San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-07

TO keene, and supplemented by Sec
ond cable. Keene, it will be remem-
bered, had requested his comrades of
the Scotland Yard force to make a
thorough examination of the Count de
Foolier's antecedents in his home at
TrembAy, France. The. result had
been as follows:
The father of the present Count de
Fooliers had, as so many other French
men have had, a mistress as we'll as a
wife. BY the mistress he had a son
some years older than the heir, but
who, when both reached manhood, very
closely resembled him. For this off,
shoot of Illicit love the Count had
planned an army career, and put him
early in military school Even it's
severe discipline failed to control dis
position that developed from extreme
youth mania for unbounded dissipa-
ton and the lowest kind of life.
Again and again the Count paid hush
money to keep the youth out of
prison only to be soon called upon to
pay more. What was worse, when ex-
lied from school, the boy would appear
in Tremblay, to the great scandal of
the Count, and of annoyance to the
wife and legitimate son. Finally,
when the young man came of age, the
Count threw him over. He gave him a
certain sum of money, warning him if
he should ever appear in Trent lsy
again, assume the de Fooliers name, or
in any way trouble the Count or the
Counts family, that he should be
handed over Ito the authorities for
punishment for certain offenses. from
the consequences of which he was only
saved by the Counts regular payments
of hush money. The boy disappeared,
soon spent his allowance in riotous liv-
ing, and then, being thoroughly con-
WINGED that the Count meant just what
he said, took to the business of valet,
the only opening he CHANGED to find to
save him from starvation. He thus
entered the service of Graham.
Meanwhile the Count and his wife
died, leaving an impoverished estate to
the heir This the young fellow soon
ran through, following the courses of
his father and half brother. Even the
Tremblay chateau was sold over his
head. He left to bury himself in Aus
tralia, swearing that he would never
come back until he had accumulated
money enough to buy back the ances-
trail home. To anticipate a little the
story of second cable, the Count met
Graham and his valet (hls own half
brother) in Australia, and joined
them in the bush The Count
did not at first recognize the
valet, but the valet recognized the
Count. To such a desperate person the
plot soon suggested itself Two muir
ders, Graham's money, an exile for a
time, a temperance at Trem blay, the
role of the missing heir assumed, the
de Fooliers chateau purchased, his own
rehabilita ton as French nobleman.
He carried it out and seemed proof
against detection. His resem blance to
the heir caused him to be received
without suspicion. His money made
him an accepta ole social acquisition.
His early education, his natural clever
ness, his long association with people
of good breeding as a valet all enabled
him to play successfully the part of
genial gentleman. At Trem blay Harry
White, an attache of the London Ameri-
can legation on a vacation, ran across
him and a mutual intimacy sprang
up. At Whites invitation the
once valet went to London, was widely
received, especially in the American
colony, and met the Lebourgeoises.
Mother and daughter liked him at
once, but Frank did not. The mother
received most favorab bly, his suit for the
daughters hand-She was of French
New Orleans extraction herself-and it
was only by Franks exertions that
formal engagement was not entered
into Miss Lebourgeois was in the
matter rather passive than active. Her
mothers influence and the temptation
to become a Countess led her to yield
half-regretted assent to an under
standing" When the Lebourgeoises
and the Count sailed for America,
Frank made an excuse to
remain behind and look up the
Counts antecedents. He visited
Tremblay, but could find there nothing
that would justify him in absolutely
vetoing the match. He came back to
America to personally watch the pro-
gress of a matter so deeply concerning
a dearly loved sister, and in the hope
that something might turn up to pre-
vent the engagement. He was a true
American and was on principle OPP
posed to titled marriage for American
girls. He was very much opposed to
giving his sister to this particular titled
French husband
We have anticipated and enlarged !