The Penn's Grove record., 1888-11-03
SCRATCHED OUT.

SCRATCHED OUT.
During the earlier years of the pres
ent century the Russian mobiles ruled
their households with a high hand
Accordingly, when the Dowager Coun
tess Cheraski found that her only son
Ivan, a young man of about 20 years
was engaged to marry a beautiful SER
on his estates, she forthwith hanished
him to France and ordered the girl to
whom he was engaged, to marry an
other serf Immediately. AS the com
mands had to he obeyed, poor Sophia
Tschkoff. 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 performed. There We're present,
besides her father and herself, Michael
Tokhtamish 1.-THE bridegroom) Ills
father, and the priest, an old man, who
WAS upwards of 20 years of age. The
service had scarcely commenced when
the door of the little chapel opened
and Ivan Cheraski. the young Count
entered with a revolver in his hand.
"You thought l was out OF the coun-
try" he said, ''but not SO; 1 have been
hiding my time not far away from here.
l know all about the attempt &c urarry
my betrothed to this clown, and L 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 Tschakofl
at once, or you and Michael Tokh-
tamlsh shall die before five minutes are
over"
1 do not know what would have
happened il the priest had refused to
obey the Counts order. AS 1 have
said, Russian mobiles used to be, and
very likely still are, rather high handed.
especially in dealing with their de-
pendents. At all events Ivan Che
raski was a..nobleman armed with a
revolver; Michael ToBhtamish was
only a serf who might have been shot
for the fun of the thing, while the
priest was a very infirm old man, and
bound moreover, by his religion, to
discountenance bloodshed. So the serf
stood aside, the nobleman took his
place, the priest performed the service,
and in a few minutes Ivan Cheraski
and Sophia Tschkoff were man and
wife. The service 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 1t was the
custom for the priest, and not the par
ties who were married, to sign the
names of the bride and bridegroom III
the marriage registry. Alexander
Troubetskoi, the priest. was placed, as
the saying is. between two tires. If he
had not obeyed the Counts orders. he
would have been shot. On the othe-
hand. if the Countess Dowager found
out what lie had done, something else
as bad, or worse, would probably hap
pen. To escape from the dilemma he
entered in the register Michael Tokh-
tamish Instead of Ivan Cheraski as the
name Of the bridegroom. The parties
who were interested did not observe
the substitution. The register was
restored to its place, and the Count
and Countess Cheraski left secretly for
Paris that day.
For five years they lived very hap
PLY In France, and then the count died
leaving the Countess a widow with two
children. His mother had died about
a year before and Tr0ubetskoi expired
shortly after they left the village Of
Narovel. where the marriage took
place. On the death of her husband
the Countess went to the province OF
Minsk, in Russia, to claim his estate
on behalf of herself and his children.
The claim was opposed by his family,
who produced the register which bore
evidence Of her marriage, not with
Ivan Cheraski, but with Michael Toxin
tamish. There seemed, then, no use
in resorting to legal proceedings. as the
evidence of the witnesses to the mar
rage, who were all serfs. would De
worthless against the evidence of the
marriage register. Accordingly the
Countess, as she was not dejure, ii not
defacto, returned to France. Partly
by the sale of her jewelry and partly
owing to her husband having invested
some money Inc their joint names in
French 8 per cent. rentes she had q
little more than G2000, and with this
capital she opened a sort of. boarding
house in Paris. Here she had been
living for about two years when a
young Englishman named Edwin
Marston came to stop at her establish
ment for a few days. Up to the pres.
ent have not said anything about the
character or appearance Of the Countess
Cheraski, because so far, l have merely
been reciting a number of facts which
are necessary to enable the reader to
understand the curious tale that we
are approaching. That she was either
pretty or handsome or beautiful, In
some sense or other, the reader will
probably anticipate from the fact of the
Count having fallen In love with her.
II l mention that she was tall, with
dark hair and aquiline features, all
who are interested in the matter can
ill up the rest of her portrait to suit
their own tastes. In character she
must have been of rather trustful dis.
position, as will, l think. appear from
her conduct to Mr.. Marston. He was
her senior by about two years, and had
been practicing az a surgeon and physi-
clan for some time in a poor district in
the east end of London. When he
first came to her house he did not in
tend to remain many days in Paris,
but his stay vas prolonged for n rea-
son or another over a space of about
three weeks, during which time he and
the Countess had contracted a very sin.
eere friendship for each other. Finally
on the night before he left she told hil{
her story, and asked him If he couk
see any way In which she could esta@
lish the rights of herself and child
mot at present." said Mr.. Marstof
when he had listened attentlvely to heH