The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-01-14
a CASE OF
IDENTITY.

ADrlEfNalJ
One day during the reign Of Loul
XIV. king OF France. a young mar
appeared at court and announced him
SELF as Octave. Count de Terrenne, whit
had been missing Tor several years
He had been serving with the army *
foreign parts and when the war wa,
over did not return with the rest. HI
was handsome fellow, very pleasing
IN manners and speech and had nc
difficulty in establishing his Identity
at court. This was sufficient to cause
him 10 be accepted BY every one else
lie explained his absence by saying
that he had been IN the military sery
ice Of the king Of England ineognito.
The count was brave, generous and
excelled in all manly sports. He cared
little for learning, which be had been
partial to before his disappearance,
but accounted for this on the ground
that he had entered the ranks as q
common soldier and had campaigned
and messed with soldiers 50 long that
It was wonder he remembered how
to act like a gentleman.
Among the ladies' OF the court was
Nile. LouLson de Pomperon. but TWEEN.
~ years Of age, who was fond Of lis
tening to the adventures OF the young
count Indeed she was 80 captiyated
with bis personnel, his courage, bis
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 depressing effect on the
count At any rate, from the time Of
bis betrothal be was never seen to
smile. The gallantry he had shown for
other women ceased, and, although
many Of them were so unprincipIed as
TO try to win him away from his
Louison, they made no impression on
him whatever.
One day there was a review OF
troops, at which the king. attended by
bis court, acted as reviewing officer.
Octave and Louison were seated on
balcony at the palace. behind the king.
AS one Of the regiments marched past
q soldier In the ranks looked up at the
count and, grinning. shouted
Hello, Comrada Devereauxs'
The incident might have passed with
out any serious results had not Nine.
dc Voiaien, woman who had re-
ceived a trinket she had sent the count
from Louison, noticed It and saw In It
q means Of revenge Instead Of letting
II pass she talked about II SO incessant.
", intimating that hero was proof that
the count was an impostor, that the
king was finally constrained to order
an investigation.
Louison was thunderstruck when her
lover confessed to her that he was the
son OF country gentleman who had
enlisted In the army and had risen to
commission. He had served Ia the
same army with the real count and had
often been mistaken for him. Then
they had become friends. and he had
once in battle saved the counts life.
They were together when the count was
MORALLY wounded, and the dying man
had suggested to his comrade to go to
France aud claim his estates, furnish
ing him with documentary evidence
that be was what he pretended to be.
"And now" continued Octave, II can
no longer be your lover, and / no
longer care what becomes Of me- /
shall confess and 20 20 the galleys.a
NO said Louison, "you shall do no
such thing. You have accepted what
was offered you, involving a deception
for which / forgive you. You have
been true to me. and this has created I
an enemy but for whom the soldiers
words might have passed without in
quiry. love you too well to give you
up and IL did not / would not permit
you to fall at the hands OF that woman.
| win take the evidence the count gave
you, 80 to the king and convince him
that you are what you represent your
self to be. If succeed, my fortune Is
sufficient for us both. and you shall
resign your title on the ground that / N
would not have you hold it under sus-
picion."
Mile. dc Pomperon took the proofs
Df her lovers identity with the Count
lie st Lueien to the king, who was so
we'll satisfied that he directed that the
matter be dropped. but Nine de voisi-
M persisted and at Inst the count, or.
.ather, Emile Devereaux. called for an
Investigation, The man who had hall
ID him and dozen others testified
hat they had served in the ranks with
Devereaux and under him after his
They knew that the count
lad been killed. and some Of them had
assisted at the burial, but the count
lad given Devereaux enc proof that
.ould not be gainsaid He had showa
levereaux a red spot on bis neck that
lad been with him from youth and
ounseled him to have its duplicate
attooed on his own neck. This, with
he documentary evidence the count
ad given him, proved conclusive.
During all this trouble Louison went
bout apparently with perfect conf
enee that her lover was what be pre-
ended to be and that he would prove
+. He had no sooner been acquitted
han she went to the king and told him
the injury Nine. de Voisien had
ought to accomplish and her reason
Or doing so. The result was that Nine.
e Voissen was banished from the
aurt
AS soon as all this was accomplished
'evereaux and AfIie. de Pomperon
ERE married and Immediately after