The Detroit times., 1911-05-24
FALSE NOBLEMAN
IS CLEVER ROGUE
Fools Three viennese Men Abou'
Town Who Think Themselves
Sophisticated.

VIENNA, May 23.-The viennese
man-bout-town considers himself the
most sophisticated creature on the
face Of the globe. He mistrusts every.
thing; nobody can deceive him.
So all the clerks. the dissipated ones
who, once month perhaps, spend SIS
on a spree. are laughing at a story
that has leaked out after many weeks.
They are crying exultantly, soothing
themselves tor the many times they
have been fooled at the cost OF their
purse.
These swells think they know 1t
ALL II takes foreigner to take them
In"
As has Just been said, the story
has been guarded carefully, but II is
too good TO be kept always.
On the last night OF the carnival the
great masked ball arranged by women
Of the aristocracy had TO close at mid
night. The earliest dawn OF Ash We'd
uesdHy approached. Ali the men at
the ball who were not penitents i'm.
mediately plunged into the safes
chantants and music halls.
Three young men OF noble Austrian
blood were entertaining some ladies OF
the ballet In music hall, when its
proprietor, woman, entered the pri-
vate box. Plainly she was In much
distress. She said. almost tearfully,
she had been ordered by telephone to
reserve a box for the Duke OF Leuch-
tenberg. who had arrived from st.
Petersburg that night and was already
on his way In motor car to the hall.
No. she would not ask her patrons
to yaeate the box, but every seat IN
the house was taken Would they
admit the duke to this box?
Women Were Joyous.
"The Duke of Leuchtenberg! cried
one OF the woman, joyously.
The heaviest swell In Europe, a rel
alive OF the czar. captain In the
Preobrajensky regiment Of the Impe-
rial Guards" exclaimed one OF the
Founders, whose father Is president
OF q bank.
In the prime of life, with an unIim-
tied bank account" murmured q pre-.
miere danseuse. Admit him, OF
course"
Very soon entered q distinguished
Looking man whose attendant, remov-
ing magnificent fur coat, revealed
him in evening clothes, with one or
two tiny replicas of envied decorations
dangling from the buttonhole of his
coat. He was very gracious, He spoke
German with q slight Russian accent.
He was witty, plainly well educated.
Best Of ALL he ordered champagne re-
Ixr L. 10 Nx1 hah kE
the Romanoffs and those close to
them. The Viennese clubmen recipro
Gated after asking humbiy the dukes
permission.
when the delightful night ended.
the duke called for the bill and II was
prssented-$50.
"of course. pay this" said the
duke smilingly.
The vienuese man-about-town ven.
tured to object.
A Thousand Roubie Note.
"Of course pay this" repeated the
duke, preemptorily this time. He drew
forth a fat wallet from hisf ur coat
and extracted a 1,000-rouble note. The
walter returned full OF apologies.
Madame regrets-she cannot
change the money Of his serene high
ness--besides II Is Russian money
not current here. and so on.
The dukes three new friends de-
clared they would be only too happy
to pay the bill and arrange matters at
their next meeting.
The duke raised all sorts OF objec-
lions and--consented. But he declar-
ed that he must give his kind hosts
some momento Of the evening. They
were to send him their gold cigarette
cases and on them hs would have his
initials set In diamonds and the date
of the jolly night. Hearty handshakes
were exchanged amid promises of a
speedy meeting
The three men-about-town did not
mention the affair until they were
sure that the Duke Of Leuchtenberg''
had disappeared, and their gold cigar
cite cases with him. The police can
not find trace Of the clever swing
Ter