St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-18

EgIzIf S 3: &; : .: :S S:
z9>RS %: 7'oN hrs> less her father
In giving her life, had transmitted to her
The lava that burned in his own veins.
Beautiful and of remarkable intelll-
gence, the comtesSe of Hcracles seemed
born to charm and rule the world. Her
pallOr, her delicate features, her impas-
Stoned expression and great black eyes
giving her resemblance to the prin.-
eesseS Of the house of ValoiS. Widowed
For years, and mother of daughter ten
years of age, the little Hedwige as
blonde as her mother was brunette, this
handsome comteSSe did not lack for
suitors.
Among those whom she especially
distinguished with her favor was the
Baron Lionel de NOirmoustier, this good
Did name, borne by man handsome.
proud. ruined in fortune, and OF whom
they recolnted the StrangeSt stories. Ii
you stop to think about il a sort of
bomber legend seems always TO hover
about such men. In the case of this
Baron de NoirmouStier. as long as he
was out OF the city, they dared to call
him adventurer and capable OF every
Thing, but when he returned to Paris
LHey n6lu lneir tongues, iUt
GHE MEMORY OF NUMBERLESS DUELS,
at times serious ones, arrested all Idle
talking upon the lips of prudent men.
If NoirmOustier complained of this treat
ment it was never in words, his naughty
responses coming from the point OF
Sword TO which chattererS were lOath TO
expose themselves. Perhaps be did not
hear all that was said ef him or dream
of the tales that were laid to his credit,
among them, that in the African CAM
paign, through which he had served
with honor. he had once decapitated
with his own hand the prisoners of war,
md been guilty OF such eXactlonS and
rrueltieS that he was compelled to leave
the French army and enlist in that of
the New World, through which he had
fought also with ferocity, firing and pill
laying entire villages.
The last accusation, whispered, OF
course, was more terrible than any.
HIS WIFE HAD DIED SUDDENLY,
u rich English woman, leaving behind
her child.
"Now," said the curious and cruel,
show had Nine. de Nornousticr died?"
''In a crisis of despair" answered
the moderate, ''but crisis of despair
brought about by humiliation, ill-treat-
ment and the knowledge that he de-
ceiyed and shamed her by his doings
with all the coquineS of London"
Others declared outright that he had
KILLED HER-PERHAPS BY steel,
poison blow of the fiSt-at any rate, kill
ed her. Lionel, however. endowed with
the strength and hardness of Knight
Templar, kept his own counsel, and
allowed them to gossip on, the truth
being simply this, that in dying by an
accident the English woman had
sought to ayenge herself, had diSin-
herited her husband and left her for
tune to the son William, frail infant.
the image Of his mother, and of whom
the father by popularity which the
English law authorizes, was not the
guardian.
When the old President Daubetterre
believed it his duty to bring to the
knowledge of his neice, Nine. d'Her-
acleS, these stories and gossipings, she
responded calmly that until now she
had considered her uncle too just il man
to give credence to calumnieS.
ain admitting" said she, certain
faults born from the passionate temper
lament and energy of il man too great for
Our century, | believe Of him nothing
unworthy. Lionel has the pride of
satan, but that same pride preserves
him from all cOwardice. A being such
As he is neither pillageS the vanquisbed
nor Stays. from self interest, woman.
Lionel is as brave as the first NOirmouS-
tier, companion of Charlemagne. More
over" she added with that strange
tfrankness which characterizeS wo-
man madly enamored, m. de NOir-
mOuStier possesses my word of honor.
Il love him to the point of being willing
Ito give him more STILL ii that were
possible"
MY dear child" replied the Presi-
dent Daubeterre, Il can only say that /
>fear for you, grievously fear for YOU"
The approaching marriage of Nine. de
HeracleS and M. de Noirmoustier,
when announced to the world, was the
talk of the city, but
NO ONE DARED TO SAY 4 WORD
of advice Or discussion to the comteSse
fherSelf. Proud and romantic as Mad
leleine was, she experienced the greatest
10y in witnessing the triumph of her
weakness over the strength of hel
lover, a triumph that established so
clearly the enthrallment of this
vanquished lion. Having accorded to
her husband but gentle. peaceful,
friendship, she was absolutely igno-
rant of passion, and despite her twenty
six years possessed the freshness of
soul, the strong emotions of the first
youth, and Lionel de Noirmoustier was
one of those rare magicians who know
how to make love an Undesirable en-
chantment. Three months thus passed
away. three months that fled from them
both like habpy dream. The presi-
dent, Daubeterre, however, was neither
satisfied nor idle. Without word to
his neice, he set himself to keep watch
upon NJ. de NOirmouster. hoping to find
in the life of the gentleman means
of preventing distasteful marriage, al
though Lionel appeared to be converted
He gambled no more at his club, and
regularly returned to his domicile
promptly on the stroke of II, after re-
1igiously consecrating his entire even
ings to Nine. d'Heracles. His creditors
also were paid, his bills duly met;
in short, the most perfect and unrutfied
calm seemed to have succeeded his past
agitationS.
One evening NJ. de Noirmoustier, eX-
cusing himself to his fiance, returned to
his house at an unusually early hour.
Toward IL o'clock fiacre stopped at
his door and
A WOMAN, STILL YOUNG AND PRETTY,
grazing the spy of President Daube-
terre always at his post). leaped from
the vehicle, assembled the steps and rang
at the door of the lower floor. The
Baron NoirmOuStier opened to her him