The times., 1899-02-28
THE SPANISH PRETENDER.
How Don Carlos Looks and Acts In
DriNntc Lie.

Correspondence OF the Philadelphia PressD
Don Carlos is familiar figure among tne
campos Gales and canals o. Venice.
Every afternoon about O'Clock. be the
day fair or foul. his commanding form, ac-
companied By his young wife. the Princess
OF Rohan. may be seen crossing the Plaza
or threading the busy Merceria, he walk
ing with great manly strides and she pit
ter-patter with tiny steps, clingiHg to his
arm as il trying TO keep up
The Princess reminds one of our own
Mrs. Cleveland as she was during the frst
days at the White House. She is swees
to look upon. but oftentimes with a shade
OF sadness in her expression. She rarely
raises her eyes from the ground as she
walks. holding confidently and proudly to
her husbands strong arm with an air al
once shy and charmingly feminine.
Don Carlos looks every inch king
handsome. dark. tall, and broad -shOul-
dered. Familiar gossip in Venice whispers
stories gallant of the irresistible Don and
maids OF low degree. but If these tales
have foundation in verify they must surely
antedate the reign OF this lovely second
wife.
At the Fenice, the great Venetian the
atre. opened only upon special occasions,
the night after Christmas the "Boheme ni
| Puccina" was sung for the first time in
Venice and all society was there.
We happened to have box next to that
o. Don Carlos and his wife. Often dur
ing the evening they sat hand in hand in
the most affecuonate manner. evidently
entirely OblivOus to other eyes.
The Pretender has been magnanimous in
sparing poor Spain revolution and civil
strife at this. for him, most opportuns
hour. with America besetting her from
out. the riots within. II is confidently
stated by C1-lists that their leader is both
prepared and able at any moment TO p ace
himself upon the throne OF his fathers.
In private life Don Carlos has not been
without sorrows. Only last winter his
youngest daughter. the Donna Elvira. mt
at Rome and fell in love WITH an Italian
painter Folchi by name, a married man
with children. At his instance she Joined
him at Milan, and together they fed 10
Rome where. after possessing himself OF
her fortune the rascal abandoned the uiI-
happy Princess
Now according to report. in order not
to die of want. she is obliged to work IN
an obscure Roman shop.
With the same stOicism of spirit which
actuated the old Roman Consul who coE-
demned his own son TO death. Dol Carlos
in an open letter to the Carlists printed
in the Italian press, referring TO the di1-
grace and sorrow fallen upon his house.
declared the erring daughter as one dead
bulldog accompanies the Don in his
/ daily walks. The beast usually contrives
! to stray into the shops or lose himself
\ among the crowds in the Merceria, and
| then his royal master and mistress must
wait or search until he is found. the Don
whistling fiercely, Just as you or | might
1t is the custom for a gondola to meet
! them at the PiazzeIta or at the Giardenetto
! Reale after the promenade. Tnen, with
| the bulldog mounted on the prova. our in
I teresting friends are rowed swiftly away
/ by two gondolers in blue and yellow.
Don Carlos lives in fine old palace on
I the Grand Canal, between the voti7e
1 Church of Santa Maria della Salute and
| academia. with great pali for the gon-
dolas bearing the fleur-de-lis of the Bour-
/ bons.
The coat of arms of the family graces
the entrance hall, where one may now and
then see fitting by the blue and yellow
livery of the servants of the house.
4 certain state is kept. and the royal
adherents address their master as Your
Majesty with as much fervor as II IN
reality he were their reigning sovereign