Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-05-20

dated fSue ue III meme, 10; edlEaSday
morning"
''As Messieurs may suppose, continued NJ
Blery, II lose no time i'll visiting No IS Rue
de la Refine At first | am refused admission
Nile Duchastre, the premiere danseltse at
the - Theatre-for she and no other is
Clotilde-can see no one. pencil on a card
these words, 1t is the affair of the japanese.
Sangura,' and give the maid five francs to
carry it up to her mistress. In two minutes
| stand in the presence of the beautiful
| Mile. Duchastre
II can easily see on the lady's face the signs
of emotion. | infer at once that this has not
been an ordinary acquaintance, but ease of
true affection. 'Mademoiselle, [ say. with
an air of deep respect, pardon my intrpsion;
but | am engaged in an inquiry into tie sad
end of NJ de Sangura. have found from
one of your letters that you knew him, and
beg of you to give lie any information you
may possess as to his affairs
! ''Mlle. Duchastre seems to take a pleasure
in talking to any one of her dead lover She
tells me--wth real emotion, with freduent
tears-this story, which repeat to Messieurs:
"Mademoiselle bad formed the acqr1aint-
ance of Sangura about six months after his
arrival i'll Paris; they soon formed a mutual
attachment. The japanese was handsome,
his manners were distinguished; the courtesy
of gentleman, the generosity of prince.
His generosity, indeed, was so lavish that it
eventually proved his ruin. Mademoiselle
pleaded with her lover to curb his expendi-
ture, to give up gambling and betting at
Chantilly and Longchamps; it was of no avail
He persisted in loading her with costly pres
entS; which she assured me-and | believe her
caused her more pain than pleasure to re-
ceive. The worst feature in Sangura's CASE
MademoiSelle informed me, was that ha had
gradually fallen into the power of Some
Jewish money-lender, who, she thought, re-
sided on the left bank, but whose name she
had never heard. As Sangura's funds dimin-
ished this mans hold ON him increased: the
unfortunate japanese grew every day
moodier and more depressed. She OWNED
that he was now living by the sale of his
wardrobe and effects: but he never told her
So and she did not dare to touch on the sub
ject.
'At an early period of their acquaintance
Sangura had given her to wear, not to keep,
pearl of extraordinary size and beauty; ex-
planning to her that this gem was the great
heirloom of his house; that he, as the eldest
son of his dead father, had the custody of it.
and that if anything happened to it he weuld
be dishOnored in the eyes of all his relatives.
There was nothing he would not give to his
Clotilde, Sangura had said, except only this
pearl; nevertheless she might wear it as an
ornament, since he knew that in her charge
it would be safe
Zone morning Sangura rushed into her
room, in a state of great agitation. and ex-
claiming that he was ruined and rndone,
asked for the gem. His mistress gave it to
him with trembling hands; he rushed out of
the chamber, and Mile. Duchastre never
again saw her lover alive.
''About three months after, Mademoiselle
read in the journals the report of a suicide in
the Rue st. Jacques-the suicide of young
foreigner, supposed to be japanese. She
FASTENED to the morgue: it was the unfor-
tunate Sangura. He had found a last refuge
in the miserable garret which Messieurs
visited to-day Too proud to return 10 bis
mistress, all his means exhausted by the ra-
pacity of the old money-lender, he had
starved there till his last sou was spent.
Then one night he closed up carefully every
crevice in door or window; lighted a charcoal
fire in the brazier; lay down on his wretched
pallet-and, three days afterward, was found
there, lying dead.
''Mlle. Duchastre caused her unhappy lover
D6 DuIltu Will piOplleby, anu Hdu d stOu6
erected over his grave, where she still hangs
wreaths of immortelleS But she had not vet
heard the last of Sangura. About three
months ago she was visited by a young jap
anese, who introduced himself as Kiosaka,
Sangura's brother. Kiosaka told her that his
brother had written him of the straits into
which he had fallen, asking him to leave Yeddo
for Paris at the earliest opportunity. and,
when there, to lose no time in visiting Mile
Duchastre. 1t was from Mademoiselle that
Kiosaka first heard the news of his brothers
painful DEATH he was profoundly atfecGed
apparently with rage as well as grief, and
muttered something in his own language,
Mademoiselle told me, with an accent which
was terrible ehortly after he bade her fare-
well, and him also she has never seen again.
II ask Mademoiselle if she has a portrait of
the late Nj. de Sangura. Mademoiselle has:
miniature on ivory, of beautiful execution
After some hesitation she consents to lend it
to me, Oh my swearing to return it uninjured.
Taking my departure, first show this por-
trait to Mouton and his daughter they recog-
nize it at once as that of the foreigner who
lad SO frequently visited Meissner up to about
a wear ago, and whom the old mOney-lenser
Lad 'fiayed, to use Mouton's own term /
then proceed to the Rue st. Jacques, in order
to show the portrait to the proprietor of the
house where Sangura found his last lodging |
and where he died. There made a discovery, |
but most important, the discov |
s.l.y that another japanese, about four mouths
ago. had rented the very garret i'll which |
Saneura DESTROYED himself; that he did not |
live there but spent in the garret a portion of |
almost every day; and that he was quite a |
problem to Pajol, the proprietor, and to all |
the other tenants. But to nio the point of |
greatest interest was this: On Christmas day
the japanese visited Paiol in his, shop. and |
told him that he was about to make a journey, /
the duration of which was uncertain. He |
then paid three months rent for the garret, |
remarking that it served very well to store |
his effects in, and that he would take the key. |
with him. Since that day the japanese has |
been neither seen nor heard of.
''Messieurs, to men of your intelligence tne 1
story is now plain. A young japanese noble
man comes to Par.s, and wastes in prOfnse !
extravaganza all the wealth he has brought |
with him. This young japanese has in his
possession jewel of immense value, pearl, |
which is an heirloom I'M his family. Reduced
to the direst straits he pledges it to the usurer
who has been his ruin. His debts swallow up
the sum he has received from the money
lender; starving and desperate, he finally
puts an end to his life. Before this, however,
he has written to his brother in Yeddo telling
him that the family heirloom is in Me;ssner's |
hands, probably adjuring him to recover it.
This brother, Kiosaka, comes to Paris; he
desires to recover the pearl; but more eagerly
still, as his actions show, he desires revenge.
He takes up his abode in the garret where his
brother put an end to his life, that he may be
constantly reminded of the duty Of vengeance.
Messieurs, l have not told you that Mile.