The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-03-04
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A SeYm-Fold inheritance
BY MAURICE MONTEGUT


NopJAA6ASs Wy OH
Jean Louis Charles Ernest Robert
Francois Philippe de la Gaulee was a
scion of noble stoc3. The seven
baptismal names which he bore and
signed so proudly were those of his
father, grandfather, great-grandfather
and earlier ascendants for two centu-
r1es. He knew by heart the histories
OF all these ancestors; beyond, there
was fog, break in the genealogical
line. The last Of the la Gaulees was
an orphan, without brother or sister,
and lived with an old aunt in the
crumbllng castle in Poitou where seven
generations of ancestors had lived and
died before him. Being of an inquir-
ing turn of mind, he employed his
leisure In the minute study of the an
nails OF his race and after long re-
search among faded documents and
d1l1gent inquiry of oldest inhabitants
had succeeded in establishing by valid
evidence the precise character of each
OF the seven barons de la Gaulee
whose last incarnation he was and
whose diverse traits he found in some
sort reflected in his own complex
spirit.
The memory of his father, Baron
Jean, was yet green and the old peas
ants, who had known him we'll, said:
"Ah, he was q rare one, the old
baron! he had not windows enough
In his chateau to fling the money out
of. The better for us who picked it
up"
Young Philippe looked into his heart
and decided that he, too, was born
spendthrift, like his father.
Then he passed to his grandfather,
Louis, and found a few very old men
who still remembered him.
LAS good a man as ever lived" they
said, and a mighty hunter, but very
testy and over-ready with his stick
He had some sad affairs!"
So Philippe, having learned that his
grandfather had been great hunter
and choleric, understood his own
fondness for game.
In the case of his great-grandfather,
he had to rely on written evidence.
Baron Charles had been a marshal of
the empire, beau sabreur, brave as
Roland, lover Of battles and, by his
own confessions, a victim of ennui in
times Of peace. On reading this little
Philippe's ears tingled to the sound of
imaginary "boots-and-saddles" and he
had confused vision of mad charges,
waving flags and golden eagles. He
kissed the marshal's portrait and
cried: give rempereur!"
After this the next seemed tame.
Baron ernest, who lived in the reign of
Louis Nv, had loved only the muses.
and gr~:es-and their contemporary
embodim3nts.
Bewiggsd and perfumed, with a fine
leg and talent for pirouettes, he ap-
peared beaeath contempt until Phi
lippe discovered packet Of yellowed
but still scented notes signed Pompa-
dour. Dubaryy, Parabere and other
names of famous beauties of the court
of Louis lie Bien-Aime. And all these
notes began with the words: mon
petit Ernest"
Now as Philippe made this discov-
cry on glorious day in May, which
was also his sixteenth birthday, he
decided that Baron Ernest was not so
far wrong after all and that the claims
of love and beauty are not to be disre-
garded.
When he came to Baron Robert h&
experienced shock The inventory
of his cellars was still extant for the
edification Of posterity So at dinner
that evening, to the unspeakable hor-
ror of his noble aunt, he babe the but
Ter fetch from the cellar three Of the
choicest exemplars of Baron Roberts
fine taste in wines. This exhibit he
discussed so exhaustively that nothing
was left but the empty bottles.
In the morning he granted Baron
Robert plenary dissolution and, fred
with noble enthusiasm, declared
that he likewise would be as brilliant
ly successful as a tippler as in any
other capacity.
Baron Francois had been a royal
COuASAAoA Gnu q SLdCoS-
man, and chance passage Informed
him that Baron Francois, by tissue
of forgeries, falsehoods and unscrupu.
lous Vaccinations, had once succeed
ed in seriously embroiling Spain and
Austria to the great glory and advan-
tage of France.
Hold" cried Philippe. II, too, have
enemies who are leagued against me
the sexton and the gamekeeper. If
the blood of Baron Francois flows in
my veins I should be able to set nv
foes by the ears to my own profit. I
will make the attempt"
During the following week he in
vented more stratagems and told more
falsehoods than had hitherto sullied
the whole course of his innocent life
and on the eighth day his foes fell
foul of one another on the high road
and the beauty of each was ruined for
life
There was some good in old Fran
co.'s. after ALL said Philippe.
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