The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-04-17
New York Herald.l
EUGENE DE MONTIJO.
The Story of the Vito OF Napoleon III

Engenie Marie dc Montijo was born
at Grenada, Spain, on the 9Th OF May,
1896, and is consequently-altho no
one would guess the fact from her face
-forty-eight years old. Those who
believe in the Omens of dates will
note that the 9TH Of May is one famous
in Bonapartist annals, for it is that on
which Napoleon I died. However,
when Eugenie was born nothing seemed
more improbable than that she would
ever marry a crowned head, for her
mother did not occupy the brilliant
position which court biographies and
memoirs would have us think. Her
maiden name was I<irkpatrick-Close
burn. She was descended from a
Scotch family, and was married to the
Count of Montijo and Teba, who was 4
grandee of the first class, but who had
not much money. For some reason.
too, the Count Of Montijo soon tired of
his wife's company, and the pair were
separated long before the Counts death.
With her two daughters-frr Eugenie
had an elder sister-the Countess then
travelled from country to country, and
spent some years in London, where
she lived in retirement, and went little
into society. On leaving London,
which, it is said, she found too cNpen-
sive, Nine. de Montijo returned to
Spain and resided for about three years
in different parts of the peninsula, her
place of prediction being Seville.
But toward the year 1916 she came to
Paris, and some documents found at
the Prefecture de Police, under the
Commune, brought to light the follow
ing queer notes about her: ssTherc is
ut No. 45 Rue st. Antoine, in \
rather shabby apartment, on the third
floor, q Nine. dc Nontijo, who pro-
fesses to be the wife of q Spanish gran
dec. Her style of living is modest and
she receives no visits from ladies; but
three or four times a week 4 number OF
principally foreigners, como
to spend the evening with her and
play cards. It is presumable that they
are attracted as much by the beauty of
Nine. de Montijo's two daughters as
by the wish to gamble" On the mar
gin of this police note the project of
that time, M. Delessert, had written,
ssFind out whether Nine. de Montijo
is really the wife of 4 nobleman )" and
on a paper appended to the above was
this brefstatement, "NImc. de Montijo
is really what she asserts she is, the
wife of tho Count of that name, but
the couple were virtually divorced
three years after marriage, and the
Countess processes to live on her joint
urc of lO,OOO francs 4 year, The word
ssprofcsses" was underlined in both
notes, and it is evident that the au-
thOrities supposed that the foreign lady
the larger share of her income
from the maintenance of one of those
private gambling saloons which have
at all times been common in Paris.
Whether this was the case or not need
not be conjecturcd, but, if the fact were
true, it would entail none of the dis
credit which attends the encourage
ment Of gambling in other lands, see
ing that the French look upon games
OF hazard with a wondrous respect and
affection. AS to the note about the
beauty of Nine. de Montijo's dtugh-
tcrs, nothing that could have been said
on this. head would have been cNaggcr-
utcd, for they We're both lovely to an
degree, and We're, more
.,ver known as
FAST GIRLS.
But not fast in any evil sense. They
We're we'll guarded by their mother,
and had all the virtues and modcsty OF
wcll-brcd young ladies; but they rode
a good deal, dressed cXubcrantly, and
in tho flying excursions which they
made now and then to Spain, they
delighted in picnics, masked balls and
other amusements of Il dashing kind.
1t was during one Of these excursions
that, being at bull-fight one day, the
two pretty Montijo girls were seen by
the Duke of Alba, and this circum-
stance led to a very romantic passage
in the life of the future Empress of the
French. The Duke of Alba was i'm
mensely rich, and bore one of the finest
names of the kingdom. He was also
young, handsome, amiable and charm
ing in every way, so that it was an
exciting day for the two sisters when
he obtained an introduction to their
mother and began to visit at their
house with assiduity. He came every
day and would sit for hours and chat.
In the evenings he came again, and
whenever the Montijos were to be
seen, whether at the theatre, prone
made or party, there was the Duke of
Alba dancing attendance on them and
exciting the storms of jealousy in the
breasts of other Spanish young ladies
who pincd to bear his coronct For a
long time, however, there was no tell
ing which of the sisters he preferred