The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-08

of the Spanish spy system here.
Interesting as has been some Of the
information published about the Mont
real colony of Spanish officials, the
most sensational story bearing upon
the operations of the staff of the for
nler Spanish minister to Washington
has not hitherto got into print. Family
influence has kept the story secret here.
The truth is, the most valuable spy
of Spain is a beautiful woman, daugh-
ter of one of the best families.
A year before the arrival of the car
avels n of the most notable naval
visitors to the port of Montreal was the
French warship Minerve, flying the flag
of Rear Admiral Vigne, commanding
the French squadron in American wa
tiers. The vessel remained here a LONG
time, and the officers enjoyed them
selves immensely. One good mother
had her hopes realized.
The day the Minerve left port to the
tunes of Vive la Canadienne and the
Marseillaise, La Patrie and La Monde
announced the engagement of the STEP
daughter of a prominent judge of the
Court of Queens Bench to Lieutenant
de Poitras, the Admirals flag officer.
Before Christmas the marriage was
Ole archiepiscopal palace.
The match appeared a splendid n
but the wedding brought bitter sorrow
to one heart, that of Mile. Josephine de
Chapelle, the woman of this story
n the life long friend of the bride.
The orange blossoms and the gaieties
were a mockery to her, for the mar
riage meant separation from the indi-
vidual whom of all others she loved
best. A motherless, sisterless girl her.
self, the bride had been not My her
friend, but her adviser in all things.
The Intimate relationship between
Miss de Chappelle and her friend con-
s~equently kept the former in a very
prominent position in Canadian society,
but after the marriage of her friend
she appeared to lose interest in social
engagements and society saw little of
her.
Separation from her friend appeared
destined to put a stop altogether to her
participation in the doings of the So
ciety in which she had been hitherto
so keenly interested. Her father, at
first not altogether sorry at the change
hat had apparently come over his only
daughter, eventually became concerned.
At his seigneury on the Ottawa river,
living he peaceful, healthy life of the
Canadian seigneur, occupied in his tim
Der limits. his horses and his parish
church, M. Louis de Chappelle had
little time and less inclination for So
cial distractions.
He was devoted to his daughter, and
nothing was denied her. At her moth
er's dying request the bringing up of
the girl was intrusted to the care of
her sister, the accomplished wife of M.
LamoureuX, one of the wealthiest mer-
chants and bankers in Montreal.
M. Lamoureux is the brother of the
mother of Nine. de Poitras. Josephine
had been given a most thorough educa-
ton, first taking a thorough curse at
the Convent of the Sacred Heart, and
following it at Vassar. in the United
States. The latter course was prob
ably a result of the advice of NJ. La
mOureuX.
On her return from the states a visit
to Nine. de POitraS was decided upon,
m the whole of the mex winter Jo-
sephine spent in Paris as her guest.
Here she regained her old-time gaiety
which had characterized her former
career in Canada. The following spring
the young lady returned to Canada, ap-
parently herself again.
A month before the c%aravelS arrived
in Montreal, on June 10, 1898, Joseph
inc received a letter from her friend
in Paris which caused her some sur
prise. Shortly after she had left Paris,
Nine. de Poitras wrote, the latter had
a as a guest in her house an old
friend of her husband, Lieutenant Con-
cas-, of the Spanish royal " The
two officers had been educated together
in a naval college on the Bay of Bis
cay, and after obtaining commissions
in the fleets of their respective coun-
tries had seen more or less Of n an
other as their sea duty happened to
be on the same station. Friendly at
school, their friendship became more
firmly cemented during their service
Then came the part of the communi-
cation which especially interested Jo-
sephine.
Nine. d. Poitras added hat the first
evening Concas stopped at her house
he had his attention attracted to one
met, and at once became very much
interested, insisting upon his hostess
showing him all J~osephine's pictures
in the house.
Nine. de Poitras added hat she
feared her guest, a splendid young fell
low in every way, n a member Of ono
of the most eminent families in Spain.
as could be judged by his diplomatic
appointments, had fallen head over ears
in love with her through her portrait
Other letters passed between the
friends before the caravels arrived in
Montreal, Nine. de Poitras never neg
lecting to mention Josephine's young
'admirer, and Josephine on her part be-
coming gradually interested.
1t was, consequently, with consider
able futtering of her blithesome heart
that she at last received a letter from
Nine. de Poitras conveying the infOr.
nation hat at his own request Concas
had received an appointment to n OF
the c%aravels, then on their way across
the Atlantic.
A fouy dave 1Qtor q rnfhor lotion como
explaining that Concas had made hel
promise that he should see Josephine
in Montreal, and she begged her friend
to do him the courtesy of securing him