The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-25

THE NIHHIST.

but reasons of state viii not permit tb
designation of his llustrious fanil,
name.
During sojourn in Paris, just afte
the war, he met at one of the reception
oR the Princess Lisa General De Contre
monts charming daughter, whom the
'aridan world, just arising from it,
&ahss, knew under the name of ''ths
beautiful Madeleine" She was also a:
poor Is she was beautiful.
Michel was smitten in spite of hi:
forty years and his long formed resolu
ton Of celibacy. For fifteen years he
had withstood the Establishments of de-
signing young ladies and the maneuvers
Of their aristocratic mammas, who had
thrown themselves, SO to speak, at his
bead as bouquets of roses and lilies are
thrown over the footlights at favorite
diva.
One evening Madeleine said to the
widow of the hero of Gravelotte,
Mother, would you be satisfied by my
becoming princess
mo, indeed, my daughter, for you
were born beautiful enough to become g
queen"
In fact, in the most select assembly
such perfect type of womanhood was
seldom seen. saw this superb creature
at the opera one evening shortly after her
marriage, and l will wager that there
were fifty young men in the orchestra
who 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; it might as well
have been from the score of "Mireille"
} as from the "Huguenots," and they
would have been none 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 one 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 exultation of tri-
iuInph, and her cold brilliance radiated
their admiration as diamonds radiate
Tight. She saw in the elegant audience
i lany beautiful women, but she felt her
3elf to be the most beautiful woman
sthere.
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 resem BILE the Princess Michel,
for that would be to expect too much,
but only to have her teeth | would give
my hotel in the Champs Elysees and all
1T 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"
eyes, replied diplomat, "but l fear
the princess will have occasion to yawn
4 Sener than to smile, for his excellency,
Ser husband, has the air of being neither
agreeable nor amusing. / imagine the
princess will regret Paris many times"
Indeed the prince, even at the time of |
his marriage, was not an agreeable man,
and some years later he was still less so,
to the sorrow Of the princess be it said.
He owed it to the coquetry of his wife to
be as jealous as tiger, and to the favor
of the car to become minister of the |
police, and the result Of his position did |
not serve to render him more amiable. |
However, he had found the opportunity |
to utilize his public functions in aid of |
his private jealousy. He used his wife's |
coachman and the servant who opened |
the door to further his ends. and his |
nissaries among the police soon placed |
an 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 |
soon slackened, not because the princess
was less seductive, but because she was
Indifferent or surfeited. and those who
had contided to the post or telegraph
their hopes and fears soon found them
selves the victims of the most unexpect-
"a and various i'll fortune. and began to
conjecture that either the princess had
NE evil eye, or that the eyes of the prince
we're too good. The correspondence only
evealed To his excellency that his wife
vas harmless coquette, and this dis
,overy brought a relative satisfaction.
5ut the exactions of the car in regard
o the nihilists now left HIM little time
% protect the virtue of his wife, and
Judge of his inefable surprise when one
lay tbs following letter reached his
lands, of which also he recognized but
90 Well the handwriting. though it was
igned by only single initial:
1t appears the emperor will set out
ooner than was expected Cor Varsovie;
olG yourself then in readiness TO start
t the earliest warning. fer who knows
Vhen we will find again so favorable an {
pportunity?
IL do not wish TO conceal from you
he difficulties of the undertaking. Ar
ange your plans then for success with
ut delay. You will present yourself to ]
he As = friend of my family, travelling
4 Russia for your pleasure, Call upon
~ mother before you set out; she will
i've you some commission for me which s
MI serve as an introduction in case of
eed." I
The unhappy prince was beside him
IF when he had finished reading this
orrible letter. Then this conspiracy, /
hich he fought night and day with
word, with prison and with exile; this
tiless war of armed monsters against /
e life of a single man, had its origin at 4
3 freside. 1t was his own wife, his $
sautiful Madeleine, who said TO the as u
Issin, Behold the hour: be ready te {
rike!" What fatality had armed his S
reign wife against his sovereign: This v
oman had everything-youth. beauty, S