Year: 1875

bachelors lived in the vicinity or Par
| is. They had young maid-of-all-
work named Marie de La Font. Ma-
rie was sweet. pretty girl. and live
! ly and piquant in her manners, al-
though modest in the extreme. and
this was the reason that the two
brothers kept her in their employ.
They knew that she was frugal. eco
nomicaI, and dressed in the most
moderate manner imaginable, One
day Marie surprised her. employers
by informing them that a young ar-
tizan. resided in Paris, had asked her
hand. They stroye to dissuade her
from accepting the offer of marriage.
but she told them that she could not
be happy unless that she became the
wife Of her dear Henri. So. it, was
arranged that she should quit the
service of the two brothers at the end
Of the coming month.


One day during the interval the
two brothers sold some valuable real
estate. which they owned jointly, and
the sum realized amounted to 106.-
900 francs. Il was all in bills on the
Bank of France. and was paid too
late for deposit the same afternoon.


Night came and as the old bache-
lors seldom had such large amount
in the house, they we're considerably
concerned lest robbers should at
tempt TO rob them. Their fears was
strengthened by the numerous bur-
glaries that had recently taken place
in that viciEity. Ass Is


The residence of the old men was
some distance from the main road.
and stood near the river Seine. It
was lonely, gloomy location. and
on the night in question the winds
swept through the tall larches sur
rounding the mansion with doleful
duu HOauiRS CauSuCes


About midnight the old men re-
tired but scarcely had they fallen
asleep when Marie wrapped at their
door and informed them that robbers
were at work below. .a .aas


Both the bachelors were terribly
frightened, and while one commenced
to bar the door the other began re-
moving tile from the hearth to hide
the bills.


You have gun" said Marie;
''take it and shoot the Williams"


But the two trembling men paid
no heed to her advice.


''Cowads p said the brave girl.
scornfully, 81 wish that were man
for FIVE minutes"


Just then there came a heavy
crash from the apartments below.
The brothers crept beneath the
bed, where they shivered and cringed
unable to speak from terror.


I'VE shall all be murdered in our
BEDS" said the girl. eve viii be
found by tue police in the morning
with our throats cut from ear to ear.
Peste fools give me the gum


She seized the double-barreled gun
that laid upon the shelf, and started
down stairs, while the two frightened
men watched her without saying a
word. Presently bang went the gun,
and groan was heard. Bang! went
the second barrel, and a screech Of
pain resounded through the house
that caused the blood Of the brothers
to run cold. sa-et.E


A brief pause ensued, and then
Marie came tripping upstairs, but
her face wore determined dissatis-
fed look. She asked for powder and
ball to reload, which were furnished +;
but before she finished loading foot
steps were heard retreating from the
house.


No one slept in the house that
night, nor were they again molested.
But at early dawn. on going down
stairs, a pool Of blood ON tile hall
floor showed shat one robber, at least,
had been seriously. if not mortally.
wounded and it was plain to see by
the bloody path in the earth that the
victim had been dragged to the river.
Gore marked the whole distance.
and the police were at once put on
the alert for the arrest of the living
thieves and the recovery of the body
OF the dead one.


But all efforts proved vain. and the
bravery Of the young girl was dis
cussed far and aear.


The grateful bachelors were so
overwhelmed that they offered to
give Marie a dover.


"Ah! messieurs," replied she az
fectiouately chow can I leave you9 ?
You may again be attacked by rob-
bers.Ys a8


"But we win not, nevertheless,
stand between yon and happiness"
they replied. "Here are thirty thou
sand francs-yo have saved our
lives. and richly deserve the money.
liz you choose 10 live in. this house
with your husband, eve will repair
the lower part for that purpose, and
You can also be hired to keep our