The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-11
The Fascinating Duebs..

The Fascinating Duchess,
On my arrival at Paris 1 inquired i.
was the beat place to spend Al IN
and was told that the most sri,,o.
place Of resort was the Jardiu N,SS
/ took a cab and proceeded tbi,b..
found myself in beautiful r.rJsS -,
liantly lighted. There was a c,o,s sls
ladies and gentlemen, 4 line b,r5
playing, and a quadrille forming. M
/ was gazing about a gentleman ,,E%a
II / wished to dance. said that S.ss
like to, but that was a strange, AN lug s
acquainted with any of the nobilit1 -,
emit. He smiled and said the Pr.s.5s ' y
bility were exceedingly nfTable apd Az
ing, and that he would be pleased ~
troduce me to a lady of hi h ,,Bt ~" y,
varied accomplishments, who To \.
dance with me il l wished. Thu, IVY
presented me to the young DrI.
d,AsaiGtida Uhars as near a, / ~
catch the name.
I had never stood face to fac. ,;a
Duchess before, and therefore III, n.
dent and Ill at ease. This graceful W.
ture understood my case at opcs y,
within two or three minutes n,G.
feel perfectly at home, may say. / ,,...
met a lady so easy 10 get ac1uainttjv "
as she was. It must require a biOb ~
tiyation, only to be attained in M NM ~
ranks Of society, 10 give one sucE r,T
possession as hers. This Dncbes' 'n NJ
upon me in the most encouraging ~.
and tapped me on the shoulder ViibI
fan, then she looked up into my M ~
charmed away all my embsrr,,'r..
with burst Of CHEEKY laughter ,h,t ~
full OF happiness and garlic.
Next, she took my arm, beating Tina.
the music with her fan, and still ut,.S,.
that fragrant laughter. And next ,I.si
her arm around my neck. This va, -.
what unexpected, l must say. n nj
me feel blissiully uncomfortable. H.
joyed it, but, at the same timc, / w
afraid 1t might attract attention I'm
mated as gently as / could, that The Dsi,
her father, might be in the crowd ~
where; but she only laughed more ojs,<
usly than ever. l feared the p,ttry
Duke might invite me 10 breaEFm .
pistols and coffee. | like coffee, bntIS
not consider that il improves il 10 niIS
with hardware. This limited IA 4.
Duchess, and she received it with o., \.
those peculiar laughs Of hers th,l N
perfectly smothering.
Just then the music struck up IU,imL
| ly, the Duchess exclaimed, "Com,H nj
dashed away with me. The crowd elo.j
up to our set, and walled II on eyeryiS
| I had never before seen so much catisg.
| ty displayed in mere quadrille by6l
interested parties. Dukes and Drri.4s
began TO pranee to and fro in the dun
with wild energy Of purpose and s1tnt
agance Of gesture.
I began TO get interested. | ellp,l
across; my partner was just turning 4,
miscalculated the length oil her liubrl (
lifted her dress accordingly; she easl
prancing over; l sailed forth 10 msslGe
and, wheh we we're within yard Of al
other, 1 wishl may never be belitW
again II she did not kick the hat Of NJ
head | l stopped to pick it up, ,ud
noble aristucrat fell over me; others n
lowed him,-both ladies and gsntlsnss-
and / never saw such chaos Of It,Ih
Cling limbs and frantic drApeFy since 4
benches broke down at the circus Vial
was a boy. II was pure good iOrtune&E
nobody got hnrt.
When l got out l went 10 my plint
the head Of the quadrille and hIN
there. had lost confidence; thi, disa
was too heightened for me. II bad pa
liarities about it that we're new and u
expected. / had seen plenty Of quL
rifles, but had never seen one viii IL
variations before. The Duchess rguna
her mad career, and the rest Of The nOS2
ity danced just as she did. Each III
seemed to have hut one object in visT-
to Guido the opposite in violence d Y
ton and eccenlricity Of conduct. Tie.
French people are very Frenchy lilA
not known that these people were u
flower Of the French nobility 'hoTH
have thought that they began Ihei; 4sa
ton in a gymnasium and graduaisdhi
circus.
The first time the Duchea halld i
my side for a moment, | Whispered l'n
TO calm her gushing spirits, not to NED
die with her dress, and, for public ord
ion sake, not to step so high, LAID d
could get over just as much ground d 4
moderate gait; and beside the E'A
Grand Duke, her father, might h'PPs
along at any moment. ! might Is ID
have talked to the wind. She nlyli1EE
ed that characteristic laugh OihetL iAA
silyery laugh that l could recognize y
where II l were TO the leeward, and ia
bending a little, she grabbed up The iits
OF her apparel with both hands, btghs
jerk II 10 and fro in turbulent uirfs
threw her magnificent head bark, "
skipped furiously away on an Irish u
step, all excitement, wild hilarliyr d.
tracied costume, frenzied motion! !
spectacle to seal the eyeballs and 70 "Isl
ish the soul OF a hermit And Ehsn "
reached the centre abe snatched her ON
bering dresses free. and Launched ~
at the hat Of a tall nobleman that iilf9
loosened the scalp on the topoi his hsll
| fed the scene, exclaiming, "Wh,te
she mean BY such conduct as tho*!
I admire Paris; but, in my OPi3iOu, Y
ways Of its nobility are not Whl'p3
ought 10 be.