DREAM GIRL

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 September 1927, Page 10

DREAM GIRL

- "«8» OLD MAN’S AWAKENING. The remarkable adventures of a man of seventy, in his attempt to‘find a young wife, have just been brought to light by the police authorities in Lyons. The old man, named Durand, desiring a, young wife, went to a female marriage broker, known as Mme. Tatibole. ‘‘l have a girl who will just suit you,” said Madame Tatibole. “She is

:: sweet young thing named Clemen line, and she has just had an extra ordinary stroke of good luck. As hei parents are dead, she has been working as a chambermaid in an hotel here, and only a few days ago she received word that an old uncle at Grenoble had died and bequeathed her £2(1.000. “She is just the sort of girl who wants a sensible, serious man of your age to look after her. She is good looking, good tempered, and has just passed her nineteenth birthday. And, of course, if you married her, you

would get control of her fortune, she being a minor.” The old man was delighted. He advanced Mme. Tatibole £4 on the spot, and asked for Clementine's address in order to court, her. “I am going to send her to Grenoble to-morrow to collect her heritage, as I am her closest friend, and if you want to write to her, I will forward your letters,” said the marriage broker.

Old Durand began to write passionate letters to the sweet Clementine, who was extremely grateful for the money he sent her from time*to time, and who became more and more affectionately disposed toward him. Unfortunately, Clementine seemed to have innumerable difficulties and expenses in settling up her uncle’s estate. One day it was taxes, another day it was a mortgage to pay off, and a third day it was something else. In less than a month her aged lover sent her more than £4oo—through Mme. 'Tatibole —to pay the bills in order to collect the heritage, but finally he became suspicious, and refused to advance any more money until he saw •his dream girl. Mme. Tatibole, therefore, took him io Grenoble, pointed out a beautiful

young girl entering a theatre, y and made the old man almost mad to possess her. The minute he returned to Lyons he sent her an offer of marriage. She accepted, and in his transport of joy the old rascal rented an apartment for his bride-to-be, furnished it, and installed Mme. Tatibole in it in order to be sure of having her precious influence over the young lady until the marriage was consummated. The police stepped on the scene at this juncture, showed the old man that Clementine only existed in his imagination, and that the female marriage broker had swindled him. In fact, there never was a Clementine. He was so cut up over his shattered romance that he broke down and cried like a child.