Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-07-20
SCRATCHED OUT.

4 4 - u
During the earlier years Of the present cen
fury the Russian mobiles ruled their house
holds with Il high hand. Accordingly, when
the Dowager Countess Cheraski found that
her only son, Ivan. young man of about
twenty years. was engaged to marry a beau
tifuI SER on his estates, she forthwith Danish
ed 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 performed. There were present, beside her
father and herself, Michael Tokhtamish (the
bridegroom. his father, and the priest, an
old man who was upward of seventy.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 1 was out of the country
he said; but not so. 1 have been biding my
time not far away from here 1 knew all
about the infamous attempt TO marry my
betrOthed to this clown and 1 have come
y
priest, the alter and the bride So. my good
father, you viii please marry me to Sophia
Uschakoh at once, or you and Michael Takh-
tamish shall die before five minutes are over. -
do not know what would have happened
If the priest had refused to obey the count
order. AZ have said, Russian mobiles used
to be, and very likely still are, rather high
handed, especially in dealing with their de-
pendants. At all events, Ivan Cheraski was
a nobleman armed with a revolver, Michael
Tokhtamish was only a serf who might have
been shot for the fun of the thing, while
the priest was very infrm old man, and
bound, moreover, by his religion to discoun-
tenance bloOOdshed. So the serf stood aside,
the nobleman took his place the priest per-
formed the service, and in a few minutes Ivan
CherasH aud Sophia Uschakoff were man and
wife. The service over, the company entered
the vestry room, where the priest proceeded
10 enter tho particulars relating to the mar
riage IN he registry book.
Now must pause here 70 1ufOrm the read
er thuJ IN Russia IL was the custom for the
priest and not the parties who were married
10 sign the names of the bride and the bride
groom 81 The marriage register. Alexander
.Iroubetskol. the priest WAS placed, as the say
ing Is, between two fires. II ne had not obey
ed the counts orders he would have been
shot ON the other hand. if the countess
dowage- found out what he had done. some
Jhlng else ms bad, or worse, would probably
happen. L % escape from the dilemma he en-
tered ~ the register Michael TOEEtamish in
stead ot Ivan Cheraski as the name of the
bridegroom. The parties who were interested
md no. observe substitution. The register
was rest uTed to its place. and the Count and
Countess Cheraski left secretly for 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 wear before and
IroubetskOi 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 Ainsk in
Russia 10 claim his estate on behalf of her
sell and his children. The claim was opposed
by his family, who produced evidence Of her
marriage, not with Ivan Cheraski. but with
MicheCl IOkhtamish There seemed. then
70 be no use III resOrting to legal proceed
ings, as the evidence of the witnesses to the
marriage, who were all serfs would be worth
less against the evidence of the marriage req
lster. Accordingly the countess, az she was
de Jurc, # 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 III French 3 Der
cent rentes, she had u little more than 60 %
600. and with this capital she opened n sort
OF boarding house in Paris. Here she had
been wing for about two years when young
Englshman named Edwin MarstOn came to
stop at her establishment for n few DAYS Tn
TO the present havenOt said anything about
the character or appearance of the Countess
Nher0sk, because, so far. / have merely been
recltng number of facts which are
necessary To enable the reader to understand
the curious tale that we are approach
ing. That she either pretty. or
handsome. or beautiful. in some sense or 9th
CT, the reader viii probably anticipate from
the fact of the count having fallen in love
AN hn al trrals oil
Win dark hair and aQulllne features. all who
are interested in the matter can fiji up the
rest or her portrait TO suit their own tastes.
I'm character she must have been of Il rather
trusuul disposition, as viii, i think, appear
from her conduct to Mr. MarstOn. He was
senior lay about TWO years, and had been
pIacucing as Il surgeon and physician for
some time IN q very poor district in the east
end ut London. When he first came to heI
house le did not intend To remaiumauy DAYS
an Pans bat his stay was prolonged for one
reason or another over a space OF about
three weeks, during which time he and the
countess had contracted very sincere
friendship for each other Finally, on the
night before ne left, she told him her history
and asked him II he could see any way IN
which She could establish the rights of herself
and children.
Not at present, " said Mr.. Alarstou, when
Ae ha4 listened aJtenuyely to her story ''bul
shall think the matter over. One some
times, after reflection, gets ideas that would
never come from mere ratiOcInatIun. though
10 Us ruIocuution which afterWdrI make;
them pIactical-ideas that seeIh mt first to
nave no bearing ON the subject Of thought
while In reality contain IT'S ful explanation
oE not very hopeful OF being able TO civ,
YOU any advice that would be of use to YOU
IN this case; but L shall try, il possible, &c
think OF something that may guide YOU
Tho next day hir. MarstOn left for London
having bade the countess a cordial farewell