The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-08-18
SCRATCHED OUT.

During the earlier years of the present
century the Russian mobiles ruled their
household with high hand. Accordingly,
when the Dowanger Countess Cheras XII
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 se;f Immediately. A.
her commands had TO be obeyed, poor
Sophia Usct off, for that was the girl's
name, went with her fr.he,, some six days
after the counts depa-. IRE, to the chapel
where the marriage service was 20 be per
formed. There we're preseut, beside her
father and herself, Michael Tokht .n: :sh
(the bridegroom, his father, and the D ,ie7 :,
an old man who was upward of 20 years
OF age. The service had scarcely com
menced when the door OF the li.le chapel
opened, and Ivan Cheraski the count, en-
tered with revolver in his hand.
'You thought l 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 attemp TO marry
my betrothed 10 his clown, and have
come to prevent it. Everything is ready
the priest, the altar and the bride. So
my good father, you will please mary
me to Sophia Uschakoff at once, or You
and Michael Tokhtamish shall die before
five minutes are over
| 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 Chrraskt was q nobieman armed
With revolver; Michael Tokhtamish was
only a serf who might nave been shot
down for the fun CT the thing, while Che
priest was very infrm old man, and
bound moreover by his religion 10 dis
countcnancs bloCdshed. So the serf
stood aside. the nobleman took his place.
the priest performed the service, and in
few minutes Ivan Cneraska and Sophia
UschaloF were man and wife. The ser
vice over, the company entered the vestry
room, where the priest proceeded 70 enter
the particulars relating TO the marriage
IN the registry book.
Now, | must pause here to inform the
reader that in Russia it was the cHstom
for the priest, and not the parties who
were married, TO sign the names of the
bridegroom in the marriage register.
Alexander Troubstskoi, 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 Ivaa Cheraski as the
name OF the bridegroom. The parties
int t.l IA ,k>,a h. .l.t,
ton. The register was restored to its
place, and the Count and Countess Cher
aski left secretly for Paris that evening.
For five years tkey lived very happily
in France, aud then the count died, leav
ing the countess Il widow with two chill |
dren. His mother had died about q year |
before, and Trcubetsk Ji pired shortly |
after they left the village of Sarouel, |
where the marriage took place. On the
death of her husoan1 the countess went
TO the 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
rlsge, 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 vii.
nesses to the marriage, VINO we're all sorts,
would be worthless against the evidence
of the marriage register. Accordingly
the countess, as she was de jure, if not
do facto, returned to France. Partly by /
the sale of her iewelry and partly owing
to her husband having invested some
money in their joint names in French 3
per cent. rents she had little more than
E2,oOo, and with this capital she opened
a sort of boarding house In Paris. Here
she had been living for about two years
when young Englishman named Edwin
Marston come to stop Mt her establish
ment for few days. Up to the present
have not said anything about the char
acter or appearance of the Countess
Cheraski, because, so far, have merely
been reciting a number of facts which
are necessary to enable the reader to un-
derstand the curious tale that we are ap-
preaching. That she was either pretty,
or handsome, or beautiful, in some sense
or other, this reader Will probably antici-
pate from the fact of the count having
fellen in love with her. If mention that
she was tall, with dark hair and aquiiine
features, all who are Interested In the
matter can fill up the rest of her portrait
10 suit their own tastes. In character
she must have been of rather trusttul
disposition, as will, | think, appear from
her conduct to Mr.. Marston. He was her
senior about two years, and had been ,
piacticing as a surgeon and physician
for some time in 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 proong ed for one reason or another @
over space of about three weeks, during v
which time he and the couatess had con q
tracted very sincere friendship for each I
o;her. Finally, on the night before ne t
left, she told him her story, and asked d
him If he could see any way in which she il