The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-08-19

this event reached the Count there
came with IL suggestion OF the pos
sibility of an heir to inherit the great
fortune of De Saintaine. The Counts
rage exceeded all bounds, and because
of his threats and prosecutions De
Saintaine died shortly after the birth
of a son. leaving the widow and boy
in possession of all of his property.
Three years had passed. The young
Louis brought up by his mother as be-
fitted the inheritor of such great
wealth was living with her in house
near one of the gates Of the city OK
Rourges when a band of Gypsies who
lad been encamped between st. Ger
main and Versailles established them
selves in the immediate neighborhood.
The nine men and women who made
ND this band one day engaged III what
aDpeared to be a violent quarrel in
the presence of a considerable group
of spectators, and man and woman
Of the tribe, active participants IN the
dispute. after the ceremonies custom
airy with these people under similar
circumstances. were driven out of the
camp. together with their little daugh-
ter.
The same evening young Louis d"
Saintaine disappeared from his home
and all trace of him was lost. His in
consolable mother expended great sums
of money and employed an army of
agents in search of him, but with no
success, though it was the general OPP
inion that the Gypsies were concerned
in the kidnapping. Those of the band
remaining in the neighborhood OF
Bourges denied participation in the
crime. and asserted that the man and
woman whom they had expelled were
the culprits. After a month the re-
mander left the neighborhood.
Four years later a priest of BCurges
returning from Rome, reported that he
had met with this same community of
/ Gypsies encamped in the ne1ghborhood
of Sienne, that he had learned that
| the couple driven from the tribe when
/ at Bourges were in reality what were
| called the king and queen, that their
| apparent expulsion was ruse to dl-
vert suspicion from the other members
of the band, and that the couple ex-
| PEELED were, in reality, the abductorS
/ of young De Saintaine.
At this juncture Nine. de Saintainc
| died. Ten days later the Count dc
B demanded letters Of administra-
ton upon the estate of the husband
and wife, the Count agreeing TO care
for the property, while enjoying the
income, until the fate OF young Dc
Saintaine should be definitely estab'
lished. Other relatives opposed this
application, but the influence of the
Count de B at court was so for
| midable that he was placed in posses
sion of the great wealth.
The affair slumbered for several
years, when one day in 1851 Nine. de
Maintenon, who was caring in secret
for the children of Nine. de Monies
pom, was surprised to see the Duke du
Maine. the latter's eldest son, enter
her room leading by the hand hand
some lad of about his own age, clothed
in rags. Following them was young
GYPSY woman IS or 90 years old, who
| explained that the Count de B had
bribed her father and mother to kidnap
the lad. Both of her parents had died
at Venice, but before dying they had
made deposition before the Venetian
authorities to that effect. Moreover,
she had with her two letters written
by the Count de B. to her father,
arranging with him that their tribe
should make way with young De Sain-
tame.
Nothing could give Nine de Main
tenon more pleasure than these reve-
lations. 1t enabled her to annoy the
Duchess of Orleans. bitter enemy,
and the special prOtectress OF the
Count de B. She made this affair
her own she spoke to the king in re-
lation to it and inquiries were imme-
diately instituted to disentangle the
plot The identity of young De Sain-
tame was established without trouble
and the Count de B was forced to
relinouish the riches he had come ia
regard as his beyond possibility OF
alienation All that saved him from
the gallows was the powerful protec-
ton of the Duke of Orleans
On account of the part this band OF
Gypsies had taken in the abduction OF
young De Saintaine, in July, 1852
Louis XIV. issued the severe edict
which he made applicable to every one
of the race as if all were concerned
in the particular crime.-New York