Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-12-03


said the American, 81 came direct
from Sicily last month, and friend of
mine was tenant of that villa for the win
ter, and 1 staid day or two with him
in that very house. Guess there's some
bunkum somewheres ~
Part of. these remarks were made in
Italian some calculated in English.
So Bagatelle - replied the Baron
"you are mistaken, signor IT must
have been some other Villa d'Aosta."
s'No, it wasn't" returned the Ameri
can "and for my part / think you are
no more Baron than I'm Juirls Caesar"
He certainly looked offended, though
happily the last sentence was in En-
glish in fact, he had been unaccus-
toned to be contradicted. that it posi-.
lively confused him. And / could not
help noticing that the Count looked ex-
cessively tickled, as well as triumphant.
That evening, when the Baron adj
vanced to attend the Princess to the
salon, she declined his offer to place the
shawl ON her shoulders, as he had al
ways done; and in the most perfect
manner, without snubbiDg or putting
him down, allowed him to discover for
himself that she was utterly indifferent
to him. 1t was just as if the moon were
to take the place of the sun, in quiet
and undemonstrative way, with no ex-
PLANTATION given.
But, of course, an explanation was to
be demanded; and as soon as the din
ner was over, the Baron sought, and OBJ
tanned a ts5e-a-tete in q corner of the
Sales des Danes. We all had the de-
cency toread Gatgnoni, orplay bezique,
or otherwise to throw veil over our
curiosity, as We anxiously watched the
development of the plot, and tried to
hedge our bets before it was too late.
Suddenly the Baron started to his
| feet, and uttered a loud execrative ex-
clamation, which / decline to translate.
His soul now most clearly betrayed his
passionat eness, but there was rather more
light than sweetness in his eyes as he
glared round the room in search of the
hapless American.
We all sprang to our feet, too !; the
ladies' near the door rapidly retreated,
ana the men looked at one another,
half-amused, half-angrily.
eff / knew who had poisoned the
the mind of madame, I would dilaniate
him-tear him in pieces" shrieked the
Baron. "That viper of an Ameri-
can u
cit was not the American" an
swered the Count, coming quietly out
of a recess; 1 told madame what he had
discovered"
The Baron so far forgot the perfect
ness of his manners and evident desire
to please as with his open palm to slap
second he found himself in that physic-
al checkmate known as chsncery
got his head under his rivals left arm,
who was holding it down to convenient
level for the right hand to bob his nose
and there, before the Princess, in the
Sale des Danes, was being played a scene
from the British ring; chairs and tables
going everywhere, as the quadrupedal
monster performed its cratic revolu-
tions, amid the screams of women, the
shouts of men, the groaus of the maitre,
and the Undesirable cries of astOnish-
ment uttered by the whole staff of the
hotel, which had been gathered to-
gether at the door by the first exclama-
tions of the Baron.
The Anglo-Saxon nationality having,
in spite of the principle of non-inter-
vention, separated the Latin and the
Teuton, the defeated combatant was
assisted to his room, and lookedto by an
English doctor who happened to be at
the hotel, and who reported that, with
the exception of a couple of broken
teeth, nothing of consequence was to
be apprehended beyond further
reauisition of his services at a rencon-
tire of different character, which. how
ever, would not be possible for some
little time, owing to difficulty the pa
tent had in seeing. And the next
morning we found that the maitre had
given the Baron notice to quit the Bon
Vivant forthwith /; and so We saw no
more of the Baron Monteggiana- Taver-
| nellie.
In ten days or so, the Count received
letter from him, dated at Florence
| In it the Baron demanded satisfaction,
and required that the Count should meet
him at Florence, or, if more convenient,
at Rome. In reply, the latter expressed
his readiness for an interview, but posi-
lively declined to fatigue himself with
on unnecessary journey. The affair
could very well be settled in the place
where it began. The letter was care
fully and fully directed, registered and
posted by the Count himself.
In the ordinary course of events, an
answer was due in tour or five days at
the farthest; but fortnight passed
without any, and at length he received
the following, dated from Rome
"SIR: I beg to acknowledge the
honor which you have done me by ad-
dressing letter to me at my house in
Florence; and must apologize for my
inability to understand it. Your name
is strange to me; I was never in the
place from which you write have
not been in Florence for several months
and 1 must conclude there is some mis-
take. 1t is possible that my name has
been assumed by a rascally valet who
robbed me last year of several private
papers and q considerable sum Of
money, but whom 1 could not con.
venicntly prosecute"
Then followed a description which
Tailed exactly with the appearance Of
our Baron. 1t seems that the letter
being registered, had been sent on tt
the real Baron, at his residence in Rome