San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-03-18

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"God protect ,tsi" nuttered the mother.
"There he comes! that's her'
"What? That tall man on the other
side Of the street? Well, he's splendidly
handsome, if ever any man was, but
with slight shudderl there's some
thing in his face that frightens me,
though / don't know why"
"Ah! do you feel like that too? Well,
it's very odd, but every one that looks
at him says the same. The first time |
ever saw him felt just as / used to feel
when l was child over the pictures of
those dreadful enchanted men in the
fairy tales who, when midnight came,
turned into wolves or tigers or devils,
and devoured every one within reach"
No one who knew them would have
laid an overviyid imagination to the
charge of the two worthy burghers who
were gossiping thus in the main street
of Marseilles: yet this man had strange
ly impressed them both, and the impress
sion flor which there seemed to be no
possible reason) was exactly the same in
both cases.
Meanwhile the subject of their talk
tall fine looking man in the prime of
life, wearing a handsome though rather
theatrical Hungarian dress, which set
off his noble figure to full advantage
went slowly along the opposite sidewalk,
with his head bent down as if in deep
thought, and seemingly unconscious of
the admiring chances shot at him by
many passing ladies.
Suddenly he raised his head as if be
had come to some final decision on the
subject that was occupying his thoughts.
AS he did so his eyes met those of tiny
girl who was being carried past him in
the arms of stout market woman. A
moment before the child had been laugh
ing gleefully and playing with the fringe
of her mothers shawl, but rs she encoun-
tered the piercing glance of those large,
black, fiery eyes, she trembled and began
to Cry.
"God protect usr' muttered the moth
er, hastily signing the cross over the
shuddering infant; that man must
surely have the evil eyer
AS the stranger passed on two men
who were chatting at the door of large
stone house turned to look at him.
"If that fellow were only poor man
I'd hire him for model this very day."
said the taller of the two, a distinguished
French artist, in tone of irrepressible
enthusiasm His face is worthy of Van
dyke"
Worthy of The Police Gazette, you
mean," growled his companion, who was
no other than the project of police him
self Mark my words, friend Victor.
that man will commit Some horrible
crime one day or other, if indeed he
hasn't done it Already
And who then was this man who
seemed to inspire such a universal feel.
ing Of mingled horror and admiration?
This was the very question which
every one in Marseilles was asking, and
which no one seemed able to answer.
All that was as yet known Of the stran-
ger was that he had arrived from Paris
a few weeks before, attended by half
dozen fierce looking fellows in the dress
of Hungarian foresters; that he> had
gone straight to the largest hotel and
taken o whole suite Of rooms to himself
at cost worthy Of Dumas Count OF
Monte CrisGo, in the name of Prince Ke-
retsenyi. Jauosz castle, Southern Transyi-
vania," and that at public ball two
days after his arrival he had signalized
his entrance into local society by u feat
that made him at once the talk of the
whole town.
Among the guests at the ball was
certain dragon captain, Louis Du Val
10y name, noted bully and duelist, who
was always on the lookout for a quar-
rel. He WAS standing amid a circle of
his admirers when the Transylv&nian
prince entered. The sudden introduc-
ton of this superbly handsome stranger
by such renowned historical name as
that of keretseayi sent buzz of excite
Ment through the whole room, but Capt.
ID Va laughed s1ornfany, aad observed
IN tone evidently meant to reach the
princes ears that these Hungarian
counts and princes often carried all
their estate on their backs, and that
their title deeds were sometimes to be
found in the register Of the nearest
prison.
Scarcely were the insulting words ut
tered. when Keretsenyi stepped quickly