The Van Buren press., 1873-04-22
Deceiving a Countess.
BY A. +. HILL,

'No, Joe, you know very well you
have never told that yet You never
would; but you have limited darkly, now
and then, at some strange adventure in
Paris Why not out with itp'
al think / will, F" he rejoined, 81 have
not felt very well lately; il may be that !
am not long for this world, and it would
be pity to carry that secret to the grave
with me.
True, this is the time to tell it, then
with long evening and a box OF the
best cigars before us You were about
to say-how was it.
"Wsll, you see, some years ago con
oeived the idea Of marrying an European
lady of noble birth--such for example rs
~ countess or duchess.
"Ah! What put that into you head
"Why, You see, a great many foreign
gentlemen of plsbelan origin come to
this country, and representing themselves
rs lords and the like marry some OF our
wsaltniest American girls, for the sole
purpose Of getting possession of their
fortunes, so | concluded that it would be
nothing more than fair for mo to 90 10
Europe, represent myself as wealthy
American banker, and thus cntrap into
marriage Some noble lady with princely
estates really felt that it onght to be
done-in self. defense, as it were. "
"But what did you propose to do when
she should eventually discover that you
were not wealthy Ofcoursc you would
not have thought Of bnsely deserving her
and leaving her broken hearted; yet how
could you expect her to love and respect
you when your pcriidy should once be.
come known
"My plan was this; 81 intended,
about two weeks after the wedding, to
rush into her presence with an open let
tor in my hand and generally distracted
air, got up for the occasion, and excla'm
in agonizing accents: Dearest, I'm ru.
insd have just received letter from
New Yoek, informing mo that my bust
ness manager, whom trusted implicitly,
has called together all my available funds
--amoun.ing to twenty million francs
and fed, leaving me utterly penni'"ss
Oh, why was ever born?' 10 this pas
sionate speech l presumed that, IL she
possessed the heart Of q human, she would
reply by throwing her arms lovingly
around my neck and saying; Its a
mere trihe, darling. Don't think OF it..
Here's my check for two million francs
for spending money, and you can have as
much every month il you want it My
estate is worth several hundred millions,
and there is no danger Of our coming to
want. Pray compose yourself
"Well, did you carry your programme
out"
"To the letter, so far as my part OF
the play was concerned, | collected all
the means had in the world, amounting
to about q thousand dollars, and went to
Paris. There l worked my way into
lofty circles of society, and on its being
noised about that | was one Monsieur
Smith, an American banker of fabulous
wealth. became quite lion, and |
might have made match worth a couple
of million francs any day; but was af-
ter bigger game. Nothing short Of no,
bilty and prncely estate would satisfy
me. At last | fixed my infatus,ing gaze
upon a lovely being, the Countess Maria
Aurora, a noble Italian lady of great
wealth, and in due time actually married
her You ought to have seen that wed
ding, Tom The ceremony was per-
formed in an immense church of Corn
THAN architecture, and the occasion wa
one of the most brilliant that even Paris
had seen for months, The papers, too,
spoke in tiatteriag terms of the marriage
of Monsieur de La Smith and Madame
lie Countess Maria Aurora All! they
little imagined that Monsieur Joseph de
La Smith had not yet settled the bill for
the exquisite wedding suit he wore on
that happy occasion"
"And your slender means were en-.
hausted 2"
Yes-only few francs left-hut
credit good After several weeks Of such
happiness as scarcely belongs to this
world, was visited by my tailor, who
said he didn't like to trouble me at such
Q time, BUT really, monsieur, that little
bill! told him would pay it next
day, without fail; and he went away de-
lighted will do him the justice 10 say
that he had put immense prices on the
garments. Inow felt that it was time
to act my part as ruined man; so |
prepared letter from ficticious friend
in New York, detailing the ruin that had
suddenly fallen upon my affairs This |
put in an envelope post marked New
York, and which really had come from
that city, aud disordering my hair, so
that it would look as if had been tear
ing it in a frenzy, rushed theatrically
into the presence Of Mrs. Smith, with the
open Letter in one hand and the envelope
in the other. and fairly screamed;
Heaven help me, darling Maria I'm
ruined! Here is a letter.
"And then went on to tell my woful
story as had planned.
"'Come, now she said, half rogushly,
you're joking.
mo, as Heaven is my judge" said,
solemnly. and threw myself wildly up
on rich sofa, clappcd my hands upon
my face. and fairly howled."
THAT convinced her, then p
"Fully ! could see by the change in
her ceuntcnance that she took it all in
that had acted my part in a manner
worthy Of q Booth. p"
"And what did she do ?"
"She just stood a moment, looking
rather pale; then she came over to me.
and put her arms around my neck. Or,
It was working to charm!'
o. Ill