Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-04-08
NJ. LIE VICOMTE.

From his first appearance to his
last he set the town agog with his
doings Late on the stormy Novem
Der evening which was to usher in a
new-epoch in Tidewater society the
MaSons door bell was rung so furi-
ously that it brought the whole fam
ily TO their feet As Mr. Mason
opened the door u stranger bounced
by him completed several rapid gyra-
tons about the hall before his COM
paniOn. the proprietor of the hotel
could enter and plain the intrusion.
The new French professor-he's Just
come" was all the information the
man could offer. Nobody in the
hotel could talk French and as he
seemed to be trying to say something.
! brought him down here
Come in f" said Mr.. Mason, and
led the way to the parior.
The foreigner inspired by the SYM
pathetic presence Of three women.
began his story with volubility. He
was his hearers at last discovered,
Ma lime Beauchamp Anne Marie
Montmorency. VIcomte de Precours
and had come from the school OF
languages in Portsmouth to teach
French in Tidewater The e.ening
train had been late after an uncom.
fortably cold and rough Quincy, aud
his Q press on was pitiable as he
told it-he had lost his trunks. his
gUlstrc crosse males. At this point
when he spoke Of the loss OF his
trunks. he paused and stood facing
his hearers his attitude and express
sion full OF pathetic ent.eaty
In the minute during VIII CHI he re-
tanned this attitude the Masons saw
the yiscount for the first time dis
tinctly. He was a small. shabby Wis.
count provoking by his appearance
amusement rather than respect His
figure was we'll knit aud m litary in
bearing and his bullet shaped head
as compact as a travelling case A
shock OF stiff black hair evincing a
disposition to bristIe out and destroy
the general snugness of contour. had
been cropped close to his head. Two
dents-nOt dimples-at the outward
eNtremities OF his eyes alternately
emphasized and softened as he spoke.
gave his countenance strange. sin
lister expression; and spasmodic mus
cular contFactions of ST. Vitus dance
distorted his face almost continually.
A silver aeur-de lis shone from his
necktie. and the French tri.color
stood out aggressively from the lapel
of his coat for that uncertain thing a
Frenchman calls his honor.
This story told. the landlord made
70 understand. and a promise OF in
terpreter's assistance received from
the Masons. the vlscount bowed him
self magni Gently from the room.
The Masons understood the new pro.
fessor from that call
By the next afternoon three quar-
ters OF the girls in Tidewater had
called on the other quarter and
talked over the new professor. And
he's really viscouut and his fathers
a marquis exclaimed a believer
breathle5sly. And he gives lessons
only because he wants to- !" said an
other. His father gives him an al
loWance big enough to live on. but
he thinks he ought to work even if
he is a nobeman. Isn't that SPLEEN
did OF nin?" exclaimed a third.
dts all fol de rolr' retorted the I'M
bel eRers. He needn't think he can
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 about in country
towns for handful of pupils. il he
had plenty OF money. He 5 an adj
venturerf' The mothers listened
while pretending not to hear and
were able to exchange notes with
their husbands at dinner and with
other mothers while shopping. The
women suspended judgment but the
men without hesitation pronounced
him 'rascally Frenchmau The
form OF expression sometimes changed
but the idea never.
Ia q few days the French elias es
were running smoothly. AS the final
advent Of his luggage produced no
visible effects in the professors toilet
it was decided that he brought only a
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 that he
was a genuine viscount and many
new classes were formed OF studlous
women who could not let the oppor.
tunity pass OF acquiring the accent of
tho French nobility. He established
his title among them. but re luested
them modestly to cal him simply NJ.
dc Precourt
So the women locked to his classes
ana formed grandes soirees of the
combined classes and petite soirees
OF chosen members each to meet
once week At these soirees the
women discovered virtues and graees
in their professor never to be sus.
pected by casual observer He was
Infinitely well read and we'll bred.
his resources ut entertainment were
boundless and dearest OF al to the
feminine heart he wrote poe ri gen