The St. Johns herald., 1891-05-14
A ROMANCE OF THE DAY.
It Proves That Chivalric Devotion
 Is Not YoS Da1d.
An Italian Prince E2lIs n Love with an American Girl and F. Rejected, But Follows His 5&eethea=t
 fo tne 2. la.e.
10 tnc ESn5.

Who will say that this practical age
 has killed all romance? The following
 narrative is true one, according to the
 New York Tribune, and is vouched for
 by very high authority. The charming grace and dramatic expression with
 which t was told is, Of course, lost in this second edition: but as sad yet true
 tale, of which an American girl is the
 heroine. it is given herewith as nearly
 as 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 a year ago, taking with him his wife and his beautiful daughter. lovely and childlil1e maiden, who showed not the slightest trace of resem- blarce to the worthy people her parents. All that money could do to develop this charming creature had been lavished upon her. She could sing most sweetly, play with charming in- terpretation, dance like houri, draw and paint. with uncommon talent-in short, she was perfection, and her parents simply idolized 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 an eminent American whom the Prince numbered among his acquaintances he obtained an introduction to the young lady and became 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 bestow upon a maiden. The father, however, viewed his atten- tions with cold dislike and finally took his daughter away from Paris.
 Our American family found pleasant quarters in Naples, and thither the Prince followed them, renewed his att tentions, and finally waited upon the father to request permission to win the girl for his wife. He met with prompt and decided refusal. Disappointed and astonished, the Prince, who was young, handsome and rich, and whose title was of the oldest, re- quested an explanation. ''I 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, she shall never marry Q foreigner; and last, and by no means least, she is all we have, and her mother and I could never consent to be separated from her" In vain the Prince plead; the father was cbdurate, and again the girl, who seems to have been wonderfully passive in the affair, was taken away-this time back to Paris. Prince Z-- remained at home disconsolate. And now comes the part of the story which is equal ly disappointing and romantic. The girl died after 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. 4 mutual friend wired the Prince, who arrived, however, too late to see the face of her whom he had loved so passionately and suddenly. Meeting on the common ground of grief for the loved and lost, the Prince and father were reconciled. A large ship was chartered and it's largest cabin beautifully fitted up as a chapel in which, upon bier in front of the altar, was placed the coffin containing the embalmed body of the dead girl. Then the father and lover set sail for home.
 All through the long voyage the candles are kept burning and daily service is held in the mortuary chapel which the two nourners invariably at tend. The millionaire owns his own docks and 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 2,000 worlnen of her fathers, with crape on hat and sleeve, waiting for their dead. Slowly the coffin is lowered to the boat; reverently it is car ried on tho land, where stand the many men with bowed heads to re- ceive it. Very carefully and tenderly it is lifted by six chosen bearers and slowly and solcnnly it is borne up the long avenue to the house. The fathera and the Prince become intimate through their weird journey, and in mutual w2lz together in the proces, sion, the men forming two by two and falling into rank. The last rites are paid, the body committed to its native earth, and without one look at the New World the Prince takes a steamer the day after for Europe. That this man should have been fated to love this woman with a love as strong as death seems passing strange, That this medieval story should belong to our own tire and country seems stranger yet; but it is all quite true and recent.
 i Monster Trap.
 X few weeks ago European papers mentioned the apparently incredible fant ihat fhc fiehe11,,n,, cf fhe I.nEi,ndnrn