ARTHUR.T Stories ----The "Duc de Nevers ----VII---Page 41

CHICAGO SOCIETY THE DUPE OF BOGUS COUNT

HOTEL AND SEVERAL WHILOM FRIENDS FILLED WITH REGRET--THE "COUNT" ARRESTED

Chicago, Jan. 29.--"Count Charles Julius Francois de Nevers" was in
the Police court to-day for defrauding the Auditorium Annex of a
board bill. The Count came to the French Consul, M. Henri Meron,
amply supplied with credentials. He posed as Consulting Engineer of
the United States Steel Corporation. He was introduced into all the
clubs, including the Alliance Francaise, where he was entertained
and spoke on literature.

He was accompanied by a charming young "Countess," and the honors showered upon them and the adulation paid by society tuft-hunters
was something they will never forget.

They returned the entertainments. The Count borrowed several thousand dollars.

President Furber, of the Olympic Games, said to-day of the "Count:"

"This man confided to me that he had invented a machine for

perpetual motion, the chief difficulty of which was that it

accumulated energy so fast that it could not be controlled. He asked me to invest in some of his schemes, which I refused to do."

The fate of the Count is still pending and he was led back to a
cell. He has been a week behind the bars. The "Countess" is in
tears.

"The Countess is me," she explained.
"Was he sent to prison?" I asked.

"Oh, no," she answered. "You see they really couldn't tell whether he was a Count or not, so they had to let him go."

"He ought to be hung!" I cried.

"I really think he ought," she answered. "You see it is quite

embarrassing, because legally I have never been married at all, have I?"

"I don't know," I answered, lying like a gentleman. "Time enough to look that up later."

"I found out afterwards," she said, apparently somewhat encouraged, "that his first wife was a nurse maid in London."

"Yes," said I, "he told me so himself."

Just then there came a knock at my door and O'Toole appeared.

"How are you, Counsellor," he said with a grin. "You know Charley

Nevers, well, av all the pious frauds! Say, Counsellor, ain't he the

cute feller! What do you suppose, now? I got his record to-day. Cast yer eye over it."

I did. This is it:
     No. 98

No. B 7721

The Central Office,

Bureau of Detectives,

Police Department of the City of New York, 300 Mulberry Street.

Name...................... ...Charles Francois

Alias...................... ..Count de Nevers

Date of Arrest............. ..1903

Place of Arrest............ .London, England

Cause of Arrest............ .False Pretenses

Name of Court............ ...Sessions

To what Prison............ ..Penal Servitude

Term of Imprisonment...... ..Eighteen months.

REMARKS: Fraudulently obtained motor-car in London under pretense
that he was Charles Duke de Nevers, son of Oscar, Prince de Nevers."

"So he's an ex-convict!" I exclaimed.

"He's more than that!" cried O'Toole. "He's a bir-rd!"

I turned to Mrs. de Nevers or whoever she legally was.

"How did he come to do such a foolish thing as to offer to go on the

bail bond of a perfect stranger? What good could it do him? He was sure to be caught."

"I don't know," said she. "He was always doing things like that. He

wanted to seem fine and grand, I guess. We always travelled in style.

Why, the afternoon he signed the bond he came home and told me how the
police had been troubling a gentleman who had a lady with him in an
automobile and how he was able to settle the whole affair without the
slightest difficulty and send them on their way. He was quite pleased
about it."

"But why do you suppose be did it?"

"He just thought he'd do 'em a favor," suggested O'Toole, "and in that way get in wid 'em an' take their money later, mebbe!"

"Who is he? Do you know?" I asked the girl.
"I haven't the vaguest idea!" she sighed.

A week later Charles Julius Francis stood at the bar of justice

convicted of perjury. His degradation had wrought no change in the

dignity of his bearing or the impassiveness of his general appearance,
and he received the sentence of the Court without a tremor, and with
shoulders thrown back and head erect as befitted a scion of a noble
house.

"There's just one thing for me to do with you, Charles Francis," said

the Judge rudely, "And that is to send you to State Prison for a term of five years at hard labor."

Francis made no sign.

"There is one other thing I should like to know, however," continued His Honor, "And that is who you really are."

The prisoner bowed slightly.

"I am Charles Julius Francis," he replied quietly, "Duc de Nevers, and Commander of the Legion of Honor."