Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-10

hood have SO befogged the life of Nora
Deegan, the adventures, that even unto
this day she is known by u dozen different
names by her pseudo biographies, and they
have given the story of her strange life
unlimited variations. 1t is confidently
believed, however, that the facts here pre-
sented are accurate.
Nora Deegan was born in County Cork,
Ireland. Her father was drowned when
she was very young. Her mother, wom-
an of unusual culture, refinement and
beauty for her class, taught drawing,
French, lacemaking and dancing in Cork
till her health gave way. She died when
her daughter was IL.
So beautiful, bright and attractive was
Nora as child that the peasant women at
Queenstown believed the good fairies were
present at her birth and endowed her with
all the graces.
An orphan, poor and nearly kinless,
Nora's friends were about to appeal to her
uncle, the good Father Mathew, who was
away working for the temperance cause at
the time, when an old French musician
and artist, who had been Miss Deegan's
sdmirer and friend and who was childless,
ffcred to adopt the little girl. AS there
was no one to object to this, Nora was
taken to the home of Professor Manette
and his wife, and she was called for the
time Nora Manctte.
Nine. Manette, Spaniard and
most gentle and accomplished woman,
loved the girl as if she were her own
daughter and Mt once began n course of
instruction In studies such AS are taught
In the first seminarics. Nora's precocity
amazed every one. She spoke English
with a delicious Cork accent. Her voice
was low and musical. OF medium height,
1.-THE, graceful, black haired and with fine
gray eyes set under finely arched brows
and fringed with long dark lashes, she was
a perfect type Of that feminine Celtic
beauty that is rarely seen outside the west
coast of Ireland and in Brittany, Franco.
Professor Manettc's cottage was within
hearing distance of the famous BELLS of
Shandon," celebrated in Prout's more "a
nous ballad of the same name. BY the
time Nora was II her grace and beauty
made her the toast OF all tho young gal
lants of the neighborhood, who wittily
About this time Nine. Manette died,
and her husband, now about SO, decided
60 return to London, where before his
coming to Cork he had led an orchestra
with success.
Nora now spoke French and Spanish
quito as wei! as she did English. In addi-
tion, she played the violin, harp and piano
She was skilled in laccmaking and had o
talent for drawing and water colors. "She
sang ike an angel as one of her admir-
ers said, but her genius was terpsichorean.
She believed she could excel Vesta and
Fanny Elssier as n dancer, and she had a
passion for the stage.
Although she had never been farther
away from Cork than Blarney CASTLE the
magic stone of which she must have kissed,
for she was mistress of the art of persua-
sion, she had an Unsuitable craving for
travel. When, therefore, Professor Ma
nette, whom she admired as musical mar
vel and loved rs n father, proposed that
she should go with him to London, she
leapcd at the offer like a hungry trout at
a fly.
There were no friends to oppose. The
professor was n man 'old enough to be her
father" and much respected. London was
the promised land to the talent of Cork,
posed by her friends.
Professor Manottc was not successful in
getting place in London. After a few
months his savings vanished, and want
was ut the door, when Nora said: "We
have seen all the singers and dancers in
the concert halls. Among the women
there Is not one can sing as well as do,
and you know, father, 1 can beat the best
of them dancing"
Il am sure of that" said Manette
And rs to iooks-well, if I'm rot
pretty. am at least prettier than the pref
test of thom.''
To this the professor agreed. He Ger
tainly thought her beautiful as she surely
was, for from the ashes of his widower
wee there had sprung up q love fire as tor
turing IL not as intense as if he had been
30 years younger.
Manette secured Nora an opening at a
concert hall. She appeared rs an Irish
peasant girl in the becoming Celtic cos