Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-12-04
THE NIHILIsT.

Luo late car one or tnc most Important
men in the empire was Prince Michel,
hut reasons of state viii not permit the
designation of his illustrious family
nafno.
During a eojourn in Paris, Just after
the war. nc met at ono Of the receptions
Of the Princess Elisa General dc Contre-
inont's charming daughter, whom the
Parisian world, Just arising from it's
ashes, knew under the name of "the
beautiful Madeleine" She was also as
poor as she was beautiful.
Michel was smitten in spite Of his
forty years and his long formed resolu-
tion Of celibacy. For fifteen years he
had withstood the establishments Of de-
signing young ladies and the maneuvers
of their aristocratic mainmas, who had
thrown themselves, so to speak, at his
head as bouquets Of roses aud lilies are
thrown over the footligbts at n f~ayorite
diva.
One evening Madeleine said to the
widow Of the hero OF Gravelotte,
Mother, would you be satisfied by my
becoming apTinccssy'
"No, indeed, my daughter, for you
Were borg beautiful enough to become a
queen
In fact, in the most select assembly
such a perfect type of w%omanhood was
seldom seen. saw this superb creature
at the operaone evening shortly after her
marriage, and I will wager that there
were fifty young men in the orchestra
Nyi-o were more or less in love with her
through the whole gamut of love, from
respectful admiration to the grand
passion. You can imagine how they
listened to the music; 1t might as well
have been from the score of "Mireillen
as from the "Huguenots," and they
would have been lone the wiser.
This was probably the most memora-
BILE evening in the young life of Mad
cline, for she felt herself avenged in the
eyes of the men who would now gladly
impoverish themselves for n hour of
her favor, but who had formerly consid-
cred her too poor to be the object Of
theirs. From her proud elevation,
though scarcely seeming to smile, in the
depths Of her being she vibrated from
head to foot with the e%xultation Of tri-
umph, and her cola brilliance radiated
their admiration as diamonds radiate
light. She saw in the elegant audience
many beautiful women, but she felt her
self to be the most beautiful IN
there.
On this particular evening an Ameri-
can lady in one of the boxes, many times
a millionaire, but not pretty, said: Il do
not hope to resemble the Princess Michel,
for that would be to expect too much,
but only to have her teeth / would give
iny hotel in the Champs Elysees and all
it contains, including the contents Of my
jewel box; for with such teeth one need
not be pretty-one has but to yawn or
smile and the world is at ones feet"
"Yes," replied % diplomat, ''but l fear
the princess will have occasion TO yawn
oftener than to smile, for his excellency,
her husband, has the air of being neither
agreeable nor amusing. imagine the
princes win regret Paris many tines
Indeed the prince. even at the time Of
hia uiar iago. WIS not m agreeable man,
ana iome years later he was still less SO,
t1 tue sorrow of the princess be it said.
iie owed ii TO the coque1ry OF his wife TO
la a- Jealous as q tiger, and to the favor
of ,ne ear to become minister Of the
police, and the result OF his position did
mot serve TO render him more amiable.
However, he had found the opportunity
TO atilizo his public functions in aid Of
his private jealousy. He used his wife's
coachman and tho servant who opened
tho door to further his ends, and his
emissaries among the police o o placed
in his hands all sorts of amOrous declara-
tions addressed TO his wife, in every
strain.of ardent and passionate avowal.
However, the food Of correspondence
loon slackenod, not because the princess
was less seductive, but because she was
indifferent or surfeited, and those who
had comhded to the post or telegraph
their hopes and fears soon found them
selves the victims Of the most unexpect-
ed and various III fortune. and began to
conjecture that either the princess had
the evil eye, or that the eyesof the prince
were TOO good. TIE correspondence only
revealed to his eScellency that bis wife
was a harmless cOQuette, and this Gis-
covery brought % relative satisfaction.
Blu the cxactions of the car in regard
80 the usniiists now left Loan little time
NN . NaN a. tttA ~ IA hfAANf hNA
us tieffsble surprise waCr one
w. following letter rcac2nd his
rl.. az which also he recognized but
100 u tho haudwridns, though 10 was
% aed by only a single initial;
at appears the emperor viii set out
sooner than was expected Cor Varsovie;
hold yourself then in readiness TO start
a { the earliest warning Tor who kn0wa
when We VIII find again s3 favorable an
opportunity
Il do not wish TO conceal from you
the difficulties Of tine undertaking. Ar.
range your plans then for success with
out delay. You will presents yourself to
me rs a friend of my family, travelling
IA Russia for your pleasure. Call upon
my mother befoSe yon set out; she win
give you some commission for me which
VIII serve as an introduction In case OF
need"
The unhappy prince was beside him
self when he had finished reading TINS
horrible letter. Then this conspiracy,
which he fought night and day with
sword. with prison and with exile; this