Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1882 — Bewitched. [ARTICLE]

Bewitched.

[Paris Correspondent.] “I dined ala table d’hote the other night at one of the principal hotel.-. Besides good dinner I got bold of an itm, which, as it is characteristic of the capital, is worth the telling. ’Twas given nie by my neighbor at the fable, a resident of the hotel for the pasteighteen months, ‘Do you know,’ said he. while he was waiting the arrival oi the roast, ‘the fatuous Baron Sterwich?’ I did hear of him.'' ‘Well, that is he across the table, six persons to your left.’ I looked over and saw a fine-built, gentlemanly-looking individual, with the air and beaming of a naval officer, in conversation with a very distingue lookiug lady, his junior by several years. “Is that the Baroness Sterwich to whom he is so attentive?” I asked. “That?! Why, she is his wife, his confederate.’ And then he told me the following brief story of their lives: At forty years the Ba*rou tired of Paris and its many pleasures, and, almost penniless, wandered off to Bordeaux, where he met a widow, recently arrived from South America. She had a beautiful daughter, and was said to be immensely wealthy. The Baron soon asked for and obtained the hand of Mile. Mariquita, and they were married.JAlter their weddiDg, whilptbe young wife was resting on tne arm o her husband, the Barou returned to her and said: ‘My dear I hate deception; I must make a confession, and when it is ended we will understand each other. The 140.000 fiances which I preteded to have for a future are a'l worthless ponds. The young wife sftiiled as she, in turn, said: ‘I too dislike deception. The 300,000 acres of land which my dear mamma told you I own are so far in the interior of Brazil that no one knowst their whereabouts. It would take many Barou Haussmau and many millions of money to open them up to commerce.’ Iu a few days they reached Nice and then went to Monaco. Here the Baron tried his luck aud lost all the money they had iu the world, save only about 2,000 fiances. ‘Let us go to Paris, said she; and they were followed by a rich Russiaff Prince, who was blindly in love with the handsome Bironness. Arrived in Paris, the Baron and his wife determined on a bold experiment with the young Russian. They invited the Prince to dine with them, and it so happened that that evening the rain came down in torrents. At 9 o’clock the Baron stepped to the window,’ he said; ‘quite impossible for us to go out for our coffee.’ Madame took up her cue and said: Then, in that case, Prince, will you permit me to make you a cup of tea?’

“The enamored Muscovite declared that he was enchanted by tbe suggestion. ‘We will have our tea eu tamilie,’ added Mariquita. softly; ‘how happy we shall be!’ and she stole a look at the Prince which caused that susceptible individual to blush down to the roots of his blonde hair. ‘Suppose we have a game,’said the Baron. ‘lam quite agreed,’ was tbe ready response of the Prince. The Baron shuffled the cards. ‘I sha 1 be on tLe side of the Prince,’ exclainysd tbe Baroness, placing her chair close to the one he was seated in; ‘and, if you have no objection, mon ami, I shall bet fifty louis on his hand.’. ‘No objection whatever,’ replied the polite Baron. The play went on. Madame’s warm breath so enveloped the Prince that he could not see, much less understand, what was going on. Long since they had been playing ‘double or quits.’ and the stakes had now reached an immense sum. At 10 o’clock the Baron again got up to look out of tbe window. The Prince had already lost 300,000 francs. ‘Madame, will you kindly permit us to light our cigars?’ asked the gallaut Baron. The Baroness graciously gave her consent, and her husband went into another room after the fragrant weed. After he had lelt the room tbe Baroness whispered to the Prince, ‘Do not leave* yet awhile; he has to go out at 11 o’clock, and then we shall be alone.’ Ihe Baron returned, cigars were lighted and play was resumed. The additional hour cost the Prince just 150,00:) francs. At 11 o’clock the rain still descended in torrents. It was impossible for the Baron to go out. But as tbe Prince was leaving, tbe Baron said to him: ‘I shall be happy to give you your revenge on my return from Lyons.’ ‘Then you must go?’ exclaimed the Baroness. ‘Yes, mv dear.’ ‘When?’ ‘To-morrow night.’ The lady gave the Prince a look which almost melted him at her feet. ‘You must not neglect the Bareness, my dear Prince, while lam gone,’ remarked the Baron. ‘With your permission I shall be only too happy to be of the slightest service to Madatne,’ was the reply of the love smitten Russian. The next day, oright and early, the Prince sent the Baron every franc which lie owed him, and waited patiently for night to come on. When, at 8 o’clock, he called at the hotel, he learned, to his stupefaction, .tin t Madame la Buroune had accompanied Monsieur It Baron on his southern trip. The Prince soon discovered what a tool he. had made of himself, and went back to Bt. Petersburg. The Baron and his wife you see before you.”