The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-02-06
General Jackson looked at her,

lraOle reserve. ne kue" luaG IlV
ingston himself had been accused OF
standing close in with the Lafttes
and other noted law-breakers, and
doubtless he feared that the wife Of
his friend might go too far with her
disclosures. Long afterward, in his
OLD age, he remarked to a friend in
| Nashville that, at the time he was
commanding at New Orleans, society
there knew no line of division be-
tween gentlemen and robbers. 'But," "
he added, "the gentlemen we're gem
slemen; the robbers, patriots; and
the women were charming; they were
angels, sir-angels!"
The people thronging the de Sc
zannes mansion were, indeed, drawn
together without regard for fitness as
we now view it, and little did certain
of them dream that the great battle
over which they were rejoicing had
rung the note of change and reform ;
that the flash of those guns had
kindled the fire Of destruction under
the very foundations of out!awry.
1t is true that Mulrell organized
his band of robbers end thieves in
Mississippi and held them together
for some years; but in New Orleans,
as if by O wave of hand, when Mr..
Vernon withdrew his influence, the
Chats -Huants disappeared, and the
power of the Lafttes was broken for
ever.
The lie Sezannes reception was the
last notable social event under the old
regime. After that, there followed
disclosures which led to Govern
mental investigation and legal pro-
cedure. Steps we're taken to admin
lister the criminal laws with great
vigor in the State, and the United
States Government enforced its au-
thority along the coast. These
changes speedily brought about a new
social order, especially in New Or
leans, and the city at once took high
place as center of refinement, luz
ury and culture, in which the lines of
division between the fit and the unfit
were drawn with extreme exclusive
ness.
Wilfred Parker. made his last ap.
pearance in New Orleans society on
the occasion OF Mademoiselle de Sc.
zannes's marriage. NJ. de Sc.
zannes had insisted on inviting
him, although Marie offered as an
objection that she had never been
able to rid herself of the belief that
Parker had stolen her ruby on the
evening of the party at Chateau dor.
Lieutenant Ballanche heartily dis
liked the suave little adventurer,
without knowing just why; but he
pooh.poohed Marie's suspicion OF
felonious behavior.
The very next day Parker was iden.
titled as John A. Murrell, and with
great difficulty made his escape into
Mississippi. The crime of which he
was accused was horse-stealing, and
when he left New Orleans, it was
astride of Ballanche's favorite mare
that he rode into the swampy woods
and evaded the officers.
When Pauline and Fairfax were
married, the guests at their wedding
were chosen with o care that SUI
prised not few who had expected to
be invited. It was Mr.. Vernon him
self who had most insisted on this ex
clusiveness.
Fairfax had his drop OF bitter tc
swallow with all his nuptial sweets,
On the day of his marriage, he learned
that Madame Souvestre had made
over her fortune to the church and
had retired to convent. He could
il no wise blame himself for this,
and yet he knew that into that sweet
young woman's life his house had cast
ineradicable sorrow.
Mr.. Vernon insisted upon having
his children, as he now called Paul
inc and Fairfax, live at Chateau dor,
where they watched him go gently
down the decline of life. He out
lived Mrs. Vernon many years, and
died at the age of ninety-one. For
years before his death, he spent much
time at the old mahogany desk, writing
what afterward was found to be both
will and history. In the testament
sry part 'of the huge document he left
all his property to his daughter, and
she was surprised to find that large
part of the bequest consisted of land
ed estates in Scotland. The will was
signed "Thomas MacCollough," and
among the annexed papers were all
the directions, facts and documentary
proofs necessary to establish the truth
of strange and startling autobiog-
raphy.
One thing was left without an word
of explanation: In the package OF
papers was inclosed the amethyst
cross, still shut in the old, worn
leather case.
Pauline refused to make publt;
claim to the estates in Scotland; but
after her death, which was in 1849,
her children offered the proofs and
possessed the property, which was
valued at nearly a million dollars.
I Fairfax never reached eminence as
an artist. Indeed, after his marriage,
he made no more than occasional
efforts with his brush. One of his
pictures, however, has been recently
attracting much attention, By some
means, it passed from the hands OF a
friend in New Orleans to whom Fair.
fax gave it, and is now in the collec-
ton of Masterpieces of Obscure Ar
lists" made by the late Marquis de
MontluZin.
The picture is scarcely moro than
O study of the face of Kirk MacCol.
Tough, sketched by Fairfax long be.