The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1893-02-10
NJ. LIE vICOMTE.

last he SGT the town agog with his
aoings Lnte on tho stormy Novem
Der evening which was to usher In a
new epoch In Tidewater society, tho
Mason's door. boil was rung SO f,irl.
ously that it brought tho whole fam.
lily 10 their feet As Mr. Mason
opened tho door u stranger bounced
by him. completed several rapid gyra-
lions about the hall. before his com.
panion. the proprietor OF the hotel.
could enter and explain the intrusion.
1.-The now French professor-hc's Just
como" was all tho information tho
man could o'ror. Nobody In the
hotel could talk French mud as no
seemed to be trying to say something.
| brought him down here"
Come In. said Mr.. Mason, and
led tho way 10 the parlor.
Tho foreigner inspired by tho sym.
pathetic presence OF three women.
began his story with volubility. He
was his hearers at last discovered.
Maxine Beauchamp Ammo Marie
Montmorency. VIcomte de Precourt
and had como from the school OF
languages In Portsmouth TO teach
French in Tidewa,er The cyening
train Ind been lato after an uncom.
fortably cold and rough journey, and
his express on was pitiable Us ho
told 1.-THE had lost his trunks his
quatre crosses males. At this point.
when he spoke OF the loss Of his
trunks he paused and stood facing
his hearers. his attitude and expires.
sion full OF pathetic eht.eaty.
In the minute during which hc re-
inined this attitude. the Masons saw
the vlscount for tho first time dis.
tinctly. Ho was small. shabby Wis.
count provoking by his appearance
amusement rather than respect. His
figure was we'll knit and IN litary in
bearing, and his bullet shaped head
as compact rs n travelling case A
shock OF stlfI black hair evincing a
disposition 10 brls,le out and destroy
the general snugness OF contour had
been cropped close to his head. Two
aen,s-not dimplcs-at the outward
cxtremlties OF his eyes alternately
emphasized and softencd us he spoke,
gave his countenance II strange. sin.
lister expression; and spasmolic mus.
cular contractions OF St Vitus dnnce
distorted his face almost continually.
A silver feur-dc lis shono from his
neckiie and tho French trl. color
stood out aggressivoly from the lapel
OF his coat for that uncertain thing n
frenchman calls his honor
This story told tho landlord made
10 understand. and n promise OF In.
icrpre,or's assistance received from
tho Masons tho viscount bowed him
self mugnitcently from tao room.
Tho Masons understood the new pro.
fessor from that call.
by tho next afternoon three Quar-.
,ers OF the girls n Tidewater had
called on the other quarter and
talked over tho new professor. And
he's really n vlscount and his fathers
4 marquis" exclaimed n believer
brea,hlessly. And he gives lessons
only because no wants to " said an.
other His father gives him an al.
lowance big enough 10 live on but
he thinks he ought 10 work. even ~
he is n nob'eman. lsa't that SPLEEN
lid OF h'm?" exclaimed II third.
dts all fol dc rol'' re,or,ol the un.
bel everA He needn't tblnk he can
pass of that vulgar shabby little per-
son OF his on Americans Tor 4 via.
count Tho eighteenth MAXINE OF
Prccorrt would wear clean linon aud
not DO hunting about In country
towns for n handful OF pupils. II 10
had plenty OF money. Ilo mn nd.
ycnturcr." Tbs mothers listened
white pretending not to hoaG and
were able 10 exchange notes with
their husbands at dinner nad with
other mothers whllo shopping. Tho
women suspended judgment but tho
men without hesitation pronounced
him n 'rnscally frcnchman" Tho
form ofcxpross.on sometimes changed
but tho Idea never
In u few days III, French elias ios
we're running smoothly. As tho final
advent OF his baggage produced no
visible elects In tho professors ,ollo,
II was decided tina. no brought only
lasting stock OF his largo and unwlcl.
ly cigars In his qua,ro crosses
MALES
However notwithstanding his shah.
blncss II dli not take long for
him 10 convince his pupils that ho
was genuine y!scount and many
ncw clnsses wcro formed OF s,udioui
women who could not lot tho oppor.
,unl,y pass Of acquiring tho accent OF
Tho french nobility. Ito established
bis tito among them. but 70 iucstod
ihon modosty TO cal him simply NJ.
do Prccourt
So tho women fockod to his clnssos
and formed. grandos solrcos NJ tho
combined clnsacs and petite soIrceH
OF chosen mcmbcri each 10 meet
once week. Al those soirocs tho
women discovered virtues mud gruccs
n tholr professor never 10 be sus.
Dcctoi byn casual observer Ito was
Infinitely wull read and vol bred
hln resources Mt entertainment were
boundlos, a1d dearest OF all to tho
feminine heart. no wrote poetry eop.
uino poetry-not verses ono poem
at east for each solrce.
So ,lno wore on, solroc following
soirco and poon poem, and two
months had passed before tho classes
woke up 10 tho fact tina, tho Wis.
| counts poems were all on onn theme,
aud he cnrod Tor tho commentator
u I NJ ono mombor OF his olassot and
thn. fair demoiscllc and 10 her
alone d 4 he give copies OF hl, poems
The dumolsolo was Miss Mason and
thu. did he repay tho kindness hor
'Amlly hal shown him.
A fresh in,orest was added 10 tho
frenclinHns presence In town Tho
newly discovered condition Of things
was discussed In MI lts phusoA md
avofyOody know all about this afrnlro
10 cruG excepting only tao fair
1cmolsollo hcraclt
Now since hls residence In lido.