The daily Alaskan., 1915-01-20
How a Dowry Was sProcured
By MARGARET c. DEVEREAUx

Between Switzerland and France there is a chain of mountains running in a northeasterly direction to Basel. | Within the Swiss border there lived watchmakcr named CremieuX. Ills daughter, Clochette, was q very pret- ! ty girl, seventeen years old, with black hair and eyes and an olive complexion, | through which on each cheek Shone a , roseate color like that on a ripe peach. AIphonSe Boyer a young woodcutter, met Clochette at q 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 1 has never been a profitable occupation, and AlphonSe was poor as q 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 1 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 l care to live CremieuX, fearing that his daughter would destroy herself, | after much thought said to her:
 "I will consent to your marrying AL Dhonse on condition that you or he can make enough money for your dow | fro Xy-it which to begin housekeeping and have a nest egg will help you. l know l a manufacturer in Geneva who will ! furnish mo on credit with watch i springs Th;r2 is a heavy duty on them when transported to another f country. We are near the border of France. If You or AlphOnse eau snug gle enough watch springs into that country tD produce profit of 4,0O0 | francs l will consent to the marriage. The duty is 40 Ter cent. Therefore to | produce 1000 francs you must get 1O, GOO 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,OOO francs worth at each attempt" ! ClOchCttc conveyed this information to her lover. and they agreed to accept ! the condihcus, making alternate trips | with each other across the mountains 1 into France. The customs officers l were alert, and ingenious devices were | 1,l I., q, h.,tf ff, 1 agreed to make the first trip, and AL | phOnse made for her pair of 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 space which would con tain the watch springs. Using this device, Clochette passed the customs ! officers successfully, and the first in 1 stallment of the dowry was won.
 Alphonse next started with an equal i number of springs. Since it was the | hunting season. he took his gun and game bag Hr l. going up into the noun tains, began tU shoot squirrels and oth. | CT game. A customs officer, hearing 1 the reports, approached and, seeing a huntSman, made the necessary exami- nation. then let him go where he liked. 1 AlphOnse's gun had two barrels, and 1 one was full of watch springs.
 Clochettes turn coming next, she carried her consignment through In bandbox with false bottom. An off, cer took everything out of the box, but l did not discover the trick.
 This left one more trip for each, AL ] phonse's turn coming next He as- | cended the mountains with an aI on his shoulder and on reaching the sum- init began 10 chop. A customs officer ! joined him, and unluckily he was the same man who had seen him as q
 huntsman. This made him suspicious.
 "I thought you hunted?' he said to AlphOnSe.
 "Oh, that was only for a days sport. ] anu a wOodchopper. 1 am to cut twenty cords of wood and must do it at once"
 Nevertheless must search you," said the other
 He made careful investigation, but
 found nothing on Alph"nsc that was dutiable. Having satisfied himself, he
 went away, and the woOdchOpper soon
 slipped down the mountain side to the
 westward His aN handle was hollow l and full of watch springs.
 There was now but one more trip to
 be made hy ClOchGtte, 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-
 uucntcd route. but by q paved road.
 When she came to the summit there
 stood 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, ewing her suspiciouSly.