Hannibal journal., September 09, 1852, Image 1

About Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853

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TOM-n Dollar,
NEW SERIES.
THE OLD MAN'S SECRET.
STBAKeE IIISTORT DUftIKO TIE tBCl KS-
"""" oictiow cr 1792.
" lean Baptiste Veron, a native it was under
tood, of the loulh of Frnnce, established bim
self at a merchant at Havre-do-Grace in 1788
being then a widower with one child, a young
)tcy. The new comer'a place of business wai
the t outh quay, about a hundred yards west of
fc custom-house. He had brought letters of
lyfe recommendation from several eminent Par
eSn firms; his capital was ascertained to be large
aafsoon, moreover, approving himself to be a
4U of keen mercantile discernment, and meas
I, peremptory, unswerving business habits,
0. not surprising that his commercial transac
e speedily took a wide range, or, that, at the
1 of about fifteen years, M. Veron was pro
ceed by the general consent to be the wealth-
tierchant of the commercial capital of north
' France. He was never, albeit, much of a
aito with any class of society : his man
''Was too brusque, docided, unbending his
tuT?'1 10 rUrt' fre1uently to bitter, for that 5
J 8 managed to steer his course in very difli-
d?'m!l U'le " 'e'y l'10" w'10 Put them
ufe. ' I?' P'n charges to obtain pop
'riiy. He never expressed publicly at leust
."iWvrnnQ 1 i aivt roniiKlitnnl-m
...nperialism. for fleur-dtT-lls.onnet-rourre,
orwtuoiore: in snort, Jean tiantiste v ero:j was
tern, taciturn, self absorbed man of bus.n.; -
and as nothing clso was he universally consid- j but "Very partially relieved by Eiigiiein.'s,..ssu
ered, till the installation of a quasi legitimacy by ral,c llat, come what may, hu would take the
Jfipoleon Bonaparte, when a circumstance, (responsibility in thut particular entirely upon
slight in itself, gave a clearer significance to the !nl;n5clf' M '"decdhe was bound to do the
cold, hauehtv. renellent crressimi which nh.v. i friends left the office, aim wended their way to
cu nuDiiuauy aoout me mercnanl s gray uep
set eyes, and thin, firmly compressed lips. His
newly engraved private card read thus : "J. B.
j i i.;. 1 1 1 11 1 . ,
at V eron, JILm Srjour, imrouville.'' Mon Se-
jour was a charming suburban domicile, situate
upon the Cote, as it is usually termeda sloping
eminence on the north of Le Havre, which it
commands, and now (Jailed wih similar residen
ces, but, at the perio ! we are writng of, very
sparselybuilt upon. Nut long after this assump
tion of tie aristocratic prefix to his name, it was
discovers! that he insinuated himself into the
very narow and exclusive circle of the De Me
rodes, wio were an unquestionable fragment of
the old mblesse damaged, it is true, almost ir
retrievably in purse, as their modest establish
' ment on he Cote too plainly testified; but in
' pedigretas untainted and resplendent as in the
: palioiestlftys of the Capets. As the chevalier
de Merde and his daughter, Madamoiselle
Hen ritte-Dd puiiiu-Iiuiieuse-Mnrie-Chasse
Loup dsMerode described as a tall, fair, and
extreme! meagre damsel, of about thirty years
' of age ere known to be rigidly uncompro
mising inall matters having reference to ances
try, it ws concluded that Jean Baptiste de Ve
ron had ben able to satisfy his noble friends,
that althigh de facto a merchant from the sad
' nececsilif of the evil time, he was dejure en
titled to fee rank and precedence with the
illustriouthough decayed nobility of France.
It might t, too, as envious gossips whispered,
that any ight flaw or break in the chain of De
Veron's jlrician descent had been concealed or
overlooki in the glitter of his wealth, more es
pecially i it was true, as rum or presently be
gan to rculalc, that the immense sum in
French e;i and ears of 300.OU0 francs (12,
000) wan be settled upon M-iduinoiselle de
Mcrode al her heirs on the day that should
tea her uted in wedlock with Eugene de Ve
ron, by thtime a fine-looking fellow of one or
two and tenty, and, like ninety-nine in evey
hundred othe youth of France, strongly pre
judiced agist the pretensions ofmers birth and
herediUrylistinction.
Rumor this instance was correctly inform
ed. " Eune," said M. de Veron addressing
his son in usual cold, positive manner, and
at the sanvime locking his private escruloirc,
the hand ohe clock being just on the stroke
of five, thiour for closing "I have matter of
importance inform you of. All differences
between tmnd the Chevalier de Merode rela
tive to younwriage with his daughter, Made
moiselle dderode, are"
"Hem 1'jaculated Eugene, suddenly whirl
ing round on his stool, and confronting his
father, "an!"
"All diffcnees, I say," resumed M. de e
ron, with .uflled calmness and decision, '-between
mys and the chevalier are arranged a
V amiable, d the contract of marriage will be
ready for Jr nn& Midemoiselle de Merodu's
signature, (Monday ncv!, at two precisely."
"Mine I Mademoiselle de Mero.le !'' re
peated thcslounded son, who seemed half
doubtful wln,,r le "aw or heard aright.
'Yes. 1 wonder vou are suprised.
g0 1
distinguish connection could hardly, under
the circun1ce 'llive been hoped for ; and it
would h9en cruel to have giv'ii you any
intimation! the subject whilst there was u
chance oficg1ciilt'on issuing unfavorably.
Your wiffld you wil'i for the present, at all
events, ta Up ydr ubode at Man Sejour ; and
I must co!q;eutly look out for a smaller, or
more baclW-u'ling residence.
"My and me !" echoed Veron junior,
with the 0 ir ef stupid amazement as be
fore J wife and me !" Recovering a lit-
. tiehe adJj "Confound it, there must be some
jjo you KIIOW, mult
de Merodo.is not al all to my
d as soon marry
"""i..' .":.:ti .it
ICQ iu aIVt. - a u uiiaii , ii w
you, is deded. You will marry Mademoiselle
Jo Merod tr if not," he added, with an iron
icflexibili' if tone and manner, "Eugene de
Veron ii ly to benefit very little by his fath
er's weali, 'which the same Eugene will do
well to rember is of a kind not very difficult
f tranife'Oce beyond the range of the law of
inheritanc which prevails in France. Thelep
f of th revolution," continued M. de Ve
f,n, at he'Ose to put on his hat, "may indeed
P ta tive polluted our very hearths, when
f I anistalte r.
8 Maderaoi'le
I taste ? FOul
' b yjre find cHdren setting up their opinions, and
S i'kiugi.aijiilislikings, forsooth! against their
11 Jtkwy deifcion, in a matter so entirely within
1 I y rental Jurisdiction as that.of a son. or
Li L" f wl10 I'mped a little in consequence of
rnr)Ded his ankle some ciuht or ten days
if paid In Advance; if not
PUBLISHED BV 0. CLEMENS, ON HILL STREET, NEAR
previously to a light one-horse oarriage in
wafting outside, he returned to the office and
resumed his seat, atill in a maze of confusion,
doubt and dismay. "?!w could," he innocent
ly muttered "how could my father how could
any body suppose that How could he espe
cially be so blind as not to have long ago per
ceived What a contrast 1" added Eugene tie
Veron, jumping up, breaking into passionate
speech, and his eyes sparkling ns if ho was ac
tually in presence of the dark-eyed divinity
whose image filled his brain and loosed his
tongue "what a contrast I Adeline, young, ro
seate, beautiful as spring, lustrous as Juno,
graceful as Hebe 1 Oh, par extmplc, Mademoi
selle do Mcroclo, you, with your high blood and
skinny bones, must excuse me. And poor, too,
poor as Adeline. Decidedly the old gentleman
must bo crazed, and let me sec Aye, to be
sure, I must confer with E.louard at once."
Eugene do Veron had only one flight of stairs
to ascend to obtain this conference, Edouard le
Blanc, the brother of Adeline, being n principle
clerk in the cstablishm cut. Eduoard lo Ulano
readily and sincerely c6ndolcd with his frit-mi
upon the sudJcn obscuration of his and Ade-
j line's hopes, adding that hejhad always felt a
sirong misgiving upon me subject ; an. I alter a
lugubrious dialogue, during which the clerk
hintad nervously ut a circumstance which, look
ing at the unpleasant turn matters were taking,
!ht Prove of terrible import a nervousness
Madamc le Blanc's, Ingouville. There the lov
er forgot, in Adeline's gay exhilarating presence
and conversation, the recent ominous and exas
perating communication from his father ; while
i1'",0IIarJ proceeded lo take counsel with 1
mother upon the altered aspect of afl'airs, not only
jas regarded Adeline and Eugene do Veron, but
more particularly himself, Edouard le Bl.mc.
Ten minutes had hardly passed by ordinary
i reckoning barely one by Eugene do Veron's
I when his interview with the charming Adeline
'was rudely broken in upon by Madame le Blanc,
a shrewed, prudent woman of the world, albeit
that in this ull'air she had somewhat lost her
balance, tempted by the glittering prize offered
for her daughter's acceptance, and for a time
apparently within her reach. The mother's
tone and manner were stern and peremptory.
Have the kindness, .Monsieur ue Veron, to bul
Adeline adiwii at once. I have a serious mutter
to laliv over with you alone. Com !'
Adeline was extremely startled to hear her
rich lover thus addressed, and the carnation nf
her glowing cheeks faded at onoe to lily pale
ness, whilst Eugene's features flushed us quick
ly to deepest crimson. He stammered out his
willingness to attend inadutue immediately, and
hastily kissing Adenlinc's hand, folhnvadlnym
welcoine intruder to another room.
'So, Monsieur Eugene,' began Midame le
Bianc, 'this ridiculous wooing of which, as
you know, I never heartily approved is at an
end. You are, I hear, to marry Mademoiselle
de Marodein the early part of next week.'
'Madame le lilanc I exclaimed the
man, 'what is it vou are saving? I
young
marry
(Mademoiselle de Merode, next, or any other
jweek! I swear to you by all that is true and
'sacred, that I will bo torn in pieces by wild
horses before I break faith
'Chut, chat'.' interrupted Madame 1c Blanc ;
'you may spare your oaths. The sentimental
bavardage of love will be lost upon me. You
will, ns you ought, espouse Mademoiselle do
Merode, who is, I am tuld, a very superior nnd
amiable person , ond as to Adeline, she will
console herself. A girl with her advantages
will always bo able to marry sufficiently well,
though not into the family of a millionaire. But
my present business with you' Monsieur Eugene
de Veron, relates to a different and much mure
important matter. You have induced him to
commit not only a weak but a highly criminal
art ; lie has let you have without Mon,sieur de
Veron's consent or knowledge, tw. thousand
francs, upon the assurance that 011 would either
reimburse that sum before his accounts wore
balanced, or arrange the matter suti'aetun!y
with your father.'
'But, Midamo le Blanc '
'Neither of which alternatives,' persisted that
lady, 'I very plainly perceive, tint you will be
able to fulfill, unless you comply with Monsieur
de Veron's wishes; and if vou have any real re
gard for Adeline, you will signify that acquies
cence without delay, for her brother's ruin in a
moral sense, would be hers t.lso. Fart of the
money lias, 1 understand, been squandered on
prevents you have made her : they shall be re-
turned
'Midline le Blanc!' exclaimed tho excited
young man, 'yon will drive me mad ! I cannot,
will not give up Adeline; an l us for the paltry
sum of money you spe.dt of my meney as it
may fairly be considered that shall be leiurned
to -morrow morning.'
Madame le Blanc did not speak for a few
seconds, and then said 'Very well: mini you
keep your promise. To-morrow is, you are a
ware, the Fete Dieii ; we have promised Mad
ame Carson, of the Grande Hue, to ptiss the af
ternoon and evening at her house, where we
shall have a good view of the profession. Do
you and Edouard call on us there; as soon as t'.ie
iilfuir is arranged. 1 will not detain you longer
al present, Adieu! Stay, stay bv this door,
if you please. I cannot permit you to see Ade
line again, at all events, Jill this money transac
tion is definitely settled.'
'As you have now slept upon the proposal I made
you yesternoon,' s id M. de Veron, addressing
his son on tho following morning, ut the conclu-
sion of a silent breakfast 'you may, perhaps,
be prepared with a more fitting answer than
you were then?
Eugene warmly protested his auxioiy to obey
all his father's reasonable commands ; but in
this compliance was simply impossible, foras
much as he, Eugene, had already irrevocably
pledged his word, his heart, his honor, in anolli
quarter, and could, therefore nay, would not,
consent to poison his future existance by uni
ting himself with Mademoiselle de Marode, for
whom, indeed, he felt the profoundnt eiteem,
but not the slightest emotion of aflection or re-rd.
paid within Six Months, One "Dollar "and Fifty Cents";
HANNIBAL, flIO.,. THURSDAY
Your Word, tout honor, your heart you
should have added your fortune,' replied M. de
Veron, with frigid, slowly-distilled sarcastic
bitterness 'arc irrevocably engaged, are they,"
to Adeline le Blanc, sister of my collecting
clotk daughter of a deceased ous-lieutenantr
or. the line
'Of the linporial Guard,' interposed Eu
gene. 'Who aids her mother to eke out a scanty pen
sion by embroidery . '
Very superior artislio embroidery,' again in
terjected the son.
'Bo it so. I have not been quite so unobser
vant, Eugene, of certain incidents as you and
your friends appear to have supposed. But time
proves all things, and the De Merodei and I can
wait.'
Nothing further passed till M. de Veron rose
to leave the room, when his son with heighten
ed color and trembling speech, although especi
ally aiming at a careless indifference of tone and
manner, -Sir, sir, one word if you please j I
have a slight favor to ask. There are a few
debts, to theamoutit of about two thousand francs
which I wish to discharge immediately this
mnniinfr in f-rt '
'Debts to the amount of two thousand francs,
which yau wish to dischargo immediately this
morning in fact.' slowly repeated De Veron,
fixing on his son a triumphant, mocking glance,
admirably seconded by the curve of his thin
white lips. 'Well, let the bills be sent to me.
If correct and fair, they shall be paid.'
'But but, father, one chief item is a debt of
honor !'
'Indeed ! Then your honor is pledged to oth
ers besides Mademoiselle la lroilrv.se ? 1 have
only to say, that in that case I will no.' assist you.'
TT : :.l .1 c j t 7 11 .
iliiiiic siuu mis, iu. ce vcrnn, rcgaruiess 01
his son's angry expostulations, limped out of the
apartment, and shortly after, the sound of the
rnace wheels annouueed his denarture to I.e
Havre. Eugene, about an hour afterward fol
lowed, vainly striving to calm his apprehensions
by the hope that before the day for balancing
Eilouard;s accounts arrived, he would find his
father in a more Christian-like nnd generous
mood, or, at any rale, hit upon some means of
raising the money.
The day, like the gorgeous procession that
swept through the crowded streets, passed
slowly and uninterruptedly away in M. do Ve
ron's place of business, till about half-past four,
when that gentleman directed a porter, who was
leaving the private office, to inform M. le Blanc
t!:-t he (M. de Veron) wished to speak with
him immediately. On hearing this order, Eu
gene looked quickly up from the desk at which
he was engaged, to his fathers' face; but he
discerned nothing on that impassive tablet to
dissipate or confirm his fear.
' Edouard hi Blanc," said M. de Veron, with
mild suavity of voice, the instant the summoned
clerk presented himself, "it so chances that 1
have no further occasion for your services"
"Sir! sir!" gasped tlio terrified youth.
"You are," continued M. de Veron, "entitled
(0 one months snlary, in lieu of that period of
notice, one hundred francs, with which vou
may credit yourself in the cash account vou
,wii please balance and bring to me as quickly as
possible."
"Sir! sir!" again bewilderingly iterated the
panic-stricken cleik, as he turned distractedly
jlroin father to son, "Sir!"
I "My words are plain enough, observed M.
jde Veron, coolly tapping and opening his snuff
jbox, from which he helped himself to a hearty
Ipincli. "You are discharged, with one hundred
1 francs, a month's salary in lieu of wnrning, in
your puekst. You have now only to bring
ijour accounts; they are correct, of course; I,
.finding them so, sign your livrei, and there's an
lend to the matter."
I E luurd le B'.anc made a step or two towards
thn dour, and then, as if overwhelmed with a
sense of tiie hopelessness of further conceal
ment, turned round, threw himself with a cry
of terror and despair at M. do Veron's feet,
and poured forth a wild, sobbing, and scarcely
intelligiblo confession of the fault or crime of
which he had been guilty, through the solicita
tions of M. Eugene, who had, he averred, re
ceived every farthing of the amount in which
he, Edouard le Blanc, acknowledged himself to
,be a defaulter.
I ' Yes ! yes!'
exclaimed the son; ' Edouard
gave llie money
into my hands, and if there be
any blame, ll is mine alone. Is it no, Monsieur J-.ugene r At all events 1
I M. de Veron listened with a stolid, stony 'shall 'ry. He is in the church, you say. Very
.apathy to all this, save for a sliht glimmer of jwell, if I fail but I am sure I shall not fail I
triumph that, spite of himself, shone out at the return in ten minutes, nnd that will leave Ma
corners of his half closed eyes. When the Idemoiselle Adeline's despairing lover plenty of
you
he
iiina: man had ceased sobhin? and exclaiming,
I: ' You admit, Edouard la Blanc, that
you have
francs, at
robbed me of nearly two thousand
yo, s;iy, the solicitation of my son
an excuse, vou 1:111
! be aware, ol not thesliglit-
est legal wriht ; no
(istei , M. idemoiselle
nore than u your pretty
Adeline, who, I must be
pfrmitted to observe, is not altogether, I sus-j ' I don't know what she can mean,' said Ed
pect. n stranger to this affair . Hear ine ouard le Blanc, seizing his hat and hurrying off ;
mil, messieurs, it you please: I say your ex-
ruse has no mure leg;. I validity than if your ms-J
ter had counselled you to commit the felony.
, Now mark me, young man: It is just upon five
o'clock. At half-past seven precisely, I shall
ro bof ore a magistrate, and cause a warrant to
,be issued for jour apprehension. To-morrow
morning, consequently, the brother of Made-
inoisclle lo Blanc will etither be an incarcerated
i felon, nr. 1'irh will suit me just us well, a pro-
j claimed fugitive from justice.'
I 'One moment one word, for the love of
Heaven, before ynu go ! exclaimed Eugene.
'Is there any mode,-any means whereby Ed
ouard may be rescued from this frightful,
.this unmerited calamity this irretrievable
! ruin ?'
'Yes,' rejoined M. de Veron, pausing for an
;instant on the threshold, 'there is one mode, Lu-
gene, and only one. What itds, you do not re
quire to be tuld. I shall rime in town to-day; at
seven 1 shall look in at the church of Notre
Dame, and remain there precisely twenty mi
nutes. After that, repentance .will be too
late.'
Eugene was in despair, for it was Quite clear
that Adeline must be given up Adeline, whose
myriad ciiarmr and graces rose up
on his imagination in tenfold greater lustre than
before, now that lie was about (9 )oie her for-
MAIN, A FEW DOORS WEST OF
MORNING, SEPTEMBER 9, 1852.
ever! But there was plainly no help for it; and
after a brief, atritated consultation, the young
man left the office to join Madame and Made
moiselle le Blane at the widow Carson's, in the
Grande Rue, or Rue de Paris, aa the only de
cent street in Havre de Grace was then called,
both for the purpose of communicating the un
toward slate of affairs, and that Eugene might
take a lingering, last farewell of Adeline.
Uefore accompanying them thither, it is nec
essary to say a few words of this Madame Car
son, who is about to play a very singular part
in this little drama. She was a gay, well-look-inr.
symmelricallv-shnncd. vounir widow. wh6
kept a confectioner's shop in the said Grande
Rue, and officiated as her own dame, du eomploir.
Her eood looks, coquettishly eracious smiles
and unvarying good temper, rendered her estab
lishment much more attractive it was by no
means a brilliant affair in itself than it would
otherwise have been. Madame Carson was in
a tacit, quiet kind of way, engaged to Edouard le
Blanc that is to say, she inteuded marrying him
as soon as their mutual savings should justify
such a step; and provided, also, that no more el
igible offer wooed her acceptance in the mean
time. M. de Veron himself was frequently in
the habit of calling on his way to or from Mon
Sejour, for a vale and a lively little badinage
with the comely widow; and so frequently, at
one time, that Edouard le Blano was half in
clined to Madame Carson's infinite amusement
to be jealous of the rich, though elderly mer
chant's formal and elaborate courtesies. It was
on leaving her shop that he slipped and sprained
his ankle. M. de Veron fainted with the ex
treme pain, was carried in that state into the
little parlor behind the shop and had not yet re
covered consciousness when the apothecary,
whom Madame Carson had dispatched her little
waiting-maid of all work in quest of, entered to
tender his assistance. This is all, I think, that
need be said, in a preliminary way, of Madame
Carson.
Of course, the tidings brought by Eugene and
Eduard very painfully affected Madamoiselle le
Blanc ; but being a very sensible, as well as a
remarkably handsome young person, she soon
rallied, and insisted, quite as warmly as her
mother did, that the sacrifice necessary to relieve
Edouard from the peril which environed him,
painful, heart-breaking as their sacrifice might
be, must be submitted to without reserve or de
lay. In other words, that M. de Veron, junior,
must consent to espouse Madamoiselle de Mo
rode, and forthwith infers his father thai lie
was ready to sign the nuptial contract that mo
ment, if necessary. Poor Eugene, who was
really over head and ears in love, and more so
just then than ever, pileously lamented his own
cruel fate, and passionately denounced the ti-
ger-hcartedncss of his barbarian father ; but as
tears and reproaches could avail nothing in such
strait, he finally submitted to the general
award, nnd agreed to announce his submission
to M. de Verou at the church of Notre Dame,
not a moment later, both ladies insisted, than
live minutes past seven 0 clock.
Madame Larson was not at home all this
while. She had gone to church, und, after de
votion, called on her way back on one or two
friends for a little gossip, so that it only wanted
about a quarter to seven when she reappeared,
Of course the lamentable story had to be told
over again, with all its dismal accompaniments
or sighs, tears and plaintive ejaculations ; and
it was curious to observe, as the narrative pro
ceeded, how the widow's charming eyes flashed
and sparkled, and her cheeks glowed with in
dignation, till she looked, to use Edouard If
Blanc expression, 'ferociously handsome.'
'L monstre 1 ' she exclaimed, as Eugene termi
nated the sad history, gathering up, as she
spoke, the shawl and gloves she had just before
put off; ' bul I shall see him at once; I have in
fluence with this Monsieur de Veron."
' Nonsense, Emilie,' said Madame Le Blanc,
' You possess influence over Monsieur de Ve
ron!' 'Certainly I do. And is that such a tni rubier
replied Madame Carson, with a demure glance
at Eduard.
Eduard looked somewhat scared, but managed
to say
'Not at all certainly not; but this man's
heart is iron steel."
We shall see,' said the fair widow, as she
finished drawing on her glovas. 'La grande
passion is someti.nes stronger than iron or steel.
time to make his submission, if better may not
be ; and so an revoir Mesdamcs rt Messieurs.'
What can she mean?' said Madame le Blanc,
as the door closed. 'I have noticed, once or
twice during the last fortnight, that she has
made use of strange half hints relative to Mon
sieur de Veron.'
I but l shall tullow, and strive to ascertain,
He was just in time to catch a glimpse of
Madame Carson's skirts as the whisked around
the corner of the Rue St. Jacques, and by
quickening his speed, he saw her enter the
'church from the street. Notre Dame was
crowded; but Edouard le Blano had no difficulty
in singling out M. de Veron, who was sitting
,in his accustomed chair, somewhat removed
from the mass of worshippers, on the left of the
(high altar; and presently he discerned Madiune
parson gently and adroitly making her way
through the crowd toward him. The instant
sha was nar enough she tapped lain slightly on
the shoulder. He turned quickly, staring with
a haughty, questioning glance at the smiling
iconfectioner. There was no grandt patsion in
that look, Edouard felt quite satisfied, and Mad-
ame Carson s conduct seemed more than ever
unintelligible. She apptared to say something,
which was replied to by an impatient gesture
of refusal, and M. de Veron turned again to
ward the altar, Madame Carson next approach
ed close to his chair, and bending down, whisp
ered in his ear for perhaps a minute. As she
did so M. de Veron's body rose slowly up, in
voluntarily as it were, and stiffened into rigidi
ty, ss if under the influence of some frightful
spell. Forcing himself at last, it seemed, to
confront tha whisprrer, he no sooner rtught
if not" paid within Twelve :
SELMES' BUILDINGS.
her eye than hi reeled, like aome out struck by
a heavy blow, against the pedestal of a saint,
whose stony features looked less white and
bloodless than his own. Madame Carson con
templated the effect sha had produced with a
kind of pride for a few moments, and thea with
a slight, but peremptory wave af her hand me
lon t a mm to follow her out of the sacred edi
fiie. M. de Veron hastily, though with stag
gering steps, obeyed Edouard le Blano cross
ing the church and reaching the street just in
time ta see them both driven off in M. da Ver
on's carriage.
Edouard hurried back to the Grande Rue,
to report what he had witnessed; and what
could be tha interpi station of tha inexplicable
scene, engrossed th inventive genius of all
there, till they were thoroughly tired of their
wild and aimless guesses. Eight o'clock chimed
nine ten and they were all Edouard es
pecially working themselves into a complete
panic of apprehension, when to their great re
lief, M. de Veron's carriage drew np before the
doer. The first person to alight, was M. Bour
don, a notary of eminence; next M. de Veron,
who handed out Madkme Carson; and all three
walked through the shop into the back apart
ment. The notary wore his usual business as
pect, and had in his hands two rolls of thickly
written parchment, which he placed upon the
table, and at once began to spread out. M. de
Veron had the air of a man walking in a dream.
and subdued, mastered, by some overpowering,
nameless terror; while Madame Larson, though
pale with excitement, was evidently highly ela
ted, and to use a French phrase, completely
"mistress of the situation." She was the first
to break silence.
'Monsieur de Veron has been kind enough,
Edouard, to explain, in the presence ef Monsieur
Bourdon, the mistake he was disposed to charge
you with to-day. He quite remembers, now,
having received two thousand francs from you,
for which, in his hurry at the time he gave you
no voucher. Is not that so Monsieur de Veron?'
she added, again fixing on the merchant the same
menacing look that le Blanc had noticed in the
church.
'Yes, yes,' was the quick reply of M. de Ve
ron, who vainly attempted to look the astounded
clerk in the face. 'The mistake was mine.
Your accounts are quite correct, Monsieur le
Blanc; and and I shall be glad of course to see
you at the office as usual.'
'That is well,' said Madame Larson 'and now
Monsieur Bourdon, to business, if you please.
Those documents will not take so long to read
as they did to write.
The notary smiled and immediately began
reading a marriage contract between Eugene de
Veron and Adeline le Blanc, by which it appear
ed that the union of those young persons was
'joyfully acceded to by Jean Baptiste de Veron
and Marie le Ulanc, their parents; the said Jean
Bantiste de Veron bindw himself formally to
endow the bride and bridegroom jointly on the
day of marriage, with the sum of three hundred
thousand francs, and, moreover, to admit his son
as a partner in the business thenceforth to be
carried on under the name 01 ue veron &on.
This contract was written in duplicate, and
as soon as the notary had finished reading, Mad
ame Carson handed a pen to M. de Veron, say
ing in the same light, coquettish, but perempto
ry tone as before, 'Now, Monsieur, quick, if
you please; yours is the most important signa
ture.' The merchant signed and sealed both
parchments, and the other interested parties did
the same, in silent, dumb bewilderment, broken
only by thi scratching of the pen and the legal
words repealed after the notary. 'We need not
dvtain you longer, Messieurs. I believe, said
Madame Carson. 'iJon soir, Monsieur de Ver
on,' she added, extending an ungloved hand to
that gentleman, who faintly touched it with his
lips: 'you will hear from me to-morrow.
'What is the meaning of all this?' exclaimed
Eugene de Veron, the instant his father and the
notary disappeared. 'I positively feel as if
standing upon ray heedl' A chorus of like in
terrogatories from the le Blancs assailed Mad
ame Carson, whose ringing bursts of mirth
mocked, foi a time, their impatience.
'Meaning, varbleu I she at last replied, after
pausing to catch breath. 'That is plain enough,
surely. Did you not all see with what emprtst
mrnt the Door man kissed mv hand ? There, do
I 1 L . .(!,.,! Prl...J .Um.AA.A III,
a renewed out -burst, 'Perhaps I may have the
caprice to prefer you, after all, to an elderly
millionaire who knows r liut come, let us
try to be a little calm end sensible. What I
have done, good folks, I can as easily undo
and that being the case, Monsieur Eugene imist
sign me a bond to-morrow morning, for fifty
thousand francs, payable three days after his
marriage. Is it agreed ? Very well : then I
keep these two parchments till the said bond is
executed. And now. my friends good night,
for I, as you may believe, am completely tired
after all this benevolent fairy-work."
The wedding took place on the next day but
one, to the great astonishment of every one ac
quainted with the two families. It was also
positively rumored that M. de Verou had pro
posed marriage to Madame Curton, and been
refused ! Be this true or not, it was soon ap
parent that, from some cause or other, M. de
Veron's health and spirits were irretrievably
broken down, and after lingering out a mopish,
secluded life of scarce a twelvemonth's duration,
that gentleman died suddenly at Mon Sejour.
A clause in his will bequeathed 20,000 francs
to Madame Carson, with an intimated hope that
it would be accepted as a pledge by that lady to
respect, as she hitherto had done, the honor of
an ancient family.
This pledge to secrecy would, ho doubt, have
been kept, but that rumors of poisoning and su
icide, in connection with da Vernon s death,
having got abroad, tho procureur general order
ed an investigation to take placa. The suspi
cion proved groundless , but the procut-tetbal
set l or in that on examining the body of the de
ceased, there were discovered the letters 1 da
B., 'T. F., branded on the front ot tha shoul
der the two last, initials ot 'Travsux Forces,'
(forced labor,) being largo and very distinct.
Ther could be no doubt, therefore, that tha
proud M. da Veron was an escaped Jortal: and
subsequent investigation, which waa not. how
ever, very strongly pressed, sufficiently proved
that Jean Usptiste de J efcn the younger son
Months, TWO DOLLARS,
VOL. X NO. 2
IU-J
of a high family, had in very early youth beei
addicted to wild courses j that he had gone to
tha colonies under a feigned name, t escapsr
difficulties at heme and whilst at tha I.la da
Bourbon, bad bean convieted of crem!i!atLf
homicide at a gaming house, and senteive4 to
perpetual imprisonment with hard labor. Cob.
triving to escape, he had returned t Franca,
and by tho aid of a considerable lesraev com
menced a prosperous mercantile carver, how
terminated, we have jnst seen. It waa b y pur
accident, or what passes for such fn the world,
that Madame Carson had arrived at a knowledge
of tha terrible secret. When M. de Veron,
after spraining his ankle, waa rarried in a stale
ot insensibility into the room behind her shop,
she had immediately busied herself ia ramovittv
his neckcloth, unfastening his shrrt, then a flare
nel one, which fitted tightly round tha neck.
and thus obtained a glimpse of the branded let.
tors, 'T. F.' With her customary quickness of
wit, she instantly rrpl-eed the shirts, neck
cloth, &., and carefully concealed tfie fatal
knowledge she had acquired, till an opportnnity
f using it advantageously should present hsetf.
ine foregoing are, I believe, all the reliable
particulars known of a story of which there
used to be half a hundred different versions fly.
ing about La Havre, Edouard le Blanc married
Madame Carson, and subsequently became a
partner of Eugene de Veron. It waa not Ion;,
however, before tha business was removed te
another and distant French seaport, where, for
aught I know to the contrary, the firm of 'Da
Veron and Le Blanc' flourishes ta this day. '
A5ZCD0TZ 07 GZFTE&aX, SCOTT.
An interesting anecdote is told bv a Massacho.
chusctts officer, of the wonderful foresight of
our great chier, whose plsns lor the whole con
quest of Mexico were made history, by altering
the tenses from future to past. While at Vera
Cruz, Gen. Scott sent to the head of the Quar.
ter Master's Department, and said to him, 'Sir
have you got everything in readiness in your
line, which we may want between this and the
Capital?'
'Yes sir, I have cri everything an army can
possibly require.' .
Have you sent along any ten penny nailt r
Ten-penny nails I No sir.' '
Then forward a cask of them. ''
The officer was nuzzled to conceive what the
General could want with ten-penny nails. But
when the National BridM w M-2 isia ?z
mass of rocks by the enemy, the General's ad
mirable foresight was apparent. The Penob
scot lumbermen were soon ready with their tim
ber to repair it 5 the cask of nails was turned
out, and the army waa on its road to victory.
Fitchburg Reveille. .
"I DIGEST'" Such U lh in.. .k. 1 u-m
St," or of lb iwo Ctnt word, from whfck it to 4rrl.,l.
Thl H lli itltniflant mui ipproprUl. lit I. .r Uie Ira DinMin
r lord, er Gastric Juice, nr-narwi hr n.. j -s
Phlltdalphla, from the fourth iobIi of the Oi, for the care
of ladinmine Drtptfla. It h N'mr,', own mice fat
unaes.in j lamtea. no art er ma a caa equal ita ceruive
ere. ll renoVra (oou eallnf eerlrcll, coeilateul with beeUh. See
the Sftire ( the Ox. in toother put oriole paper
Eragg'a Liniment.
UT A ptrson in St. Louis, by the name of McLean.
affecting to bt acquainted with the ingredients of this
celebrated medicine, and well knowing its great vir.
tues, has attempted something like a counterfeit. Ha
adopts a specious name and sells an article possessing
none of the properties of the original. In aa sd.er.
tisvment in to-day's paper will be found the sxpoM of
ur. Bragg; on this subject. Erj one will scree with
us, thst the Doctor pours the "grape" Into this fellow's
pretensions with very signal effect We learn frots the
St. Louis Signal, thst Bragg's Liniment still retains its
deserved pojiularity. The entire sales during toe last
year amount to about mt million Mlla. All af the
best houses in the city, certify to its great excel tear
Ibalen Weekly Advocate, May W, 1852. . . .
Ice advertisement io soother loluren. ' - ;
BRAOO'S LIKIXZNT. ' '
A perm lo St. LmIs, ar ike oaan of Mr Lea. artWri. a. k.
oojuaiatre with the iaf'xlicMof laiiaeelKhremt aaolKMa, a4
axil kmiwinf ita treat virtue, has attnaptee eoaaotawt lt
a cauateriMU H ectopia a apermn nanus aaj aril, aa articae
puaaraaiaa mo of tlx proptrtm of th. ori(tMl. le aa aaWat
liacaieal In lo-iaa papa, art Ilea fauna lax eipoaaaf Ur. Hual
oa thia NhjrK. Evary ac will acrae VHk aa. taw the laaato
pnttra the rap" Into thai felloar'a pr-tsaaioaa ariih m, emaaa
rarct. w irara rraa tha St. Loirra ltioak that aVagn'a Liai
maaiaull mum K.4esenrnl aa.peKwH. Taaamira eeJreoa- '
rlur, tha laat year em-am 10 auoe i eaa aalilme eouta. All af
ma hi nouara w uia my, ornlly ta kca fraai niailiiai Sa
See aavaniaucMM la aavther eaiusav
N. B Stitct tee abort waa mi ta in far eaaaaae, are
that McLEA that ta tarn ape, ea af la the ataaa-arar at
alcLKAN'S Ctfl.KSAATSD VOLCANIC OIL LINIMENT.
No wraaie, tlx Mvaraao aaot ere Uytae le m bar tuieaeal
hwa the? rear Ita laeteaetBf pnaraltrita. ft la certain It
hatter LHiiaaeal, becauae it has ptrforaua rteaerlurMt ruraa, ar
te Mustanf Liaxaanl haat feUaa. Sea the a'rcrtiaraviM io
aaMfcreicoiaaiiH ana Jaera far uaiaehraa. aalf
iii jt Printing-,
or rrvsv viBracrrioMa
71LH3,. TAHST aHX mtlCTSZLi,
raliw r.omru( ! (NSJ VSim VI IU
HAHSIIBAIa JOURNAL AMU L'KIOJU
PAMPHLETS.
CiKCl'lARS, - ,
HANO BILLS,
BILLS LAW.V0,
fKOCKAMMS.
BLANKS,
CARDS, At,
Printed m rood stylo, and unoa reasonaa Is terms. .
OK10N CLEMENS, Pro.
THE BOOXVILLB H
FERUY COMPANY.'-1'"1
HAVING tompleted (titir HORSE BOAT, whwaj'
lor speed and CnUh ia superior to snv Boat of i ke '
kind on tha river, are prepared to cross PASSENC. tRi,
TEAMS, STOCK, aud etrerv deecrintnm of Merctaa-
tiiMi, without delay and at iHnatrroJi Half., ...
The FVrry at tins point has been inefficient aao aa
bid repute for causes which were unavoidable. - Ta
Steam Boat owned by the Cuinnany was sunk at tha
wharf and a NEW HORSE BOAT, built expreuly
for ferrying purposes was sunk oa her trip ap, and
total loss. Owing to these disasters it was iiuoaMa,
to alfoid the public that accommodatioa which waa
needed. Now there acj ho no cause of complaint 1 'J
As aconveoieut point of transit, Bukii.i.i, sitaa-r
tH near tha Geographical eei.tre of the Slate, has sa.
parior advantage to any otbor place on the Afiasaail.''
fbe accommodalioka on both aids ol tha rive ar,
crllent, and good featuring in the vie tuily af eaxU for
tha convenience of DROVERS. ' 1
The Company solicit the patraaafe f tha rul lit ,
promising that ue sxerttous will be spared in outer to
tneiil its continuance. - (
Booo'Ul, Mo., June 6, 1S5S. JU - ,
LIME! LI ME 1 1 LIME It!'.
THE SUBSCRIBER, will ka cobaUatly oar hsnd
fieak burned Linjo, (or sal at lbs cerooc af ittU .
and Sixth Streets. 1
KT Those ia want of a good aitule of Lloo W04I4
de welltocall 00 p. I. WILLS. .
Hsnaibtl, Aujaat 6th, IWMf '
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