The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-04

old ancestral home and hunting ground.
Not that any caste or manor house of
theirs existed; all had been swept away in
the wars, nobody knows when; the de-
licious pine groves and Alpine pastures
were as innocent of anything of that kind
as if it had been the Rocky mountains.
They were building grand new one in
stead. They had been reduced to poverty
during the Austrian domination, and one
of them had even taken office under the
hated oppressors at Venice to gain his
bread. But his son, the present count, the
father of this blooming young Hebe-have
forgotten to mention that she was brown
but not especially brunette, and had
glorious, large, quick-glancing eyes2-
the father Of this highbred young Hebe,
then, would have no share in such mean.
spirited subserviency. In the inferior
wisdom Of his youth and ardent patriot-
ism, he ran away from home, and took
part in the revolutionary movements and
the army of the king of Sardinia. His UNI
calculating bravery was we'll rewarded;
for, besides military promotion at Turin,
he won the hand of u rich and handsome
widow.
Would You know. by the way, how she
became rich2 1t was an almost miraculous
accident; ah, there are lucky people in the
world after all. 1t has an American bear
ing, too. Her first husband manufactured
cotton. Just before the outbreak of our
civil war, his clerk, by an error in writing
an English letter, ordered IL. 600 bales of
cotton instead of 1000. There was an
enormous rise in cotton almost at once,
and the fortune was made.
So it was an Italian woman that built
the fine granite manor-house, with
plenty of armorial shields carved upon
ii, as we'll as an Italian woman that was
its pearl, its treasure, the rare ornament
of the jewel box. The COUNT want to
mention his name, but don't see how I
can after raving so over his winsome
daughter-the count owed by no means
everything to his rich wife. He early
went into literature and wrote excellent
plays. / have read one or two of them;
they abound in sprightliness and humor,
and hold the boards still.
But more than this. he also went into
politics, and he is a thoroughly respected
deputy nj the Conservative party! His lit
erary style is Sc polished that he is the one
generally chosen in parliament TO prepare
any address 10 the throne and the like.
which it desired 20 have particularly
smooth. lie represents this his mountain
district, loads the natives of il with favors.
and now has come back TO make his sum-
mer home among them. A brother-in-iaw
has also come, an even finer title still, an
other rich man and member Of parIia-
ment, and he IS building TOO. These are
the nucleus that Is drawing some atten-
ton 10 hitherto unheard of little village
and may in time make it grateful refuge
from the blazing heats OF the Lognbariy
plain.
1t was an amusing little place in several
respects. The TWO hotels or inns, denied
OF any idea OF modern comforts. with
cuisine consisting entirely of veal in its
various forms, and even this served in a
half hedlamite manner. slIli entertained
few dIstin guishe3 guests. Upon these the
pretty con1essa had principally 10 depend
for her company. one old lady, wife of
perhaps the leading general in the Italian
army, went oil with her husband pres
entity 10 pay visit To the royal family at
MonEa Yet there Was no evidence of dis
content with the prlmatIve aCcommoda-
tions; all was taken with happy-go-lucky
case or dlgnlhet apathy. as If il we're
either of no consequence or Of no use to
complain. She had i ilne palace down at
Verona. with armed guards always pacing
before II, but she showed not the slightest
discomfort with her shabby little alhergo
Then there was duchess who with some
relatives. occupied Tor the summer a large
barn-like stone house, into which they
had not put q single ornament, not SIN
gle bright touch Of araDery. The duchess
had some rooms 10 reni IN another house.
and We were recommended 10 look at
them. Well, those rooms were little To-,
much: theg were positively squslid and
renalssge- II this he the character of Itai-
ian dachesses, or italian women. improve
r-sens III certain matters all * yezy SLOW
in coming
on the same Sgcbess' terrace. however.