The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-11-20
|HIS TuRY
MYSTERIES
WHO WAS PAMELA?"


yXYHEN in going through Mont
w martre tourists are taken through
the famous cemetery In that portion
OF Paris, they usually pause for u
moment as they pass a modest head
stone bearing the single word Pam
eIa" particularly since those which
surround 1t are literally covered with
facts and figures concerning the his
tory Of the persons who lie buried
there.
"Who was Pamela" ask the tourists,
turning inquiringly to the guide And
that parsonage merely shrugs his
shoulders, smiles and replies. THAT,
monsieur IL what the world would
like TO know--for here Is the grave OF
remarkable woman, the idol Of royal
ty, the toast of France. But who she
was or where she came from are
questions that have never been
| answered.
Pamela" continues the guide, with
| that quick grasp OF historical data
which Is common TO those who direct
visitors in various sections Of Europe
"was the name given to the beautiful
child brought from England to be the
! playInate of the little ones In the
| palace OF the Due de Charities, later
the Duke OF Orleans. Golden haired
bue-eyed, a yeritabe sprlte, the little
girl won all hearts, in spite OF the fact
that there was very evidently q dark
mystery about her origin There were
! some Mt court who shook their heads
and shrugged their shoulders mean
lngly when, as she grew up, the girl
called Pamela began to make CON
quests which were more and more
widespread. But the secrecy which
yelled her birth did not affect her
popularity In the slightest. She was
The inspiration OF countless poets, the
cause OF scores Of duels and when her
heart was finally won by the Irish
Lord Edward Fltz Gerald. son OF the
Duke Of Lelnster, there were many
! who left Paris because they could not
I bear TO see Ter married TO another.
"The announcement Of her approach
Ing marriage TO Lord Edward brought
/ from London the same question which
Paris had been asking for many years !:
/ Who Is PamelaY and In the marriage
contract, still TO be seen at T0urnay,
the bride is described as 'Stephanie
Caroline Anne. Simms,' known as
Pamela native of London, daughter
Of william Berkele and Mary Simms.
"But this does not, by any means
dIspel the mystery surrounding this
most charming Of creatures, for the
goyerness Of the household OF the Due
de Charires maintained that she was
The daughter OF British nobility, while
the Masonic Magazine, in the Issue
which appeared within month after
her marriage, declared that she was
! the daughter OF the duke OF Orleans
himself. Moore, In his Life Of Lord
Edward Fitz Gerald. leans to this the
DRY, stating that the mother Of Pam
ella was none other than the govern
ess In the dukes family who took such
a marked interest In the girl.
But no matter These are only
ruuiors-reports, founded only on gos-
sip. History which is vague In the ex.
IRENE about the, origin OF the beautiful
Pamela Is only too explicit. as 10 her
adventures after her MARI age. Lord
Edward F1tz Gerald became prominent
In Irish politics and. Ike Sir Roger
Easement more than century later,
decided TO cast his lot with the French
against England. Accordingly. he
crossed the channel and arranged for
a French invasion of Ireland, only TO
be betrayed and hunted. with u price
OF thousand pounds upon his head.
Those who we're searching for him
kept a close watch upon his wife and
Lord Edward was finally captured In
the apartments of the lovely Pamela,
who sold her Jewels and everything she
/ IoootoStu III "a VAIN atNNhhpN w piito
his jaiers. The Irish lord lived only a
short time afterward, dying as a re-
suit of wounds which he received when
he was captured. and Pamela re-
turned to Paris where she lived unnl
her death at the age OF tifty.seyen
Even then, this woman of mystery Is
described as admired and sought after
brilliant in society, remarkable for her
loneliness Of fancy and play Of wit
creature born to win all hearts
Here lies what is left of her, Inferred
under the single word that cloaked her
true identity.
"who was Tamela?' That, mon
sleur, Is a question that will probably
not be truly answered until the Day Of