The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1907-12-26
CHAPTER x

There are all kinds of men In Paris,
all kinds Of failures in life and all kinds
of successes-the poor genius who dis
patches himself In an attic, and the
financial magnate. The Vicomte de Va
lair was one of those gentlemen who
might be placed In the latter category.
At bound he had risen from compara-
tive obscurity to sudden wealth and such
social position as his title, having Its
source In the king OF the Belgians, could
Insure him In a society which cared rath-
or more for good dinners than old blood.
The Vicomte de Valiars great hit had
been the successful floating of the City
and Suburban Messenger Company. Lon
don had refused to accept this scheme,
preferring TO send its servants out into
the rain and ruin It's liveries, to having
a little instrument In the house by which
to summon at trining charge messen-
ger, doctor or a cab. De Valiar, with
an eye keen as a hawk, had watched the
career OF the enterprise In the English
metropolis. He saw that 1t was insult
ed to the phlegmatic and exclusive tenn
permanent of the Briton. In the Amerl-
can colony at Paris alone was to be
found successful field for its opera
tions.
The projectors Of the London COM
pany, Americans, were glad enough to
sell the French patents They even
laughed IN their sleeves at the vlcomte,
as they pocketed his cash. regarding him
already as a ruined man. At the same
time they could not help admiring his
audacity. The Vicomte de Valiar was
audaclous, and he displayed consummate
tact In putting his scheme before the
public. He opened large and showy
Office. He subsidized the most venal OF
the Paris newspapers; he pulled thou
sand strings Then, when all was ready,
he opened his subscription books. Hun
dreds came to his office, rang up mes.
senger, and having subscribed, called up
n cab on the queer little buzzing instru.
ment, and departed rejoicing in their
hearts that there were such enterprisinC
men in existence as the vicomte de Va.
liar.
All that was Ave years ago. Once
hoated, the vicomte had promptly with
drawn himself from the messenger enter
prise, and invested the increased capita
which that speculation had brought him
In the Mutual Credit and Trust Com
pany. very limited number of shares
of this concern had been offered to tn,
public. Such was the prestige of thu
vicomtes name that they had been sub
scribed for over and over again in yer,
few hours.
But Ii was not alone In the field O
business that de valar had achieves
such a remarkable success The vicom
tesse was brilliant, dark-eyed, handsom
woman, whom de valiar claimed to hav
met abroad during his travels In the Yves
Martinique, rumor had It. lie
entertainments were much sought aftel
and who shall say that she was not
useful and excellent helpmeet? IL
wealthy subscriber wavered, an invits
tion to the house where they could tai
the matter over almost invariably resul
ed ia the closing of the transaction.
was not possible that man with sue
an establishment--above all such vii
could 20 wrong. II the vicomte's idC
Of an office was rather loud one. Il
undoubted good taste of his wife CO
rectcd these things at home.
Those deep blue eyes of the vicomtes
were not the only attraction at the
valiar mansion. There was always his
play for those who relished that kind
ching, and sprinkllng Of those ladi
whom such a woman as the de Valia
as she was Familiarity called at the clut
would be sure to gather around her. Tn
were women Of great personal attraction
some OF them diyorcees, others on I
hlgh road to that enviable state. q