The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-20
THE PRINCES ROMANCE.
why il is That the Empress Eugene
still Visits Paris.

The stroller who loiters in the evening
at about . o'clock under the arcades ol
the hue Ge RlvOi may notice an old
lady, stopped and leaning with difficulty
upon cane. She Is usually aCcOmpa-
med by another lady older still From
time TO time the FIRST old lady gazts
sadly upon the garden where the Iull-
cries once stood. This feeble old lady
with white hair Is tine eX-Empresa
Eugene, the once "Dewilderins beauty.
Every evening she takes a little walk
aud returns In silence 10 one OF tne
Cosmopolitan hotels looking out upon the
Rue De kivoh. when was the scene OF
so many brilliant spectacles In the day
Of the Second Empire.
What powerful motive induces the
former Empress 10 come 10 the city
where she once knew the joys OF triumph
and where SO many scenes must b:lns
back to her most painful recol.eciion-
The servants who accompany her VIII Tell
YOU that she comes 10 Paris TO te treas
cd for some internal malady, ana that
she seeks the services OF some famous
doctor who will consent 10 cross inc
Strait
But is there not another mOtiNc3 EFi-
IDENTIFY there IS. For long time the exc
Empress has visited Paris every year.,
in spite OF her age and her innrmItcs
The truth is that she comes simply to
SEQ her son of the Prince Imperial, the
young man who, after having been
pupil in one of the lyceums. mas recent
ly passed his examination for Bachelor
Of Arts.
one can easily understand the airs OF
indignation of the persOnages beionslh-
10 the old Bonapartist party when this
grandson Is mentioned. But princes nave
a right TO have sweethedrts just Ike
other mortals. and 10 Is foolish Go affect
establishment at the simple statement
that Young man OF twenty years hdd
a mistress and a child. Al one time IL
was believed that there was a secret mar
rage in the case. and Prince jerome
who remembered the trouble caused 90
the Bonaparte family by the marriage
of a Napoleon to young Baltimore
lady named Patterson. investigated the
affair. and was convinced that II was
simply a liaison.
The Prince Imperial was twenty years
OF age and pupil at Woolricn When ne
first became acquainted with Miss Mary
Watkins. The Empress. who was ale
WAYS stingy, deprived the young man Of
the money which is usually allowed 10
persons of his rank. Consequently. when
he met the young girl he told her that
he belonged 10 a small family In busi-
ness and that his resources were limited
The couple became smitten with each
other. Miss Mary was a good, beautiful
and accomplished girl Her father was
a sort OF chief or head gamekeeper or
the Queens forests. This was the COM
mencement of the romance. The sequel
follows:
one day Miss Mary noticed her lover
speaking pleasantly TO Lord Beaconsheii
al Bromplon. on the occasion OF the mar
riage of the Duke and Duchess OF Nor
folk. Naturally she thought that FOR an
ordinary individual he had very aris-
tocratic acquaintance. Shortly after
ward she saw in the window OF a pie
ture shop photograph Of the Prince.
wearing the cross OF the Legion or
Honor That was how she iirst learned
his identity But the romance continued
all the same Just as she loved the prl-
vate individual. she continued 10 ADORE
the prince. When the child was born
the mother came TO London and lived at
50 Germyn street. 10 which address the
Prince often wrote 10 her. To De pre-
else. he gave her in all ESj. including
800 on his departure for Zuzuiand.
whence he was destined never 10 return.
Al this time the enemies Of the Bona
partists represented the son Of Napoleon
III. as young man OF little intelligence
and with 4 disagrccaoie temper. II was
even added that he failed in his exam
nation at the end OF the year IN the mill
tary college of Woolwich. But an that
vas nonsense AS a matter OF fact IL
was we'll known that the Prince Imperial
was a talented young man. and that
far from having failed in his examina-
tions az Woo!wich he came out among
the FIRST. MS number being six. Docn-
msnts 20 that effect are In existence. He
vas a favorite In London with everybody
ON ACCOUNT OF his cordially. which con-