Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-08-09
A COUNTESS.

Speaking of heavy tide of travel to
Europe this summer, rOmanc1ng news
paper correspondent conffdes to his Jour-
nal a story that, while possibly fancitul
in itself, conveys the moral of many a
wellknown reality. During the engage
ment for marriage of lady of New York
with a gentleman of suitable means and
position, one of the several equivOcal
foreign nobleman who circulate in metro
politan society at all times of the year,
threw himself systematically in the way
of the betrothed woman, and, by speci-
GUS wiles, shook her allegiance to the
man whose wife she had promised to be.
He called himself German Count. spoke
of castles on the Rhine and so infatuated
the object of,his bold addresses that she
finally confessed the feeling to her FAM
lily, and desired her father to secure her
release from matrimonial engagement
into which her heart could no longer
enter. Shocked at 6he request, and con-
fident that the intruding foreigner had
anything but a clear character, the
father temporized until he could insti-
tlfte certain inquiries, and then placed
before the girl such proofs OF the Ger
mans disreputable habits that she seemed
to realize her folly and be willing to
abide by the original marriage promise.
Hence the preparations for the wedding
were resumed, passengerships were Sc
Icured ON the steamer Australia for the
bridal pair, whose tour was to be Euro
pean, and only the return of the BRIDE
groom from an exigent Southern busi-
ness trip was awaited before the solemni-
zation of the union. BY some perverse
fate the return in question was delayed
beyond the appointed day, and thence,
perhaps, ensued the opportunity for
what followed. GAS the steamer Aus
tralia was drawing away from her
/ wharf," says correspondent of the
Washington Capital, "when the gang
way-plank had its last instant of practical
bility, there camesshurrying on board,
with II train of hastily handled trunks, a
gentleman and lady who seemed anxious
to avoid observation on shore as quickly
as possible. After the ship, however,
lost sight of land, the captain was taken
into the confidence of the gentleman and
: told of an elopement. The groom was a
man of about forty years OF age, for
eigner and a count, with a coal-black
moustache on his face and castle Oh the
Rhine. He had the hard, handsome
face common to Mississippi gamblers.
and dressed himself in the same gorge
Gus style. The bride, without being
, handsome, had large, winning blue eyes
1 that in their helpless, confidence sort o
4 hpii ttiS ihI'tttpJ vi al VI
4 board. The count treated his bride witt
: elaborate courtesy, always getting on
, of the way when the poor thing suf.
/ fered from seasickness and after expires
o sing his concern for madam in the choic
:. est phrase. He expressed himself ennuiet
terribly with the monotony of the sea
e and tried hard TO inveiglc certain gen
: tleman into games of chance, only t.
: pass the time. however. He was strongl,
: averse to gambling. AT the end of th
It voyage the pair disappeared, and the tw
!. fugitives were heard of no more unit
e months after, when the Australian wa
a on her way back to New York, whel
e the kind hearted captain learned that
: woman travelling alone was very ill il
d the steerage. Seeking her with til
g ships physician, he was astonished
+ find in the sick steerage passenger tn
= Counts bride of few months before
is He vacated his state-room to the poo
le woman in her faded finery, and little b
/! little he learned her story" Said stor
Is has already been told. While awaitin
l. the arrival of her betrothed lover frol
+ the South, and believing that her fidelit
il to him was fully restored, the unhapp
III young woman fell again under the PEI
IN nicious magnetism of the German advel
le turer and listened to his temptation. III,
~ wardrobe all packed for Europe, and Il
N bridegroom not yet arrived, she consei