The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-10-16

| AL -/C///[To 90
back pull of his sword La Chat
| eigneraie bled to death. To-day a
| coup De Jarnac" means almost a
| foul but the maneuver was perfectly
regular. il new
| Here is another crime of Chenon
ceau. Diane, having finished the
| bridge-wing at cost of 5000 livres
| tslS.0O0 today. built Italian gardens
| in the style of Passelo de Mercogliano
| The archbishop oil Tours lent her q
| remarkable young gardener, Nicquet.
| to train up her fruit walks. Nicquet
was handsome. distinguished. due.
tive, innocent: the court was at Blois;
there was a passing escapade Of
summers afternoon or two. and then
the handsome young gardener died of
alleged cholera.
OF all Diane's crimes, this one stuck
most The victim was servant; and
the vengeful clan whispered the tale
to their masters far and wide Later
when Henri ii. lay dying it became
the pretext on which Tavannes offered
the queen to go and cut on DANES
crime De Medicis offered TO spare the
fallen beauty's mutilation-on condi
ton that Diane should give her Che
nonceau.
Catherine de Medici got DANES
clear title to Chenonceau by the os-
tensible trade OF mortgaged Chau-
mont tAn American woman. Esther
Alexander, legal French wife of Rob.
ert de Broglie. is, with him. coheir-
apparent to the latter historic chateau
at this moment)
Her first great fete at Chenonceau
was a triumphal entry for the new
king. her son. Francis H. and his
young wife. Mary Stuart. Arches.
obel.sks, columns. statues, fountains.
antique altars. fireworks. music and
800 cannons made wondesful effect
These were the happiest days of Mary
Stuart.
They say. indeed that her ghost is
the only one that has been seen inside
the chateau in the time OF the Terrys.
She appears as an elderly woman Gas
OF the time of her DEATH in black
gown and white ruff, an elderly WON.
an who walks through the bridge
wing, melancholy. surprised, content,
as returning late to empty scenes OF
bygone happiness
Chenoncean, in the hands of the
Nendome- VI ercoeur family, went
through long period of abandon,
ment. The court had quit Touraine.
Young Louis XIII. passed the door
without entering. Nendome and
Mazarin We're reconciled at Chenon-
ceau; Louis XIV, IA years old. came
with his mother to the fete: and from
that dates the splendid gilded furni-
ture which the Terrys retain to-day in
the middle salon. 1t was the last
royal visit to Chenonceau.
A dowager duchess of Vendome dy-
ing without children In l7lS-"killed,"
says Sant-Simon. by abuse of strong
liquors abandoned and neglect
ed Chenonceau passed by inheritances
to the Prince de Conde, who sold it to
the plain untitled business man. Du-
pin.
A business man, an untitled middle
class man. at last again owned the
fairy chateau OF the water for which
kings, queens and favorites CON-
mitted crimes.
The ghosts of Chenonceau fled the
interior.
Voltaire. visiting Dupin. saw Diane
de Poitiers kissed by La Chateigneraie
in armor, in a thicket by the river.
Jean-Jaques Rousseau. visiting Du.
pin saw the same love scene, while
nun mourned and jealous woman
smiled.
Georges Sand. descendant of Du-
pin, saw the end OF the wicked festival
where three young noblemen and two
young noble girls were stabbed to
death.
Grevy, president of the republic,
visiting the sister of his sonin-law.
sat in the park at midnight watching
He beheld rabble OF pale shades be-
sieging the chateau. They could not
enter, STERLING .IEII.lO.