The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-11-27

said the American, :" came direct
from Sicily last month, and friend OF
mine was tenanto of that villa for the win
ter, and / staid a day or two with him
in that very house. Guess there's some
bunkum somewheres !"
Part of these remarks were made in
italian I; some calculated in English.
Bagatelle - replied the Baron /;
"you are mistaken, signor 1t must
have been some other Villa d'Aosta."
"No, it wasn't" returned the Ameri-
can "and for my part L think you are
no more Baron than I'm julius 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 l 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 snubbing 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 tete-a-tete in corner OF the
| Sales des Danes. We all had the de-
cency toread GaHgnani, 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 L decline to translate.
His soul now most clearly betrayed his
passionateness, 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,
and the nen looked at one another,
half amused, half-angrily.
eff L knew who had poisoned the
the mind of madame, L 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 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
the Count on the face But in another
second he found himself in that physic-
al checkmate known as chancery-he
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
Salled es Danes, was beingplayed a scene
from the British ring; chairs and tables
going everywhere, as the quadrupedal
monster performed its cratic revolu-
tons, amid the screams of women, the
shouts of men, the groans of the maitre,
and the indescribable 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-
lions 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 byan
English doctor who happened to be at
the hotel, and who reported that, with
the exception of couple of broken
teeth, nothing of consequence was to
be apprehended beyond further
requisition of his services at rencon-
ire of different character, which, how
ever, would not be possible for some
little time, owing to difficulty the pa
tient 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 four or five days at
the farthest; but a fortnight passed
without any, and at length he received
the following, dated from Rome
"SIR: l beg to acknowledge the
honor which you have done me by adj
dressing letter to me at my house in
Florence and must apologize for my
inability to understand it. Your name
is strange to me; was never in the
place from which you write / have
not been in Florence for several months ;
and must conclude there is some mis-
take. 1t is possible that my name has
been assumed by rascally valet who
robbed me last year of several private
papers and a considerable sum of
money, but whom L could not con-
veniently 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 to
the real Baron, at his residence in Rome,
instead of being delivered to the false
one at the address given him at Flor
ence.