Wichita eagle., 1888-07-19
SCRATCHED OUT.

During the earlier years Of the present oen-
Jury the Russian mobiles ruled their house
holds with high hand Accordingly, when
he Dowager Countess Cheraski found that
her only son Ivan, a young man Of about 20
Fears. was engaged to marry beautiful serf
N 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 the girls
name went with her father some six days
Lfter the counts departure. to the chapel
where the marriage service was to be per
Iornned. There were present, beside her
tather and herself. Michael Tokhtamish the
pridegroom), his father, and the priest, an
Did man who was upward Of 20 years OF age
rhe 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 / was out of the country"
he said but not SO; have been biding my
time not far away from here. knew all
about the infamous attempt to marry my be-
srothed to this clown, and | have come to
prevent it Everything Is ready-the priest,
the altar and the bride. So. my good father,
Fou viii please marry me 30 Sophia Uscha-
tof at once, or you and Michael Tokhtamish
hall die before Eve minutes are over"
do not know what would have happened
4 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 de-
pendents At all events, Ivan Cheraski was
4 nobleman armed with a revolver, Michael
fokhtamish was only 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 discountenancs
bloodshed. So the serf stood aside, the no
bleman took his place, the priest performed
tie servica. ana in a few minutes Ivan Cha
raski and Sophia Uschakof were msr ana
wife. The service over, the company entered
the vestry room, where the priest proceeded
TO enter the particulars relating to the mar
riage in the registry book
Now | must pause here to inform the
reader that in Russia it was tho custom for
the priest, and not the parties who were mar
ried. to sign the names OF the bride and the
Bridegroom in the marriage register. Alex
ander Troubetskoi, the priest, was placed, as
the saying is, between two fires. Ii he had
not obeyed the counts orders he would have
been shot. On the other hand, II the countess
1owager found out what he had done, some
thing else as bad or worse, would probably
happen. To escape from the dilemma he en-
tered In the register Michael Tokhsamish
instead Of Ivan Cheraski as the name Of the
bridegroom. The parties who were inter
ssted did not observe the substitution. The
register was restored 10 its place, and the
Count and Countess Cheraski left secretly
Tor Paris that evening.
For five years they lived very happily in
France. and then the count died, leaving the
countess widow with two children His
mother had died about a year before, and
rroubetskoi expired shortly after they lief.
The village of Narouel, where the marriage
sook place On the death of her husband the
countess went to the province of Minsk, in
Russia, to claim his estate on behalf of her
,elf and bis children. The claim was op-
posed by his family, who produced the reg
Ter which bore evidence of her marriage,
not with Ivan Cheraski, but with Michael
rokhtamish There seemed, then, to be no
use in resorting 10 legal proceedings, as the
evidence OF the witnesses to the marriage
who were all serfs, would be worthless
against the evidence of the marriage regis
er. Accordingly the countess, as she was
Sc jure, If not de facto, returned to France.
Partly by the sale of her jewelry and partly
owing TO her husband having invested some
money in their joint names in French 5 per
sent rentes she had little more than fs, 600,
md with tins capital she opened a sort Of
boarding house in Paris. Here she had been
living for about two years when young
Engiishman named Edwin Marston came to
stop at her establishment for q few days
Up to the present have not said anything
about the character or appearance Of
the Countess Cherask, because, SO far, |
have merely been reciting a number of facts
which are necessary to enable the reader to
understand the curious tale that we are ap-
preaching. That she was either pretty, or
handsome. or beautiful. in some sense or
pther. the reader will probably anticipate
from the fact Of the count having fallen in
bve with her II | mention that she was
all, with dark hair and aquiline features all
who are Interested in the matter can fill up
che rest Of her portrait to suit their own
tastes In character she must have been Of a
rather trustful disposition, as viii. l think,
appear from her conduct to Mr.. Marstoa
BE was her senior by about two years, and
had been practtcing as q surgeon and physi-
sian for some time in q very poor district in
The east end Of London. When he first came
% her house be did not intend to remain
many days in Paris, but his stay WAS pro-
onged for one reason or another over q
pace Of about three weeks. during which
lime be and the countess had contracted a
Yery sincere friendship for each other
Finally, on the night before he left, she told
siui her story, and asked him if he could ses
any way in which she could establish the
rights of herself and children
mot at present" said Mr.. Marston, when
he had listened attentively to her story; '.but
| shall think the matter over"
The Eext day Mr.. AaIston left for London,
having babe the COUNTESS cordial farewell,
ard promised 10 write TO her at once il any
Idea should occur TO him with regard to the
recovery Of her title and estates.
More than month passed away, during
which she did not hear from him, and, con-
sequently, was beginning to think that be
had probably forgotten all about her, or ne
would have written, when one evening the
servant came up stairs to say that Mr. Mar
ston was In the parlor on the ground floor.
and would like to see her
II have been thinking ever sipce I left
YOU" he said, when they had crested each
other, ''of the extraordinary history you told
me- And l think now that see NV way to
overcome your difficulties But you win
have II exercise great patience Il win taxs
me probably a year, perhaps more, to carry
out my plans | shall have to 90 to Russia
and hive in the village of Narovel, and shall
want at least eco at once, and probably an
other fs0o in the course Of about six months
In the meantime you must be content not to
ask me any questions, and to remain in per
feet irnorance of what am doirg. Nv word