San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-17

one knew exactly whath was doing with
that; ne had already TAKEN up his quarters
there, but it was understood that altera-
lions of some kind were still going on.
After all known facts Were allowed for,
il was felt that the real nucleus of the
matter had scarcely been touched, and
that the sensation was yet to come.
Then, where had the counts money
come from? So gigantic,a fortune could
not have been long in existence, or it
would have been heard of. Was its
source in the mines of Mexico? 1t was
from Mexico that the count had come to
New York; and, according to his own
account, he was the son of single
French gentleman, and had received his
title of nobility from Napoleon-a COM
1900. 49, $500 ----
plimentary gift merely, unaccompanied
by revenue. Perhaps he had found the
key to open the long closed treasure
house of the Montezumas. Perhaps he
had stumbled upon hoard laid up at
the period of Maximilian's accession,
when France anticipated gaining per-
manent foothold in the country. Per
haps he had discovered a diamond mine
ON his own account richer than those of
Golconda. Or possibly he had only come
suddenly into number of great inner
itances, to which circumstances had
given a multiplied value. The founda-
ton of the wealth of the Rothschilds
had been laid by speculation on the re-
suits of war. There had lately been
great war in Europe, but it was difficult
to see how it could have put so much
gold into any one mans pocket. Be
sides, the present accumulations of the
Rothschilds were the gradual increase of
several generations; whereas De Lisle's
| fortune had, so to say, sprung up in a
night.
In the course of the season the count
was seen at the principal houses in town;
but he never remained at any place
more than fifteen or twenty minutes,
and always aroused more interest than
he satisfied. Without seeming to be so,
| he was careful in his selection of &C
quaintances: only the select circle could
| say they knew him. 1t was evident,
! therefore, that the count did not intend
| to use any of his power in the amuse-
ment of defying society--as Of course he
might easily have done. He was going
| to be conventional, like ordinary men
| always with the difference that he was
| the richest man in the world. But that
fact actually rendered his convention
| ality eccentric.
| F,AlN
| ing that the season was over, when all at
once invitations were issued to a dinner
| and reception at Count lie Isles. Here
was a sensation ut last! Every one who
was invited hll y diIn-e1t idea Of what
it would be like. The-o Were two hun
droi AMI f;ly Invitations all told-a good
sized dinner party, bat still by no means
a larger amount of guests than New
| York's highest circle could easily have
| Furnished. In fact, the number could
not well have been smaller; but then
they We're the choicest of the choice. The
| most beautiful girls, the most aristo-
| cratic ladies', the most distinguished
| gentlemen. Ii would be brilliant oc-
casion; no one hal a right to complain,
| although. OF course. those who We're not
among the elect might be expected to
feel disappointed.
There was one point about this affair
that excited II good deal of curious spec
| ulation. The count was bachelor, and,
as number of unmarried women were
to be of the party, it was natural that he
should ask some lady to assist him in re-
ceiving his guests. Who should this
lady be? 1t was assumed that she would
be some recognized leader Of society;
somebody who would be recognized at
once as the right person in the right
place. Cut whvn il @ccame known las
happened few days before the date of
the dinner who size really was, there
was general stir Of surprise.
Sallie MGtchin-or Mrs. Harry Trent,
as she should be called-was to stand be-
side Count de Isle in the drawing room,
and greet the guests as they came in.
Everybody knew who the lady was; for
although she had been i'll retirement ever
since her husbands death, the tragic and
still somewhat mysterious story connect
Ell with her last public appearance was
not forgotten. While it could not be said
that the lady was "otf color" there was
yet feeling that her career had not
been, socially speaking, exactly fortu-
nate. Her marriage had been II secret
one, and the event that had caused it to
be revealed had been sinister and terri
bic. 1t was not her fault; but society is
selfish and fastidious, and prefers not
to be brought in contact with people
whose presence recalls hideous things
This was not the only reason, however,
for criticising the selection of Sallie
Matchin. Two others were immediately