Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-01-20

At last the secret of the disappearance
of the beautiful Jacqueline de Raveneau
and her husband the count, of ancient
family. is eXplainod-that is explained as
fas as circumstances permit. The cir
cumstances are such as one would expect
TO find related between the covers OF ro-
mances of past centuries. For a year, up
to last September Count ana Countess
Raveueau formed part oil the gayest set;
they were seen everywhere, at the races.
at the opera, the Bots and in the salons
Raveneau himself had been a fashionable
rounder for nearly half century. lie
was seventy In the fall OF 1887 when he
married Jacquelne. When the announce
ment appeared in the Figaro folk smiled,
says Paris letter TO the New York Press.
Raveneau was old, and his wife was
young and beautiful. They called her the
June of the Faubourg st. German.
Jacqueline herself came from noble
family; but her people, the Barons DE
st. Clair are better known among his
torans than among millionaires. She
seemed to enjoy the new life she had ana
gave herself up to it with all the gayety
of q schoolgirl escaped from her govern
ess. Raveneau was known as a monster
of jealousy, but, though Jacqueline rad
hosts of admirers, she gave him no cause
for uneasiness. On the contrary, in the
first eight or nine months after the ap-
pearance Of the couple in Partisan high
life her ladyship astonshed the goss'ps
by the apparent GOODNESS and hauteur she
displayed toward the men. All went well
UP to the time of the summer races. Then
a young lieutenant Of hussars, NJ. DE
Courtballes, fell desperately in love with
the countess, and. though she refused %
notice his suit. he became so demon
strative that Count Raveneau challenged
him.
1t was the usual French duel The lieu
tenant allowed his enemy's rapier to make
a flesh wound in his arm and the thing
was over. Two or three days later Count
and Countess Raveneau took leave of
their friends by card. 1t was reported
that the couple meant to spend the winter
on their estates in Britanny. "He is going
to bury his WIFE said the young bloods
with a sneer. The old men sympathized
with Raveneau and all the women pitied
Jacqueline.
However when, with the departure Of
the couple all news concerning them
ceased; when friends of neither received
an invitation to join them in the country;
when even the notary and business man
aver of Count Raveneau was kept in ig-
norance Of his and Madame Jacqueline's
whereabouts when. finally. the public
administrator. in the official Gazette. adj
vertised for their address, alarm spread
among the friends. Letters sent to the
various town and country houses owned
by Raveneau came back unopened: JAG
Qre1ine's parents and relatives begged in
the public prints for news of their child
g., .~f low, NIL lie,
1oired in the general search, but no trace
could be found, either at home or abroad.
For a month or so Paris talked of no.
body or Of nothing else but the Rave
neaus; then, as the authorities had taken
hold of the matter, other mysteries be-
gan to occupy peoples minds, and the
count and his beautiful wife were grad
ually forgotten. Only Lieut.. NJ. de Court
bales never relaxed the energy of his
search. At the beginning of November
he thought he was on the track of the
runaways and begged his colonel for an
extended leave of absence. AS matter
of fact the discovery which he had made
was negative. He had searched. by trust
worthy agents, all the long lists OF landed
properties belonging to the Raveneau es-
tates The couple had not visited at either
of the numerous places after leaving
Paris: neither had the count drawn any
of the revenues at his disposal. or the
lot only one piece of property mad beHn
neglected and for good reasons, too-Cas-
tie Ker-Guvarch.
Ker-Giuvarch is a small fishermen VII
1age on the northwestern coast OIL France,
1t lies isolated along the rocky coast ana
as neither railway nor steamers touch
there the ancient settlement up to now
has escaped the fate of becoming sum
mer resort for weary townspeople. Ihere
the old feldal lords of RaVeneau pulil
a stronghold way back in the thirteenth
century. It's ruins tell of many sieses
that made the old towers tumble dowf
and swept away the original approaches
Castle Ker Guivarch, or what is left oil
It. stands on a rock about 100 yards from
the shore and can be reached at low tde
by a narrow tongue of land. 1t mas sun
a few inhabitble rooms, where, 1t Is saiu
members Of the Raveneau family sought
refuge in the days of the revolution:
NJ. De Courtballes had suspected IRON
the beginning that the CouH, hhu t''' s ieS
off his bride to some lonely spot. and
when he learned of Castle Ker-Guivarcr
he made up his mind to follow up me
possible clue But his letters to the vii
iage mayor did not elicit any response
the mayor can neither read nor wrlte'
and was probably too lazy to ask tne par
son to do it for him. SO nothing was
left btit to go to ker-dulVarch Ill pelsoli
W3After a protracted carriage journey OF
y,