The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-12-15
Observation-Disclosures.
A CASE OF
IDENTITY.

| self as Octave Count de Terrence. ~
| had been missing for several yeas
| lie had been serving with the army ''
| foreign parts and when the WAY wa
over did not return with the rest T.
was Il handsome fellow, very ri"A>'n.
! in manners and speech and had Il
difficulty in establishing his iI"n'.;.
at court. This was sufficient t" c;iuE-
him TO be accepted iy every oAc Gle
He explained his absence by S@y.",.
that he had been III the military serv
ice of the kin Of England inc"-nito
The count vas brave, generous and
| cxcellcd in al manly sports. He caE"f
little for learning, which he had brrH
partial TO lcrore his disappearance.
but accounted for this on the ground
that he had entered The ranks as Il
common soldier and had campaiS nc !
and messed V ith soldiers so long that
1t was 4 W0n 'cr he remembered how
to act like a gentleman.
Among the ladies' of the court WAS
Mile. LOuisOn de Pomperon, but TWEEN
ty years of age. who was fond Of lis
tening to the adventures of the yo'ln::
count Indeed. she was so captivateI
with his personnel, his courage. his
audacity, that she fell desperately in
love with him. Her affection was re
turned, and by permission of the king
they were betrothed.
The affection of this young girl seem
ed to have y ,!rHrcssing effect on the
count. At an rte, from the time Of
his betroth' vas never seen to
smile. Th+ .'2la'A'ry he had shown for
other wo.ncA coed, and, although
many OF them were so unprincipIed -
to try to win him away from his
Louison, they made no impression on
him whatever.
One day there was q review OF
troops, Mt which the king, attended by
his court, acted as reviewing Office
Octave and Louison were seated on i
balcony at the palace behind the king
AS one Of the regiments marched past
soldier in the ranks looked up at Tho
count and, grinning. shouted:
Hello. Comrade Devcreaux!'
The incident might have passed with
ont any serious results had not Mime
de Foisien, 4 woman who had rc
ceived n trinket she had sent the count
from l.ouiSon, noticed it and saw in i,
means of revenge. Instead. OF le:tin.
1t pass she talked about il so inrrs%aut
ly, intimating that here was proof iha;
the count was an impostOr, that The
king was finally constrained to ORDER
an investigation.
Louison was thunderstruck when hci
lover confessed to her that he was the
son Of country gentleman who had
enlisted in the army and had risen t.
commission. He had served in til.
same army with the real count and had
often been mistaken for him. Thcn
they had become friends. and he ha1
once in battle saved the counts lie
They were together when the count =:
mortaliv wounded. and the dying ma,
had suggested to his comradc TO 20 +,
France and claim his estates. furnish
ing him with documentary evidrin.
that he was what he pretended to lie
"And now" continued Octave, Il cH1
no longer J" your lover, and ! ~
longer care what becomes Of me
shall confe" md go to the sallcys"
mo. got I.ouison. 'yOu shall do u
such t.. Hou have accepted wlla
was o" III, involving a deception
for viii forgive you You have
been tt - ne. and this has create
an enemy but for whom the soldier,
words might have passed without in
quiry. ! love you too well to give YOU
up, and if l did not l would not pcrlni.
you to fall at the hands of that wulnaa
will take the evidence the count gav.
you. go to the king and convince hin,
that you are what you represent your
self to be. II I succeed. my fortune
sufficient for us both and you Shall
resign your title on the ground that
would not have you hold it under sns
picion."
Mile. de Pomperon took the proof,
Of her lovers identity with the Coun.
de st. Lucien to the king who was $,
well satisfied that he directed that the
matter be dropped. but Nine de Vosi
on persisted, and at last the count. or,
rather, fLIulle l'cEeFcauX, called Tor an
Investigation. The man who had hail
ed him and Il dozen others testified
that they had served in the ranks witt.
DevereauX and under him after hi~
promotion. They knew that the count
had been killed. and some Of them hoG
assisted at the burial but the count
had given Devereaux one proof that
could not be gainsaid He had shown
Devereaux red spot on his neck that
had been with him from youth ana
cOunScled him to have its duplicate
tattooed on his own neck This, with
the documentary evidence the count
had given him. proved conclusive
During oil this trouble Louison went
about apparently with perfect conf
dence thai hrr lover was what he pre-
tended II ~ ana that he would prov.
it. He had no sooner been acGuitt,'
than she went to the king and told hin,
of the injury Nine. de Voisien had
sought TO accomplish ana her reason
for doing so. The result was that Nine
de N0i&ipn WAS luniShcJ from III.