Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-08-15
BETTER THAN THE MAIL.
How an italian Nobieman Won an
Heiress by the aid OfSoup Messages.
L.. 49, D. L,..r,.L

Rochester Post Express.
There are certain hotels" said the
hardware drummer, that affect a
good deal of bong swa' and 'recher-
chy.'" They illuminate their bills of
fare with French. They are usually
second class in their appointments,
and aim to make up in polite literature
what they lack in other respects. An
ordinary soup is denomlnated "con-
somme au pate d Italia ola de da deda
with "A pin hook" One may have
h0rs d'ouvres if he happens to know
what is meant by that term, and pois
son-this may be ha2 fried, broiled or
boiled in four different languages.
But what they want to poison a man
for" said an honest granger, who
would have tried iii vain to guess that
fish was referred to, us more than
anyone knows"
This does not apply to Rochester,
however but to smother town! And
in one of these other towns it happen
ed that too much French on the bill of
fare started and spoiled a first class
romance recently. 1t seems that the
disguised Italian duke, temporS rily
under the cloud became enamored Of
lovely Chautauqua county helress,
who was stopping with her family at
such hotel rs has been indicated.
And as love promugates and absorbS
knowledge instinctively, it was not
long before the fair one became aware
of the passion She had implanted in
the breast of the noble Italian Such
lovely eyes-a veritable Romeo-and
such a lookl Why, the god of love
dwclt in his soul. And his voice was
attuned to harmonious whisperings
that penetrated fair Iaa's being like
the soft and amorous notes of a Lutte.
\ dueuna accompanied the fair ones
family, and to her especial keeping
was intrusted the person o. the heir
css. Her espionage never slept, though
the chains she bound about her charge
were slken ones. Her eyes never
wandered too far away, and she dis
covered the secret by watching Ida's
actions. She noticed that the young
lady dawdled an unconscIOnable time
over her soup with the French desig
nation. and she noticed also that she
(the duenna) never received the same
kind of soup that was served to her
charge. Suspicion was aroused. Could
it be that Miss lda's soup was made of
some love -charm2 She would watch.
She took occasion to move her seat to
Ida's side and made a discovery that
almost paralyzed ker vigln heart. The
little particles in Ida's soup were let
ters of the alphabet. and on the very
first day she read this sentence:
IS w Get, Alfonso Low e-s
thee" and this: 'It-a Y ATS
her q IL cen
Our duenna was circumspect. She
made no sign, but concluded to await
further developments. The next day
she read in Ida's soup these words:
oily with your Alfonso to-
MIGHTY 1t was plainly time to act
lda'S father was warned of the threat
ened elopemcnt of his daughter with
an Italian cook, who had, doubtless,
sold the "monk and the org" to take
his present place as hotel cook "All
right. Maria said paterfamilias. I'll
be on hand" The Italian was con
fronted by detective and ordered to
leave town at once or be arrested for
attempted abduction. He left. At s
o'clock IN the evening, Ida's pa stood
in the pelting rain under her window.
\ rope ladder was gently lowered, a
voice whispered, alfonso. darling,
are you there2' Yes, whispered Ida's
papa, come" and Ida came right
down and lit i'll her papa's arms.