The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-07
THE HIGHEST PRIZE.

From he Spanith Of Madame Pdrtlo Bdsan
At tho time OF Godoy's roign tho
property belonging to tho noble family
ofIonrs-noblcs do Fucncar was consid.
cred to BIO the most secure and valuable
in Spain but political vicssit,llcs and
other misfortnncs gradually wasted It.
Tho last Marquis OF Tours.nobles, a
spendthrlft aud rouo, who used 10 give
great causo ior gossip at court, finished
by making ducks and brakes OF 1t.
When. tho Marquis do Tours.nobles wa,
about sixty years old he determined to
retire to his estate OF Fuencar, the only
unmortgaged property which no had
and there devote his whole attention to
taking care OF his health, which was not
less impaired than his fortune. AS
Fucncar did not produce enough to al.
low him to live in luxury, 10 deter.
mined to regulate his household. affairs
30 that he might not lack any OF tho
comforts OF life. So he provided him
self with n chaplain who, in addition tc
celebrating mass on Sundays and on
holidays, would play whist and chock.
ers with the marquis. lilo would alsc
resalc him with the latest news iron,
tho political journals, and make 70.
marks on their contents. He had, be-
side the chaplain, a steward or butler
who collected the. rents most rigidly
and overlooked the farming; a stou,
and phlogmatic coachman, who solemnly
drove the two mules hitched to tho fam.
lily coach; 4 housekcoper. quiet and
solicitous, not young enough to be dan
gcrous, nor old enough to be repulsive
valet, whom he had brought from
Madrid, a reminder rs we'll as q
relic Of the dissipatcd life he
had led, but who had now re-
formed as much as his master, and was
as discreet and quick as he had ever
been; and, lastly. cook, clean as a
smelt, with wonderful skill in cooking
all the dishes OF the old-iashioned
Spanish cuisine, which satisfied the
marquis's appetite without impai.ing
his digestion. With such excellent
functionaries, the marquis's household
affairs ran on rs smoothly as u we'll.
regulated watch, and no felt moro than
ever rejoiced to think that he had aban.
doned the temptations OF Madrid to
cast anchor at Fucncar. His health
improved, and his sleep and digestion
were duly regulated.
Ii the marquis lived well, his servi.
tors were not so badly of, either. So
that they might not leave him, he paid
them higher wages than anybody else
paid in that province; and, furthermore,
he was always showering presents and
other kindnosses upon them; conso.
quently they were delighted with their
master. They had little work to do
and that was well regulated and metho.
dical. ' .sss.
1t was exceedingly cold last Deem
Der, and the country surrounding
Funecar was covered three feet deep
with snow. The marquis, unable to
drive out us usual, would sometimes
descend to the farm kitchen, fleeing
from solitude and instinctively seeking
social intercourse. Here he would
warm his hands before the fire, while
his teeth chartered with the cold, and
Join in the laughter which tho oversee,
and the old shepherd excited with their
clownish pranks. He also observed
that the cook had beautiful eyes.
Among all the things they talked Of
he heard that his servants intended &c
club together and buy lottery ticket
for the Christmas drawing:
Very early on the following day tho
marquis sent a telegram to neiShbor
ing city, and that same evening the
good-natured gentleman entered the
kitchen, tlourishing some papers, and
announcing to his domestics, with greaI
glce, that he had fulfilled their desires
by taking q ticket for the next drawing
Of which he would give them two-tenths
When they heard him, they burst
into cries OF JOY and blessed him hearth
ly, With the exception oil the shcp
herd, an old and waggish but sagacious
man, who shook his head, saying thai
anybody who took shares in ticke
with gentleman drove away good luck
His remark displeascd the marquis
greatly, and he rctorted by saying thai
tho shepherd should not have any
share in his ticket.
The marquis did not sleep ms we'll a.
usual that night. Some troublesome
thoughts kept him awake. lie did moi
like the covetous way. in which hi.
servants had talked about the money
they might get.
'These people," said the marquis tc
himself, III they could fill their pockets
would leave me in tho lurch. Ant
what plans they arc making! Celc
dorio, the coachnan, spoke of setting
up tavern, in order to guzzle dowr
wine, without doubt; That stupid Rita
the housekeeper, wants to open board
ing house. Jacinto, my valet, keep
quiet, but he kept looking at the cool
ont Of the corner of his eye. By the
way, tho cook is quite good-looking
Bah r.!
As the Marquis said "nBah!" he
turned over in bed and wrapped the
bed.clothes around his ears, for tho
cold crept in at his neck.
"Well, whatdo Icare" he continued
"they will not draw tho high prize, n
all, and they will haveto wait for wha
I'll leave them when de-" A few mo
ments later tho marquis was sount
asleep and snoring loudly.
Tho lottery drawing took place two
days later, and Jacinto, who was q.
smart as steel-trap, arranged it SC
that his master should send him a
that time to tho city after somothin,
that was needed. Night came ant
still Jacinto had not returned, though
he had left the house at daybreak.
The servants were gathered together
in the kitchen US usual, when they
heard the sound Of horses hoofs on the
fresh.fallon snow, and man, whom
they recognized as Jacinto, fell in theil
| midst lilo q bombshell. He was mil