Evening Capital

TRAPS FOR AMERICANS.
Agencies in Paris for Marrying United
States Dollars to French Names.

An American gentleman, who for many
years past has been established in busi-
ness in Paris, received one day a call
from a handsomely-dressed female in
whom he recognized a notorious Ameri-
can member of the demi-monde of Paris.
She came, she said, to propose to him
a lucrative business transaction. She
had in her possession a list of sundry
high-born and titled gentlemen who
wished to marry rich American girls.
and she displayed such a list inscribed
with some of the proudest names of the
French aristocracy.

If my countryman would inform her
of the arrival in Paris of any wealthy
American ladies, and of the presumed
amount of their fortunes, she would, on
the accomplishment of a marriage be-
tween any one of these and one of her
clients, at once pay over to him half of
the stipulated percentage on the dowry,
which in her case was to amount to 10
per cent.

It is needless to say that the woman's
offer was refused. But the very fact of
its being made showed how widespread
is the system of the matrimonial agency
in Paris, and how extensive and elabor-
ate must be its arrangements for obtain-
ing information.

There is an Austrian gentleman moving
in the best society of Paris whom I
strongly suspect of being one of the
secret and accredited agents of one of
these establishments.

He tried hard, but in vain, some years
ago, to bring about a match between the
daughter and only child of a wealthy
American gentleman then visiting this
city and a French duke of ancient
family. The duke turned out finally to
be an impostor, and was forced to take
flight from Paris.

Employes of these agencies are also to
be found at the principal hotels here.
They are usually women, generally bear
high-sounding titles, and are pleasant of
manner and affable of bearing. Their
business is to make acquaintance with rich
Americans who have daughters, so that
the daughters aforesaid may be presented
to impecunious adventurers on the look-
out to repair their fortunes by mar-
riage.

The matter is very adroitly managed,
an opera or a theatre party or a little
dance being gotten up by the amiable
French lady to amuse her sweet, new
young friend, the luckless damsel whose
dollars, real or rumored, have caused
her to be selected as a fitting victim.
At the dance or at the theatre the in-
troduction takes place, and the fascina-
tions of the gentleman are supposed to
do the rest. Very often, indeed, the
promoter of the whole series of ma-
neuvres is not connected with any
agency whatever, but is acting on her
own account.

—[Paris Correspondence
Philadelphia Telegraph.]