The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-22
A PASSIONATE LOVE STORY
SPANISH ADMIRAL CERVERA
AND A BEAU rIFUL WOMAN.
With Fiery Devotion he Wooed land
Lost a Kentucky Congressman's
Daughter when he was a DashinR
Young Washington Diplomat.

now enjoys the distinction of being bot
tied up by our fleet in Santiago harbor,
appeared once before in American af-
fairs.
That time he was the picturesque fig
ure in an international romance. Four
teen years ago he left the United States
as the rejected lover Of an American
beauty. He has returned at the head
of a hostile fleet. Is there any con-
nection between these two events?
1t was in the brilliant circle of Wash
ington diplomatic society that this chiv-
alric Spanish officer first appeared in
America.
AS the Marquis de Cervera, military
attache to the Spanish legation, and
among the richest Of the foreign diplo-
mats, he was a lion in the society Of
the capital.
Many an American girl had her head
turned by the courtly grace Of this
young Castilian, but the one he sought
most, a Kentucky belle, daughter of q
congressman. proudly declined his suit,
In this fact lies one of the most dra-
matte romance of Washington society.
The Marquis de Cervera was not then
the wicked looking Spaniard that he
has since developed into, or at least that
his pictures nov represent him. But
who knows but what love repulsed has
drawn the hard ines in his face and
made Vindictiveness the rulingpassion?
Instead of the squat n swarthy as
pect of most men of his race, young
Cervera was, in the days of his court
ship, a tall and slender man, with a
face as fair and eyes as blue as one
Of Saxon blood. He had all the grace
Of a son of the Latin race whose family
had moved in the court of royalty for
generations.
1t was little wonder hat this proud
young nObleman soon became the pet
of the diplomatic set. In addition to his
title of marquis, he had all the per-
sonal accomplishments Of the tradi-
tional courtier.
WON BY ART AND CRAFT.
He was a mode of courtesy. He was
quick and witty in conversation, grac-
ing his speech with the soft accent Of
his southern tongue. The apt and
studied compliments with which this
trained and artful young diplomat won
his way to distinction at official func-
lions were the despair of his political
rivals and enemies. Moreover, he had
a fine tenor voice, which, attuned to
the guitar, made him every whit the
ideal embodiment of a Romeo.
The marquis knew his personal pow
ers, and directed them fully as much
toward winning the hearts of women as
aoWaIu CONCENTRATING tHe HatlOn OHl-
Gals.
1t was early in 1884 hat his real
American began. Hon. Oscar
T. Turner was then congressman from
Kentucky. In the great Hamilton Fish
mansion his charming wife and beau
tifnl daughter, Lily, dispensed lavish
hospitality.
Lily Turner, just on the verge Of
womanhood, was of hat rare type of
southern beauty which seemed to steal
all the charms of girls of northern birth
and add to them the subtle languor,
grace and 2irit Of a more romantic
climate. She was tall and stately, a
very Parthenia in her Grecian outlines.
Even after fourteen years, Lily Turner,
now Mrs. Abram, wife Of a Kentucky
merchant, is one of the %reigning bellies
Of Louisville.
A ball was given to the diplomatic
corps by the Turner's in the month of
May. 1884. 1t was then that a friend
of the congressman's family, Mr.. Gal
van, who held a high position in the
government service, introduced the
Marquis de Cervera to Lily Turner.
Mr.. Galvan was a warm friend of the
polished S%paniard, having met and
Travelled with him in foreign lands.
In the glamour of that brilliant social
affair it is not strange that the meeting
of the queenly American girl made q
deep impression on his romantic ma
ture.
But impression is a cold word to
apply to a Spaniard's feelings. 1t was
infatuation, madness, absolute devotion
that outdid even the ardent WoOing Of
the fiery heroes Of our own romantic
southland.
Lily Turner was f1attered by the no.
bleman's devotion n charmed by arts
of gallantry n lavish gifts. What
wonder! He told her Of the grandeur Of
his family, Of estates as fair and vast
as Roman emperors', and of the favor
in which his queen held the Cerveras.
Indeed it was by her majesty's grace
that he had been appointed to the
American embassy, so fond was he Of
America and our noble people. Oh,
Spanish art and witchery of tongue!
Pleased and happy at such atten-
tons as Lily Turner was, yet she re-
tanned her maidenly poise. She did not
yield herself to his entertainments.
She felt a strange shrinking at times
from this courtly lover, though 1t must
be said that he ever observed the strict
est propriety. Lily Turner we'll knew
the contempt in which her father held
the marquis. He never disguised his
opinion Of the S%paniard.
Partly through loyalty to her father
and partly through her delicate wo-
mans intuition, she became more re-
served toward her sutton.
To veil her feelings of mingled love
and fear of the marquis she bestowed
greater attentions upon her other ad-
mirers. She tool part in every kind of
social diversion to distract her thought
from her perplexing romance.
MADDENED BY JEALOUSY.
The marquis followed her everywhere
and presented his favors and atten-
tions ever more persistently. He sere-
naded her like the true Spanish lover.
AT length hY jealousy and