The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-30
The
Claimant
By EUNICE BLAKE


vaud had extensive vineyards. from
the product Of which he manufactured
wine Soubi>e had charge of the grape
growing. and Marivaud not only val
ued his services highly, but was very
fond of him. Soubise's wife died. and
he soon followed her. leaving little
Francois without Il home.
NJ. Marivaud had son. Victor. about
Francois age. When the latter was
left an orphan he was taken to the
chateau and became a playmate of
Victor There was q brother of Vic
tor. Louis. much younger than either
Of these two boys.
/ When Victor was eighteen he enter
cd the military school and became an
/ army officer. Upon graduating he was
! ordered to join his regiment in Ton.
kin. Francois was anxious to see serv-
! ice and. enlisting in the same regi.
ment went out with Victor. who
agreed to interest himself in his pro-
motion that he might become an Off
! GER
A year later after fight Lieutenant
Marivaud was reported missing. This
meant that he had fallen into the
hands Of the Chinese, in which case it
was quite likely that he had been muir
dered When nothing was heard from
him for several years he was given up
by his family. and when his brother
Louis, came of age he inherited the
family patrimony. his father having
died without will. NJ. Marivaud had
purposely omitted to make one because
he never ceased to hope that his son
would one day turn out to be among
the living.
Ten years after the departure of Vic
tor Marivaud. when there was no mem
Der Of the family living. Louis. who
had for some time possessed and man
aged the wine business. became engag
ed to IIortense Villaret. the daughter
Of neighbor Mile. villaret belonged
to an aristocratic family. but the es-
tate had been confiscated during one
of the many changes In the sovereign
ty of France and she was very poor
She anu WeIc uluNh III loNC Nitu
each other. and her father favored the
match because Louis was wealthy and
could enable Hortense to return to the
style Of living to which the family had
formerly been accustomed.
All went happily for the lovers till n
few weeks before the day set for the
wedding. Then one day man appear
ed at the chateau claiming to be Vic
tor Marivaud. Louis was but twelve
years old when his brother left home
and granting that this man was Vic
tor. he would not have remembered |
him. There was no other person at
hand who had been familiar with Vic
tor to Identify him.
But the claimant was able to tell of
many incidents that had happened on
the estate. which went far to prove
that he was what he claimed to be. He
explained his long absence In this wise:
During the fight in which be was re
ported missing he was knocked on the
head by the butt Of a musket in the
hands Of Chinaman and stunned
When he came to himself he remem
bered nothing Of the past. not even his
name. The dead were lying about him;
the wounded had been removed. He
arose and walked till he came to
city. where he eventually entered the
service of French merchant After
was taken suddenly Ill and was remOv-
ed to hospital. After having been de.
lirious Oh returning to his former con
dition he had exclaimed. You rascally
Chinaman. take that for yours" But
seeing n nurse before him instead Of
prised. He had returned to normal
state. remembering that he was Vie.
tor Marivaud,
His appearance was terrible blow
to the lovers. for. according to the
French law of inheritance. Victor Ma
riyaud was the owner OF the estate. in
Guiding the wine business. He told
Louis 50 many things that had occur
red during the latter's childhood that
Louis became convinced that the stran. .
ger was his brother. Nevertheless II
was not to be expected that he would
be pleased to see a brother Of whom ,
he had no remembrance and who ,
would dspossess him Of his property
But the severest blow was that NJ. vii. ,
laret Immediately withdrew his con. ,
sent to his daughters marriage unless ,
1t could be proved that the claimant ;
was an impostor. ,
There was an old blind woman nv. !
Ing on the place. who. on hearing OF ,
the claimant. desired that he be .
brought to her. She asked him a few ,
questions. which seemed to trouble !
him. though he answered them cor ,
rectiy. Then the OLD woman directed :
that he be uncovered to the waist. {
This was done. and her hand was I
guided to his chest. She slid her hand ,
around to his side under his right arm.
and 1t rested on a small lump the size {
Of pea. I
"This is Francois Soubise." she said :
II lived with his mother when he was :
little boy and often dressed and un. {
dressed him. know him by this I