The Bessemer indicator., 1893-02-11
NJ. LIE VtCOMTE.

doihps Late Oh the stormy N0vem
Der evening which was TO usher In q
new epoch in Tidewater society, the
Mason's door bell was rung so furi-
ously that 1t brought tho whole fam.
lily 10 their feet, As Mr.. Mason
opened tho door. a stranger bounced
by him. completed several rapid gyra-
tlons about the hall before his COM
panion, the proprietor OF the hotel.
could enter and explain tho intrusion.
Tho now Fronch professor-he's Just
come" was all the information the
man could offor. Nobody in tho
hotel could talk French and as he
seemed to be trying to say something.
| brought him down here"
Como in." snid Mr.. Mason, and
led tho way 10 the paror.
The foreigner inspired by the sym
pathetic presence OF three women.
began his story with volubility. He
was his hearers at last discovered.
Maxine Beouchnmp Ammo Mario
Montmorency. VIcomte de Precourt
and had come from tho school OF
languages In Portsmouth to teach
French in Tidewater. 1he evening
train had been late after nm uncom.
tortably cold and rough journey and
his eSpress on was pitiable as he
told it-he had lost his trunks his
rtafrc crosses males. At this point
when he spoke OF tho loss OF his
trunka he paused and stood facing
MS hearers. his attitude and expires
sion full OF pathetic ent.eaty.
In tho minute during which ho re.
tanned this attitude, the Masons saw
the vlscount for the first time dis.
hnctly. He was small. shabby Wis.
count provoking by his appearance
amusement rather than respect. His
tigure was we'll knit and military in
bearing. and his bullet shaped hend
as compact as a travelling case. A
shock OF stiff. black hair evincine a
disposition 10 bristle out and destroy
the general snugnoss OF contour had
been cropped closo to his head. Two
dents-not dimplcs-nt the outward
oxtremities OF his eyes alternately
emphasized and softened ns he ppoke
gave his counteuapco n strange, sin.
lster expression; and spasmodic mus.
cular contrnctions of St. Vitus dance
distorted his face almost continually.
A silvor fleurde lis shone from his
necktie. and tho French tri. color
stood out aggressively from tho lapel
OF his coat for that uncertain thing u
Frenchman calls his honor.
This story told the landlord made
10 understand. and q promise of in.
terpreter's assistance received from
tho Masons. the viscount bowed him
self magnitcently from the room.
The Masons understood the now pro.
fessor from that call.
by the next afternoon three quar-.
ters OF the girls In Tidewater mad
called on tho other quarter and
talked over tho now professor. "And
hos really viscount and his fathers
u marquis" exclaimed believer
Drea,hlessly. And he gives lessons
only because ho wants to. said an
other. Ills father gives him an al.
lowancc big enough TO live on. but
he thinks he ought to work. even If
hc is nob.eman. Isn't that splcn-
did OF h'm?" exclaimed u third.
.lt's all fol dc roll" retorted tho un-
bel overs. lie needn't think he Gun
pass off that vulgar shabby little per-
son OF his on Americans for WIS.,
count The eighteenth MAXINE Of
Precourt would wear clean linen and
not be hunting nbout in country
towns for handful of pupils. II lie
had plenty OF money. Hos nm ad-
venturer"' Th, mothers listened
while pretending no, to hear and
were able TO exchange notes with
their husbands Mt dinner. and with
other mothers whilo shopping. The
women suspended Judgment but tho
men without hesitation pronounced
him .rascally rrenchman The
form OF expression sometimes changed
but tho idea never.
In n few days tho French classes
we're running smoothly. AS the final
advent OF his luggage produced no
visible effects in tho professors toilet
it was decided that he brought only n
lasting stock OF his large and unwiel-
dy cigars in his quatre crosses
males.
However Notwithstanding his shah
biness 1t did not take long for
him to convince his pupils tha. he
was IL genuine viscount and many
new classes wero formed OF studious
women who could not let the oppor.
tunity pass OF acquiring tho accent OF
Tho French nobility. He established
his titlc among them. but re iuested
them modest'y TO call him simply NJ.
dc Precourt
So the women fockcd to his classes.
and formed grundes soirces Of tho
combined classes and petite soirees
OF chosen members each to meet
once week. At these soirecs tho
women discovered virtues and graces
IN their professor never to be sus-
pccted by u casual observer He was
Infinitely we'll read and we'll bred.
his resources at entertainment were
boandlesA and. dearest OF all to tho
feminine heart. ho wroio poetry. gen.
uine poetry-not verses-one poem
Mt lenst for each soiree.
So time wore on; so.ree following
xoiree and poem poem. and two
months had passed before tho classes
woke up 10 the fact that tho WIS.,
counts poems were all on one theme
and he cared for the commcndation
OF ut one member OF his clnsseA and
that IL fnir demoiselle, md to her
a'one d d he give copies OF hi, poems.
The dcmoiselle was Miss Mason. and
thus d d ho repay the kindness her
family had shown him.
A fresh interest was added to tho
Frenchmuns presence In town. The
newly discovered condition OF things
was discussed in all its phases and
everybody knew all about this nffaire
lie cur excepting only the fair
lenoisello herself.
Now. since his residence In lido
water was assured until his ceromo.
aious court should be paid in detail
20 the future viscountcss Qor he had
,.,,t - =, IL hnvoh tho viaNnnnk