Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-16
SCRATCHED OUT.

During the earlier years of the present
century the Russian mobiles ruled their
household with high hand. Accordingly,
when the Dowanger Countess Cheraskl
found that her only son Ivan, young
man of about 20 years, was engaged to
marry a beautiful serf on his estates, she
forthwith banished him to France, and
ordered the girl, to whom he was engaged,
to marry another serf Immediately. AS
her commands had to be obeyed, poor
Sophia Uschakoff, for that was the girls
name, went with her father, some six days
after the counts departure, to the chapel
where the marriage service was to be per-
formed. There were present, beside her
father and herself, Michael Tokhtamlsh
1.-THE bridegroom, his father, and the priest,
an old man who was upward of 20 years
of age. The service had scarcely COM
menced when the door of the little chapel
opened, and Ivan Cheraski, the count, en-
tered with revolver in his hand.
''You thought was out of the country"
he said, "but not so; I have been hiding
my time not far away from here. knew
all about the Infamous attempt to marry
my betrothed to this clown, and [ have
come to prevent it. Everything is ready
the priest, the altar and the bride. So,
my good father, you will please marry
me to Sophia Uschakoff at once, or you
and Michael Tobhtamish shall die before
five minutes are over"
1 do not know what would have happened
if the priest had refused to obey the
counts order. AS / have said, Russian
mobiles used to be and very likely still are,
rather high handed, especially in dealing
with their dependents. At all events,
Ivan Cheraski was nobleman armed
With revolver; Michael Tokhtamish was
only a serf who might have been shot
down for the fun Of the thing, while the
priest was very infrm old man, and
bound moreover by his religion to dis
countenance bl0odshed. So the serf
stood aside. the nobleman took his plaza,
the priest performed the service, and in
a few minutes Ivan Cheraska and Sophie
Uschaloff we're man and wife. The ser
vice over, the company entered the vestry
room, where the priest proceeded to enter
the particulars relating to the marriage
in the registry book.
Now, I must pause here to inform the
reader that in Russia it was the custom
for the priest, and not the parties who
were married, to sign the names of the
bridegroom in the marriage register.
Alexander Troubetskoi, the priest, was
placed, as the saying is, between two
fires If he had not obeyed the counts
order he would have been shot. On the
other hand, if the countess dowager found
out what he had done, something else as
bad or worse, would probably happen.
To escape from the dilemma he entered
the names, in the register, Michael Tokh-
tamish instead of Ivan Cheraski as the
name of the bridegroom. The parties
interested did not observe the substltu-
ton. The register was restored to its
place, and the Count and Countess Cher
aski left secretly for Paris that evening.
For five years they lived very happily
in France, and then the count died, leav-
ing the countess widow with two chill
dren. His mother had died about q year
before, and Troubetsko ii expired shortly
after they left the village of Narouel,
where the marriage took place. On the
death of her husband the countess went
to TIE province of Minsk, In Russia to
claim his estate on behalf of herself and
and his children. The claim was oppos-
ed by his family, who produced the
register which bore evidence of her mar
riage, not with Ivan Cheraski, but with
Michael Tokhtamisb. There seemed,
then, to be no use in restoring to legal
proceedings, as the evidence of the wit
nesses to the marriage, who were all sorts,
would be worthless against the evidence
of the marriage register. Accordingly
the countess, as she was de jure, if not
de facto, returned to France. Partly by
the sale of her jewelry aud partly owing
to her husband having invested some
money in their joint names in French 5
per cent. rents she had little more than
81 900, and with this capital she opened
q sort of boarding house in Paris. Here
she had been living for about two years
when young Englishman named Edwin
Marston come to stop at her establish
ment for a few.days. Up to the present
1 have not said anything about the char
acter or appearance of the Countess
Cheraski, because, SO far, have merely
been recltlng number of facts which
are necessary to enable the reader to IN
derstsnd the curious tale that we are ap-
preaching. That she was either pretty,
or handsome, or beautiful, in some sense
or other, tbs reader Will probably anticl-
pate from the fact of the count having
fellen in love with her. If | mention that
she was tall, with dark hair and aquiline
features, all who are Interested in the
matter can fill up the rest of her portrait
TO suit their own tastes. In character
she must have been of a rather trustful
disposition, as will, think, appear from
her conduct to Mr.. Marston. He was her
senior about two years. and had been
pl ecticing as q surgeon and physician
for some time IN a very poor district in
the east end of London. When he first
came to her house he did not intend to
remain many days in Paris, but his stay
was prolonged for one reason or another
over a space of about three weeks, during
which time he and the couxtess had con-
tracted very sincere friendship for each
other. Finally, on the night before he
left, she told him her story, and asked
him if he could see any way in which she
could establish the rights of herself and
children.
"Not at present" said Mr.. Marston,
when he had listented attentively to her
story; .'put I shall think the matter
over"
The next day Nr. Marston left for
London, having bade the countess cor
dial farewell. aud promised to write to
ter at once if any idea should occur to
him with regard to the recovery of
her title and estates.
More than month passed away, dur
ing which she did not hear from him, aud
consequently, was beginning to think
he had probably forgotten all about her,
CT be would have written, when one even
ing the servant came up stairs to say