Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-12-24
MR.. PARKER

baths where the tedium of the cure is
enlivened by the various games of
chance. At the particular time OF
which write Homburg was crowded,
and. although the season could scarce
~ be said fairly to have begun. IL was
rumorcd and believed (even upon the
authority of the newspapers that
Count b, an italian noblcman, had
lost the whole of his inheritance. some
where in the neighborhood of a million
lire. But the count kept his head. and
SO regained the greater part of his for
tune, which had been won from him
by n French actress to whom ne was
devoted. He married the actress. and
thus got his revenge.
Among the visitors to Homburg, a
young married couple. Mr.. and Mrs.
Parker-who. according to the register.
were direct from London - attracted
great attention. Mr.. Parker was man
OF remarkably elegant manners. lie
was tall. well built. blond. in short a
splendid representative OF the English
gentleman. lie had large. dreamy blue
eyes, and q remarkably fine set of teeth.
most of which he displayed when his
lips parted in q smile. From which
IL viii be gathered that his mouth was
not small.
Mrs. Parker, on the occasion of hei
first appearance on the promenade. had
attracted the attention. the surprise,
and, it must be confessed. the envy
OF the rest of the ladies. They main.
tanned, in opposition to the men, that
all the credit for Mrs. ParlSer's appear
ance should be given to the wonder
full skill of English tailors. who could
transform such figure as Mrs. Parker
evidently naturally possessed jnto that
Of Juno. Mr.. Parker, or the other
hand $50, at least, the ladies' main
Sained), was So splendidly developed
shat he did not need 10 depend on the
art and skill Of his tailor. Those ladies
who had seen Mrs. Parker bathing told
wonderful stories os her marvellous red
brown hair, which hung in profusion
below her waist and which, when dry
ing in the sur, shone like FURNISHED
gold. The fact that the lady, had a
small mole on her neck was no longer
secret after the third day of her stay
at UombIrg.
Mr.. Parker had the greatest contempt
for gambling. in which he could not
be tempted TO indulge, and he took no
interest in the gambling table. while
he attracted attention by the regularity
with which he devoted himself to pis-
tol practice in the southern part of the
hotel grounds. BY the second day all
she visitors had heard wonderful stories
of his marvellous skin.
Mr.. Parker confessed to two weak
ala
philanthropy. To the former he was
so devoted that he passed part of
each year in India. His philan thropic
undertakings found employment for
him during the winter. He spoke of
an orphanage which he had foundedand
endowed at Hamarby, county Of York,
England, and made no secret of the fact
that it was his pet life scheme to fur
1her its interests. To that end he de-
voted much time and a considerable
part of his fortune. When speaking of
the matter he as inclined to underrate
the sacrifices he made, and he treated
as trihing the money which he devoted
TO the development of the orphanage.
His daily pistol practice he contin-
ued without interruption It did not
incommode him in the least when the
visitors crowded around to witness his
skill. Of their applause he took no no
tice, nor did he allow himself to be
drawn into anything approaching an
exhibition.
certain trifiing service which a
young baron had the opportunity of
rendering TO Mrs. Parker gave the
youthful nobleman the chance of MAX
ing the acquaintance Of the beautiful
Englishwoman. Three weeks before,
the baron in question has arrived IN
HOmburg. accompanied by his mother.
The object of his visit was to restore
his health. which had. been completely
undermined by his fast life His
mother, prematurely aged woman,
was absolutely devoted 10 her boy. and
showed her devotion most touchingly,
but the son had by no means agree
able time. In the first place the diver
sions in Homburg were not. according
20 his ideas. numerous. and besides,
under the watchful eye of a doting
mother. he found himself considerably
trammeled- He had managed on the
quiet to play little, and that with sue
cess. and in a quarter Of an hour he had
won n sum which to such q young fell
low was a small fortune. Only Mrs
Parker, TO whom at the second meet
ing he had, boylike. opened his heart,
knew how much he had won. The
whole affair was carefully kept secret
from the mother.
The baron was most devoted in his
attention to Mrs. Parker, and showed
quite plainly that he had fallen a vic
Tim to her charms. The lady herself,
who took not the slightest interest in
her husbands pistol shooting, accepted
The advances of the baron very readily.
She was seen with him great deal, and
his elegant Ollendorf English seemed
to afford her much pleasure. AS she
was rarely seen with her husband, the
rest of the ladies became scandalized in
a very short time. The admiration
which Mira Parker had at first excited
gave place to mild contempt, and there