The herald., 1894-09-08

Deaux ana adaniruTs, Isosss;,iiy slis, 9 SC! Sc:
disant French nobleman, the vicomte
30 Grenet Every sensible person is
aware of the madness prevailing among
American girls for titled foreigners,
particularly among heiresses, for the
less fortunate maids dare not aspire so
high.
''Mere beauty is secondary consider
atiol with these adventurers. For an
empty title these angelic creatures will
barter their bodies and cast their pearls
before swine. After an international
wedding of great pomp and ceremony
they sail off to Europe to fetch up prob
ably in the padded cells of a madhouse
or else in few years are glad enough
to return to good old soapmaking
pork packing papa and mamma. The
morning had the honor to se presented
to Vicomte Grenet my better judgment
sized him up as some impecunious bar
ber or chef de cuisine on the hunt for
fortune. With number Of tremendous
trunks-which at later stage of the
game the hotel people found to be en-
tirely empty, to their great dismay-the
vicomte had ensconced himself in an
elegant suit of rooms and was lording
it high over the admiring Americans.
The fastest horses in Buncombe county
were always at the command of "his
grace" and wild dashes over the noun
tain and dale were the daily sport of
Virginia Staunton and Vicomte de
Grenet. Virgie was one of those frolic-
some, daring girls, always in for any
thing and what you might term in the
vernacular Of the jeunesse doree dead
game sport.
There was no mawkish sentimental
ity about her nor the die away languor of
charming incapaoity assumed by wom-
en- Of fashion. She was vigorous young
woman, full Of life and bubbling over
with mirth and jollity. Her companion
ship was delightful, and half the time
you forgot that the handsome creature
gently and sensibly could she converse
about things Of masculine interest.
Horses, dogs, hunting, fishing, every
manner of sport was as fond and fa-
miliar subject with her as the latest
style Of Paris gown. The same cordial,
hearty manner to all alike, no one could
tell upon whom Miss Staunton looked
with most favor. Although she rode and
danced with him and scarcely appeared
without the vicomte tagging along at
her heels, it was evident that she did
not regard the Frenchman in senti-
mental light. In fact, it was we'll
known that she had kicked him twice
and always met his most importunate
overtures with chilling courtesy.
HE was the typical foreigner you see
at Bar Harbor, Narragansett and. New
port, where titled ninoompoops do
most congregate. He was shrewd and
keen as q brier, with q machiavelian
expression Of countenance which seem
ed to be particularly charming to the
women. I overheard one of them say
once in discussion of which the vi
comte was the subject: oh, he is just
too fascinating for anythingl He is SO
deliciously wicledp That he really
possessed this charming attribute no
one can gainsay. Virginia regarded the
foreigner more as pastime than as a
beau or friend, always styling him her
dear froggie. At times she was most
freezingly distant when his presump-
tion carried him too far, but with her
mother it was very different She was
thoroughly oaptivated by the vicomte
and his very aristocratic bearing. Per-
ceiving that he had made most palpa-
BILE hit with the mother, he immediate
ly proceeded to pet the COW in order
to catch the calf. 1t was even talked
about the hotel verandas that the i'm
pudent Frenchman had really address,
ed Mrs. Staunton.
Zone day while out on one Of their
mad rides over the mountain Virgie
was thrown from her horse and severe
ly hurt. A messenger was dispatched
to the hotel for help, and the uncon-
scious girl was brought home on lit
ter. The accident was never satisfac-
torily explained, and I have always be-
lieved the designing scoundrel had pre-
concerted the fall and its result. Upon
hearing of the accident I hurried to
Mrs. Staunton's apartments to offer my
services and was very much surprised
to find Grenet in attendance upon the
injured girl He was STOPPING over tho
bed bathing her face and temples and
was administering some drug. Mrs
Staunton hurriedly thanked me for the
offer Of my professional services and
stated that the vicomte was distin-
guished surgeon, and as he was already
in attendance she would. not wound his
feelings by calling me in. He is SO
sensitive and feeling she added as l
left the room, that I could not have
the heart to offend him. That he ytas
physician / have never for moment
believed, and it has always been
source of self reproach that did not in
terfere with the Vaccinations of this
incarnate fiend and scotch them in the
beginning. But was younger man
then, lacking mature Judgment and de-
termination. and allowed the matter to
pass
Virginia Staunton remained in a
state of unoonsciousness for "a hours,
and when she at last awoke it was with
burning fever and in wild delirium.
For six long weeks this poor girl was
racked with pain and suffering, fluctu-
ating between life and death, entirely
at the mercy of Vicomte Grenet, who,
besides her mother. was the only person
permitted to see her. He was most at