The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-13
A Woman
Highwayman
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

sells lace. My father, the Duke o.
Montmarville, was a favorite of Kin,
Louis XVI, who showered him will
favors. Ten years later my father hat
gone down In the reign Of terror and
was an exile.
But / had in me the blood Of war
riors The great Turenne was an an
cestor of mine. Naturally when found
that / could not make a living as a
man. ! would have fought for France
but my ancestors had served their coun'
try under the royal standard bearing
the fleur-de-lis. If donned mans at
tire must fight under the tricolor for
the usurper Bonaparte, who was EN-
peror by virtue of the blood Of the king.
No, would not go into the army.
But / resolved to return to France.
How / made my way there i can now
hardly recall. l had become so used
to hardship that the days l travelled
on foot, the nights slept in woods, my
breakfasts of berries, my dinners
when had them-given by some kind
ly farmers wife, made no lasting i'm
preston on me.
/ remember well that one day found
myself In boys clothing at the gates
of the chateau In which l was born.
asked man passing who lived there.
He said that an army contractor had
bought the place from the government,
which had confiscated 1t after cutting
off the head of It's owner, the Duke of
Montmarville. Most women would have
burst into tears. Instead, / was en-
ra'ged.
This is world of robbery" l said,
"and / will rob like the rest"
| stole a pistol, but could find no
ammunition to steal and had no money
to buy any. But l soon had money
a-plenty, for / lay in wait for the con-
tractor who occupied my birthplace,
and when he was being driven into
the gate by his fat coachman | stop
ped the coach, ordered the driver to
dismount from the box and, opening
the door, presented my unloaded PTS
toll at the occupant and demanded his
money He happened to have a well
filled purse, which he tremblingly
handed me.
found money made by robbing so
easy and so lucrative that / bought a
horse and equipment for the road.
did not think to wear mask. | had
no cause to hide my visage. | was
the daughter OF duke, but not soul
In France knew me as such or knew |
me at all, for that matter. ! robbed |
only at night, and no one could see |
my features In the darkness. One
night stopped coach, and after re-
reiving the contribution of a man in |
It and was about to turn away he
said:
"Madamoiselle, shall know that |
voice IL ever hear 1t again. You are
not man, but woman"
II care not If you do" | replied,
nor If you should see my features or
know who I am, for mine is a wrecked
ife ] would 1t had been ended, as
was my fathers, on the guillotine."
''Who was your father?" he asked.
But could not bring myself to let
lin know Of the disgrace l had
brought upon my family, and. putting
;purs to my horse, I rode away.
A love for life Of adventure grew
lpon me, and l caught the spirit OF
ylaude Duval.
Hearing that ball was to be given
~ a person whom Bonaparte had en-
iched as King Louis had enriched my
ather, desire seized me to attend 1t
ressed In the apparel of my sex.
)onning an ordinary woman's cloth Ii
ng, / went to Paris and bought cos a
ume fit for the rank to which was
ntitled. On the night of the ball Q
fred n coach and maid and when
be entertainment was in fun swing
rove up to the door, alighted. went
0 a robing room and then down into
be drawing room to the host and !.
ostess, who were receiving their
uests. r.
Madame looked at me in wonder, S
aving never seen me before and I'M
ertain whether l had been hidden or
ad come without an invitation. Her
usband, who did not know all the
uests, looked at me curiously. Their
On, man nearing thirty years of r,
&c, gazed at me with admiration as ii
ell as surprise. o.
Pardon me- said his mother. 81
D not recall your features" 81
81 am the Duchess of Mont what-you- l
ke," ! replied
All looked at me in astonishment, i'
ut | saw the younger man start He o.
covered his equanimity at once and, IL
fering me bis arm, led me away. AS
ION as we were out of hearing he -
Irned to me and said: L
II told you that / would know your
,ice should ] ever hear 1t again, and
convince you that | was right you
e the highway woman who robbed n
e of 10 napoleons n few months ago. i
tried to disengage my arm from his
at might take 10 fight. but he was
ronger than ! and held me.
Fear nothing" he said. II will keep
'ur secret"
never again donned mans attire. q
Y victim persuaded me to permit him
rough his father to plead my cause n,
lth Bonaparte, who was endeavoring
conciliate the old nobility Of France.
the end received back a portion ID,
my estate. including the chateau.