to produce profit of 4,OOO francs I will consent to the marriage. The duty Is 70 per cent. Therefore to produce 4.0OO francs you must get TO-, 900 francs worth of watch springs into France free of duty. But if you are caught smuggling the goods will be confscatCd. Therefore you must not risk doing all at one time. Risk only 2.O0O francs worth at each attempt"
 Clochette conveyed this information to her lover. and they agreed to accept the conditions. making alternate trips with each other across the mountains into France The customs officers ip,VlV,itttss Iny-if.n.s needed tu deceive them Cluchette agreed to make the first trip. and Al DhOnSe made for her q pair nf wooden shoes in such fashion that when the outside and inside. which were sep arate, were placed together the whole would look like one shoe But between them he left Il space. which would con. tain the watch springs Using this device, Clochctte passed the customs officers successfully, and the first in. stallmcnt of the dOwry was won.
 Alphonse next started with an equal number of springs. Since it was the hunting season. he took his gun and game bag nr1 going up into the noun tains, began 10 shoot squirrels and Oth. CT game A customs officer, hearing the reports, approached and, seeing q huntsman, made the necessary eXami- nation. then let him go where he liked. Alphonse's gun had two barrels, and one was full of watch springs.
 Clochettes turn coming next, she carried her consignment through In bandbox with a false bottom. An otl- cer took everything out of the box, but did not discover the trick.
 This left one more trip for each. Al phonse'S turn coming next He as- cended tine mountains with an ax on his shoulder and on reaching the sum- init began to chop. A customs officer joined him, and unluckily he was the same man who had seen him as a huntsman. This made him suspicious.
 "I thought you huntedi" he said to AlphOnSe.
 "Oh, that was only for days sport. I am a wOOdchOpper. am to cut twenty cords of wood and must do 1t at once"
 Nevertheless l must search you," said the other.
 He made a careful investigation, but found nothing on Alph0nse that was dutiable. Having satisfied himself, he went away, and the wOOdchOpper soon slipped down the mountain side to the westward His aX handle was hollow and full of watch springs.
 There was now but one more trip to be made by Clochette, but, having made two and met a different customs officer each time, she feared that she might meet one of the two. in which case his suspicious would be excited.
 When she went up the mountain with her watch springs she carried a large bouquet of flowers. She did not attempt to go through by any unfre Quentcd route. but by a paved road. When she came to the summit there stood q man who was expected to look out for smuggIers As soon as Clo chette saw him she winced He was the man she had passed with the band. box
 You come this way very often" he said. eying her suspiciously.
 "Only once before.'
 "Twlce before. The first time l saw