The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-27
DENEYS LOVE- STORY
How a Puny Little Spaniard
Scored on the Admiral
BEING AIDED AND ABETTED
By a Due Amount of Fierce
Parental 0ppO sition.
BEING AIDED AND ABETTED

New York, April 26-The Journal says:
Just when it seems that the tragedies and
ronances of the war with Spain are over
arises one of the strangest and most dra-
matte situations Of the whole affair.
Spain, in the guise of renewing friendly
relations with the United States, is about
to send to Washington as a Minister the
Duke de ARGOS. The fact that he has an
| American wife, a former Washington
! belle, has been looked as a diplomatic
compliment to this nation.
/ But another motive now appears which
/ may show as subtle stroke of revenge as
| a defeated nation ever hurled at her con-
| querer. For the Duke de ARGOS is the vic
| torlous rival in love of the man who delt
the most deadly blow to Spain in the
whole war-Admiral Dewey.
The Duke de ARGOS won the girl whom
Dewey lost.
The fine hand of Spain's diplomacy is
shown in the way it is evidently intended
to bring about the meeting of these two
men-one victor IN battle and the other
a carpet hero.
When it became known that the govern
ment was about to bring back Admiral
Dewey from the Philippines to do him
honor Spain appointed as minister to the
United States the only man who ever met
and overcame our naval hero.
It is now known that Admiral Dewey
cannot possibly return for several weeks.
That the actual date Of the arrival of the
Duke de ARGOS is being timed to be the
same as the return Of Admiral Dewey APP
pears from a cable dispatch from Madrid
last week which stated that Minister de
ARGOS would delay his sailing by visits to
both Paris and London.
Who can say what must be the feelings
of this American woman, the Duchess de
ARGOS at thus being the tool of a diplo-
matte plot?
The real story behind this apparent in
trigue extends back a quarter of a CEN
fury At that time the present Duchess
de ARGOS was pretty Virginia Woodbury.
Lowery, a social favorite in Washington
society. George Dewey, who had just
reached captaincy in the navy, was her
suffer.
The Duke de ARGOS was then titleess
Juan Brunetti, whose first name his Amer
lean friends called Jack" Jack Brunetti
was an attache to the Spanish Legation
He, too, was paying court to the capti-
waiting Virginia Lowery He won and
Dewey lost in that game of hearts.
How will Admiral Dewey, back from the
war, greet his old rival?
That is the question that is being asked
in every coy corner in Washington TO-
day.
In the natural order Of things the Duke
and Duchess win meet the Admiral at a
diplomatic reception.
II Will be interesting to knowwhat these
two men will think beneath their trained
formality of manner. It viii be even more
interesting to read the heart Of the Ouch |
ess de ARGOS when her old lover, the great |
est hero Of the war, holds out his hand |
and politely declares himself ''happy to |
meet her again"
So strange an affair as this has caused |
the social prophets TO forecast just how |
this meeting will take place. 1t will occur
it is said, in the Lowery mansion, where |
the two former suitors did their wooing |
So sure of this are those who are sup
posed to know that now the stately Lowery
house on Vermont avenue and X street is
being pointed out by those who pass. and
the story of this romance of love and war
is told in detail.
All other memories OF this mansion,
as the home a year ago of Mr.. and Mrs
Cornelius Vanderbilt and the place where
Hon. Wayne MacVeag.h this past season
held his social functions, these and other
things are scarcely mentioned.
Virginia Lowery and George Dewey, or
the Admiral and the Duchess, are now the
names that make it famous.
But all this is telling the end of the
story first. Il began twenty years ago,
when Mss Virginia Woodbury. Lowery
was living there with her parents, who are
one Of the First Families of Virginia,
or the 100" of the South.
Judge Woodbury. Lowery was reckoned
one of the wealthiest men in Washington
and his position one Of The proudest. IS
was wei known that he was remarkably
ambitious for his only daughter. who upon
MS death would share his fortune with his
only other child, his son and namesake.
Miss Lowery was a beauty with soft
dark eyes and a peach bloom complexion.
She had profusion of soft brown hair
that waved and curled about her face in
mannr that was perfectly distracting TO
the men of Washington society. who
swarmed about her as suitors. But for all
that soft look Of her brown eyes she had
in her the iron of hey father. the old nudge
and when once she had determined that
the penniless. almost obscure Juan Bril-
neJu. ~ that time at,ache of the Spanish
Legation IN Washington, was the man If
her choice no amount Of parental com
! y