The Bourbon news., 1904-11-18
1901, By D. Appleton a Co. Nsv York.
CHAPTER Iv.-CoNr1NUED.

His only son, the young Comte de
Rohan-and save de Kersaint almost
his only relative-had married Mis-
tress Anne Page, of Virginia. The
young man had been a naval officer
whose ship had been stationed upon
the coast of North America, where he
had greatly enjoyed the spontaneous
and warm-hearted hospitality of the
colonists of the famous old dominion.
Carried away by her charms of mind
and person, and without waiting for
the consent of his father, he straight
way married this young woman from
the new world whose beauty and char
acter had made so deep an impression
upon him, and he had brought her to
France in his own frigate.
His father, at first highly incensed
at what he deemed mesalliance, had
sternly refused to receive him; but
the tales of the beauty of his unwel
come daughter-in-law, which were
poured in his ear by those who fell un-
der the sway of her loveliness, and
certain substantial evidences of the
great estates in the new world be-
longing to the honorable family from
which she sprang, and to which she
was sole heiress, which his son had
found means to bring to his attention,
had first awakened his curiosity and
finally Modified his wrath. He had at
last consented to an interview, and
thereafter had promptly succumbed to
the charms of the winsome and beauti-
full American as completely as had his
son. Resigning his commission in the
French navy the young count and his
wife, overjoyed at the reconciliation,
had returned>to his fathers house and,
as he fondly hoped, settled down to
years of domestic bliss and tranquil
Iity.
There a daughter, the first and only
child of this strange union, was born;
but the life that came was paid for by
the life that went, for when the child
was but a few days old, the young
mother died The inconsolable young
count did not long survive the loss of
his adored wife. To distract his grief
he resumed his service in the French
navy, receiving his old rank through
his fathers influence, and was shortly
after wrecked and lost with his ship
on voyage to the French East In
dies, while his daughter was still an
infant
1t was crushing blow to the old
man, but with Spartan resolution he
bore up under it and turned to his lit
tie granddaughter for comfort and
consolation. AS the days sped away
the child intrenched herself more and
more in the old mans heart. He with
drew himself from the world in which
he had been so great and gay figure
and devoted himself assiduously to her
welfare.
Little Anne, Countess de Rohan in
her own right, lived alone with her
grandfather in the old Chateau de
Josselin. Save WREN unavoidably
called away on business connected with
the management of his estates he rare
ly left her. He watched over her with
the solicitude of mother and the de-
votion of lover. The withered old
man grew to love her as few children
were then loved-certainly with such
a feeling as few Frenchmen of rank at
that day ever exhibited toward child
She was the sole heiress to all his pos
sessions, the last of that branch of her
ancient house, and he lavished upon
her depth of tenderness and wealth
Of affection which surrounded her with
an atmosphere of alteration.
Loath to part with her, instead OF
committing her education to one of the
great conventual schools, as was the
custom among the noblesse of the
country. he supervised it himself