The Arvada enterprise., 1920-01-08
~ RANDALL PARRISH
AstAes II
sceaaraAaad, =" Shsa Il H. lfisA Dsi0s1st
"WAsa Wildss.sss We kiaG." ~.
ILLUSTRATIONS 81 IRWIN Nina

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ISL
| thus finally became possessed Of the
story Of the house Of Beaucaire.
In the main 1t contained no unusual
features. Through the personal In.
nuence Of D'Iberville at Louis court
Alphonse de Beaucaire had originally
received a royal grant Of ten thou
sand acres Of land bordering the west
bank Of the Mississippi few miles
above st. Louis. When his master re-
turned to France leaving him unem-
ployed. Beaucaire. possessing ample
means Of his own. had preferred to re-
main in America. In fiatboats. pro-
PEELED by voyageurs, and accompanied
by a considerable retinue Of slaves, he.
with his family. had assembled the river
and finally settled on his princely e.
tate. Here he erected what for those
early days was q stately mansion, and
devoted himself to cultivating the
land. Twenty years later. when his
death occurred, he possessed the finest
property along the upper river, was
shipping heavily to tn New Orleans
market, and was probably the most
influential man In all that section.
His only son. Felipe. succeeded him,
but was not SO successful u admins.
tration, seriously lacking T. business
judgment. and being decidedly indo-
lent by nature. Felipe married into
one Of the oldest and most respectable
families Of st. Louis. and as a result
Of that union had one son, Lucius, who
grew up reckless Of restraint, and pre-.
ferred to spend his time in New Or.
leans, rather than upon the plantation.
Lucius was young man of twenty.
six, unsettled In habits. when the IA.
Their died, and, against his inclination.
was compelled to return to Missouri
and assume control Of the property.
He found matters In rather bad condi.
ton, and his was not at all the type
Of mind to remedy them. Much of the
land had been already irretrievably
lost through speculation. and when his
fathers obligations had been met, and
his own gambling debts paid. the 60.
tate, once 20 princely and magnificent.
was reduced to barely I'VE hundred
, acres, together with q comparatively
smaf amount Of cash. This condition
sunced to sober Lucius for a few
years, and he married a Menard Of
Cape Girardeau. Of excellent family
but not great wealth. and earnestly
endeavored to rebuild his fortunes,
Unfortunately his reform did not last.
The evil influences Of the past soon
proved too strong for one Of his TEN.
permanent. The plantation house bs.
came in time . rendesvous for all the
wild spirits Of that neighborhood, and
stories Of fierce drinking bouts and
mad gambling were current In St,
Louis.
"Have you ever besn at Beaucaire,
captainr I asked.
I'VE always stop at the landing. but
have only once been up the cliff b
whore the house stands. The Judge
was away from home-in st. Louis, ]
believe-the day Of my visit. He had
sold me some timber. and went out
with the family lawyer. q man named
Haines, living at the landing. Do look
It over"
The house w,s closedY'
mo: Il 70 never closed. Tho house.
keeper was there. and also To two
daushtesa"
"Daughtersr'
Certainly: hadn't told 700 about
themf Both girls are accepted % his
daughters: but. II all have heard 70
true. one must be his granddaughter. "
He paused reminiscently. his eyes %
the river. "Haines told me q number
Of strange things about that family I
had never heard BEFORE" he admitted
at last. you SEE he has known them
for years. and attended to most of
Beaucaire's legal business. This 10
about how the story runs. a. he told II.
II wasn't generally known, but Il
seems that Luciua Beaucaire has been
married twice-the arst time to q Gre.
ole Riri In New Orleans when he was
scarcely more than boy. Nobody
now living probably knows whatsvee
became Of her. but likely she died
early; anyway she never came north,
o. has since been heard from. Ths
important part 10 that she gave blrtA
to q son. who remained In New Or.
leans, probably IN her care. until be
was fourteen or fifteen years old. Then
some occurrence. possibly his mothers
death. caused the Judge to send for
the lad. whose name was Adslbset.
and had him brought to Missouri. All
this happened before Haines settled AZ
the Landing. and previous to Bean.
cairs's second marriage to Madsmol.
selle Aenard. Bert. a. the boy vas
called. grew up wild. and father and
son quarreled 10 continuously that
hnally. and before be was twenty, The