Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-07-11
DEWEYS SPANISH RIVAL.
The Spanish Grandee Who Married
the Girl Of His Heart.

OpanlafQ VINO mas since come INTO |
an estate and a title. The young lady |
who rejected his proposals was Miss
Virginia Lowery, a Washington belle. !
This was years ago, when the present |
admiral had a lesser rank.
Those familiar with Admiral Deweys |
are now recalling it in
connection with Manila, where he
squared accounts.
Virginia Lowery's father, old Judge
Lowery, came from Massachusetts
twenty years or more ago. He was a
man of distinction and of large wealth,
an American to the backbone and with
a rooted prejudice against foreign no.
blemen in general and Spaniards IN
particular He did not approve OF the
grandee who came to call on MS
daughter
And yet the Count Brunetti-destined
to be the successful rival OF George
Dewey-was a very attractive man and
much liked in Washington. lie was
attached to the Spanish legation as
secretary and went much into the gay
society thereof The count was then.
as he is to-day, very handsome man,
rather tall for a Spaniard, dark, black
eyed and vivacious in manner.
Up to this time the future hero OF
Manila had not appeared on the scene.
The count met Miss Lowery constant
ly at social functions and enjoyed OPP
portunities of improving on the hrst
impression he had made. Like most OF
the younger diplomats in Washington,
| he had very little money, his salary as
secretary OF legation being meagre and
his private income small. But it was
we'll understood that on the death OF
his father, the aged Duke d'Arcos, he
would inherit the title, together with
/ large estates.
Meanwhile old Judge Lowery was
quite ignorant as to- what was going
on. AS already stated he had big
fortune, amounting to rather more than
a million of dollars.
History makes no adequate record OF
the remarks made by Papa Lowery
when Virginia first broke to him as
gently as possible the news that Count
Brunetti had proposed for her hand.
The count had told her that in his
country it was customary to present
a proposal of marriage to the father of
the young lady before questioning her
on so delicate a subject. However, he
chose in this instance to follow the
American custom and offer himself to
her direct. The judge gazed upon his
daughter in establishment. She was a
beautiful girl, as she is now very
handsome and stately matron-tall
rather dark with an exquisite olive
complexion.
The storm evoked by the intelligence
she conveyed must have exceeded her
expectations
! Virginia was not disposed to antago-
nize her parent in the matter, and she
! just kept on loving the man, between
whom and herself there remained a
! quasi-engagement She told Him that
she chose to be absolutely bound by it,
| though she demanded no similar prom
Use from him. She would not marry
anybody else, if she died an old maid
| for her constancy
| Judge Lowery continued to nurse his
govt and his anger on this particular
subject, while forbidding his house to
the Count Banditti, as he persisted in
calling him. Thus the count and Vir-
ginia rarely saw each other except at
receptions and evening parties.
Affairs were in this condition when
George Dewey, at that time com
mander in the United States navy,
came to washington on orders which
placed him in charge of the Bureau of
Equipment at the navy department..
He and the judge, though Dewey was
much the younger man, were old
friends. George had seen Virginia be-
! fore when she was just emerging from
girlhood and the bread -and-butter age
into full-fedged womanhood and had
admired her. He renewed the ac-
quaintance and promptly fell in love.
The judge had never thought of such a
possibility of course. George had been
a widower for many years, having lost
his wife soon after their marriage, and
was supposed to- be onthe shelf. Why
should it have occurred to the Judge
that this seasoned mariner might
again Ldll a V1CINuI COC U0 FOuIduLIC
passion and find it's object in his
Judge Lowery's) daughter?
1t is the unexpected that happens,
however. Dewey fell in love with Vir-
ginia, and he had no more hesitation
in entering a strong harbor mined by
Cupid and attacking batteries that de-
fend the shoals Of matrimony than he
had in smashing Cavite and the Span
ish ships. But being already somewhat
past the prime of life, and little
doubtful as to how young and lively
woman might regard so serious a
proposition from a man considerably
her senior in years he decided to con-
suit her father first.
The fudge was delighted. Why not,
indeed? He had long been acquainted
with Commander Dewey and knew him
for man of unblemished character
nd l. l. 80