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Show II 4. : Methods of Marriage Brokers : I In the Thrifty French Capital Hf fNcw York Pres9. lrxARIS, Slay 12. You have heard of Lr June brides? There are June-brides In" Paris, too, very much like ours, biush-B1 biush-B1 ins and blooming, but differing in one curious respect, I have Just met the. moat curious possible phase of match, making. The "phase" is a maturc( -jolly-looking French widow with scarcely-any prc-tentlons prc-tentlons herself to going into "society." Yet her pipes arc so laid that she has in her photograph album the portraits oC 350 nice French girls with dots; And what Is more remarkable (she would M noi show them) I am told that she has Hi the portraits and a lot of useful notes on quite a bunch of our own nice Amer-B Amer-B leans. This Jollv widow, whom I shall call fl srnio X., passes most of her hours in Hfl her discreet, luxurious apartment In the H smart Champs Elysees quarter. Going HD out so little, how docs she meet clients? How does she bring them together? HR You will begin to understand when I Hl tell you that hers is the organization. Hffi Hers Is the central, hers Is the combln-H combln-H Ing brain directing the work at a dis-HI dis-HI tance. I will give you an example. An Hl Impecunious lady of society comes to her with a photograph. 1 "Here Is ,n well-brought-up girl who Hffl has 500,000 francs dot. Her father is Hl retired from business. He is indulgent Hl to her and only asks for peace. Her Hl mother is sickly. I have great Influence Hl over her. It- Is u good affair for a sound H presentable young man of somewhat Hl better social position than the girl. T want 1 per cent commission myself." Mine. X. has her collection of men's photographs also. In many eases she has received them directly from the candidates who come to her. The rest Indeed, the majority are brought to her like the girls', by her agent "in . society." I hear that one of the most ac-' ac-' live of them In Paris is an English' lady of very good position indeed. Another is an authentic countess, a widow, keeping up her position In this way. I went to Mme X. as a serious client a lonely American, timid and wealthy. She went through a couple of albums Hl with mo, but making a profound sc-Hl sc-Hl cret of the identity of the fair eandi-Hl eandi-Hl dates. "No. not that one" she said, as I lingered over a lovely brunette. "I Hl ought to take her out. She is as good &s married, for I hear from the dame du mondc who is conducting her case 1 that she is at her sixth Interview with Hl a young architect who has some money and a future. All the same, she pre-ferred pre-ferred the first man I got presented to her a doctor from Fcscamp. They loved each other. "Why .should not es-teem es-teem and affection be bor,n thus? That is a blonde you arc looking at. She is a widow with half a million clear and Hl a big country house. I had a news-paper news-paper writer presented to her a young fellow without a cent another affair almost concluded. Except that in their Hl first interview he boasted having wrlt-ten wrlt-ten eight continued tiirlp in i who Hl desired to read them first. She is now reading 'The mu.e . Hl didn't vvant her to have it; but I pro-cured pro-cured It for her. "Monsieur, you know the mechanism of my establishment. I have married young noblemen, old notaries, men who have struck it rich in the colonies, of-fleers of-fleers withput a cenfT If you are ser-ious, ser-ious, trust yourself to me." "I should rather like to try a Breton maiden, because they arc religious and good principled." She pulled down another album. She had a pretty girl in Nantes, two at Vannes, and I forget how many at Ren-nes Ren-nes and Qulmper. 1 decided for Nantes. Hj The photograph showed a discreet, de-mur, de-mur, pretty girl, a trifle meloncholy. "A peculiarly well conducted young girl with 100,000 francs dot and twice that much more from her monthcr when she dies." "Her mother still lives?" "Yes. She Is a splendid young girl, reared in strict religious sentiments, and whose mother, abhorlng the town In which she saw her husband die. would willingly accompany her daugh-ter daugh-ter to Paris. Three other men have looked favoi-ably on that portrait, mon-sieur, mon-sieur, and I think It time that she should be brought to Paris." "Where will you keep her in Paris?" "I? I? I won't keep her anywhcrel" exclaimed the lady in astonishment. "Her photograph Is sent to me by a fl friend of the family, who would like to do her a service and earn a commission at the same time. I shall suggest to that friend of theirs that the glrls mamma bring her to Purls for a little shopping excursion. That s the vay it is done." "The three others," I said; "the three other picn?" "Why not? Do you expect the girl and lu'r mother to lake a six-hour rall-way rall-way Journey Just that you may Inspect Hj thrtn"' You rannot throw your hand-kerchief hand-kerchief at a serious girl. A girl with moneys They want to have a choice as much as you do. Again, before I get you introduced I must have rcfer-Hj rcfer-Hj ences for your life, ways and fortune. Do you agree?" j "Certainly," I said. "Then wait a week." I waltedi That is to say, tlio time passed. And then 1 got a letter from j the business-like Mme. X to tell me I j had no luck; that the girl hud been cuddenly pleased with one of the three. When I went to Mme. X again she was radiant over the successful terml-nation terml-nation of the affair. Still she tried to console me: "Her one fault was a brownness of the skin, so to speak o tanned that I feel sure she must be Insensible to'mos-qultos. to'mos-qultos. Try another." "How about the doctor ,from Fe-camp''" Fe-camp''" I asked. "Oh. am almost disgusted with him," she answered. "Do you know tho girl veered round to him again. But be-cween be-cween that superb creature whose pro-tograph pro-tograph you saw, but who has not much of a lot, and a pale, bony specimen who j is extremely rich his heart balances. You can never tell. Take that blonde widow, you remember her? She was billing to espouse the journalist, the ithor of eight romances. But by a fatality In opening 'The Bride of the Hope' she fell on a risque passage, Avhuh canttd her to blush, she says'. H And she a widow!" N "I have been meditating," I said. 1 "Can't you find me a nice American girl here In Paris? There are hundreds here, with their mammas, polishing off their educations eforc going home to H cntr-r society." "You ought to know what you risk," she answered. "You know there may a hitch n.bout the dot, of course. We must dlHlingulsh." . CKeixj I was as-tonlshed as-tonlshed at the clear view of Mme. "When your American girls set out to mwy a titled husband, they say to themselves that they are buying a Arm place In an elegant and leisurely sdclety. They expect to pay cash. And they do it." "Have you known such cases In your business?" I asked, 'Never you mind," she answered. "Let me continue. You are not a count or a duke. You have no family, I understand, un-derstand, and you are alone and do not go Into society. What you have Is ;noney. T am not sure I can get you a substantial cash dot. But I can surely sure-ly get you presented to a number of nice and pretty American girls, whose parents have money." N "How will you do It?" "You will pay me another fee." I had already given her. $20 and had promised her $20 mere when I should be Introduced to the heiress from Nantes'In Nan-tes'In case I wished to continue. "I shan't care to pay $20 a week," P said. "Don't worry," she told me. "You pay for the American category and I will get you presented to at least two nice American girls whose mothers have at least enough Income to live here In Paris with them. They may have a lot more. You can never know with the Americans!" , "And I pay another' $20 when I am presented?" "Yes, If you propose to continue the attack. My dear monsieur, don't you see it Is for nothing? The fees scarcely cover the expenses. Why, you get, their value In social advantages! 1 will not conceal from you that If, after meeting a girl and becoming pleased with her, she shows herself pleased with you and the thing drags while il promises well, I may have to ask you for still another fee." "What will I get for it?" "You will find things made easy for you. Good will be spoken of you behind be-hind your back. Your rivals will be depreciated." "By whom?" "Why. by my -agent who brings me the girl, in the first place. She will have a big Interest In getting you married mar-ried to her promptly. That is our real profit. Never forget that. Our interest Is yours!" Is it true? Do these things happen? Do our girls, even have such nets thrown around them in Paris? Yes. The thing is difficult of proof; but we who have lived in the colony for years have seen and heard so many things that almost every American girl who comes to Paris whether- she be plain or pretty get examined and Inquired In-quired of from the money point of view. If this Is satisfactory, it Is more than probable that her photograph will have a certain very secret, discreet circulation circula-tion as I have described above. The least thing that can happen will he that the match makers will simply use her as a bait to extort fees from men who hope to marry money. Indeed, there arc quite little agenciesnot agen-ciesnot that of Mine. X. who make a specialty of this fee detail. A handsome, hand-some, husky young Frenchman who Is determined to marry a widow with money, even If ripe in years, told me the following experience:" . He paid $20 in advance and was given an appointment in the Gardens of the Tulllcrles. The marriage broker, a comfortable matron rather of the style of my Mme. X , accompanied him to. make the Introduction. "What shall I say to her?" he asked the marriage broker on the way. "Are you 30 years old and don't know what to say to a woman?" she Inquired In-quired testily. "At least tell me if she has Inspected many before me?" "Bo quite, don't parallze yourself with such thoughts!" "Is she really pretty?" "Yes." "One word: what 'is her chnracter of mind? How shall I fit my conversation to her taste? Shall I talk theater, poll-tics, poll-tics, travel, music, literature or the remembrances of childhood? Does sho desire to be amused or to "have her heart touched?" "Between the two," replied the marriage mar-riage matron. They really met the lady in tho Tull-leries Tull-leries Gardens. She was really beautiful beauti-ful and distinguished, dressed with quiet elegance, with delicious manners, almost timid and about 32 years old. "Madame stepped up to her," the young man tells me, "and they spoke together apart. Then I was presented. I could not think of anythfrig to say for an Instant; and all at once the first creature crea-ture whom I already looked on as my brlde looked at her watch and exclaimed: ex-claimed: " 'Mon Dleul II Is 4 o'clock, and I have an engagement at 3:30. Good af-ternooni af-ternooni " ' "And after that?" I asked. "There was no after. I neveiv saw her again. The marriage brokei4 said I failed to please. But J have always been wondering If the young lady was not 'In with her to divide mv $20. I have heard of such combinations since. ' Tills, too, is Parisian. |