The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-08

A ROMANCE OF THE DAY.
It Proves That Chivalrio Devotion
Is Not Yet Dead.
AN italian Prince Falls in Love with an
American Girl and Is Rejected,
But Follows His Sweetheart
n tha Tomb.

Eut Follows His Sweetheart
to tho Tomb.
Who will say that this practical age
has killed all romance? The following
narrative is IL true one, according to the
New York Tribune, and is vouchcd for
by very high authority. The charming
grace and dramatic expression with
which it was told is, of course, lost in
this second edition. but as n sad yet true
tale, of which an American girl is the
heroine, it is given herewith as nearly
rs possible as related: One of our rich
oil kings Tor if it was not oil he was
king of something rich) went to Paris
little over year ago, taking with him
his wife and his beautiful daughter, a
lovely and childlike maiden, who
showed not the slightest trace of rcscm-
blancc to the worthy people her parents
All that money could do to develop this
charming creature had been lavishcd
upon her. She could sing most
.swcetly, play with charming in
terpretation, dance like houri,
draw and paint with uncommon
talcnt-in short, she was perfection,
and her parents simply idolizcd her.
She had not been long in Paris when
she attracted the attention of young
Prince Z, heir of one of the oldest
families of Italy. Through un eminent
American whom the Prince numbered
among his acquaintanccs lie obtained
an introduction to the young lady and
bccnmc her devoted cavalier, surround
ing her with attentions and showering
upon her flowers, bonbons, every thing
that the world deems it permissible for
young man to bcstow upon maiden.
The father, however, viewed his atten-
tons with cold dislike and finally took
his daughter away from Paris.
Our American, family found plea SAINT
quarters in Naples, and thithcr the
Prince followed them, renewed his at
tcntions, and finally waited upon the
father to request permission to win tho
girl for his wife. He met with prompt
and decided refusal. Disappointed and
astonishcd, the Prince, who was
= young, handsome and rich, and
whose title was of the oldest, re-
Nucstcd an explanation. 81 have three
reasons" said the sturdy American,
leach one of which would be sufficient
to settle the question. In the first
place would never give my daughter
to Roman Catholic: secondly, sho
shall never marry a foreigner; and last,
and by no means least, she is all we
have, and her mother and could never
consent to be separated from her." In
vain the Prince plead; tho father was
obduratc, and again the GIRL who seems
to have been wonderfully passive in the
affair, was taken away-this time back
to Paris. Prince q remained at
home disconsolate. And now comes
the part of the story which is equal
~ disappointing and romantic The
girl died after u few days of sudden ILL
ness. OF course she ought to have
lived and married the Prince, but this
is true story, and we can not change
the facts. mutual friend wired the
Prince, who arrived, however, too late
to see the face of her whom he had
loved SO passionatcly and suddenly
Meeting on the common ground of grief
for the loved and lost, the Prince and
father were reconcilcd. A large ship
was chartered and its largest cabin
beautifully fitted up as chapel in
which, upon bier in front of the altar,
was placed the coffin containing the
embalmcd body of the dead girl Then
the father and lover set sail for homo.
All through the long voyage the
candles are kept burning and daily
service is held in the mortuary chapel
which the two mourncrs invariably at
tend. The millionaire owns his own
docks AMI the stately ship sails up into
the harbor, coming to anchor at the
very portals of the maiden's own dear
ly loved home. On the dock are 1000
vvorlimcn of her fathers, with Grape on
hat and sleeve, waiting for their dead
Slowly the coffin is lowered to
the boat; revcrcntly it is car
ried on the land, where stand the
many men with bowed heads to re-
ceivc it. Very carefully and tenderly it
IS lifted by six chosen bearers and
slowly and solcmnly it is borne UP tho
long avenue to the house. The father and
the Prince become intimate through
their weird journey, and in mutual
sympathy walk together in the process
sion, the men forming two by two and
falling into rank. The last rites are
paid, the body committed to it's native
earth, and without one look ut the New
World the Prince takes steamer the
day after for Europe. That this man
should have been fated to love this
woman with Il love as strong as
death seems passing strange That this
medieval story should belong to our
own time and country seems stranger
yet; but it is all quite true and recent.
A Monster Trap
n few weeks ago European papers
mentioned the apparently Incredible
fact that the fishermen of the TOffOden