The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-26
MRS. LESLIE ADMITS 1T.
suR WAS ENGAGED TO THE MAR
QUIs DE LEUVILLE.

Hunter, anu 4h6N oo
of Him-she Tells How She Became
Acquainted With Him.
Mrs Frank Leslie, who. rumor had 1t,
vas engaged to the Marquis de Leuville,
chat the marquis had twice taken out a
license 70 marry her, and that the last time
the MARQUIS applied for marriage license
enc charming widow sailed for America and
broke off the marriage, has been Inter
viewed by New York Sun reporter on
this interesting subject.
Mrs Leslie stated very positively that she
WAS not engaged to marry the marquis; that
she never expected to marry him; that since
bar return home she was more of true
hearted American than ever, and that she
found her daily work so delightful that she
hod M desire or intention of abandoning it
For ,be doubtful estate of matrImony. Then
eha cave a highly interesting account of
her relations with the Marquis de
Tarville from the beginning of her
acouaintance with him, remarking that
the relation would readily account for
The fact that, while she was not willing to
marry the marquis, nevertheless she 1elt
very kindly toward him since he had shown
himself her disinterested friend In the DAYS
nf her dlreSJ Qocus 4uios A-O9AAO "oS StSNAHS
On a luxuriant lounge in the parlors of her
APARTMENTS at the Gerlach during the re-
cital She was dressed in black silk set off
with lace. and looked much younger than
+ba London records make her out. Her
color heightened perceptibly during the
recital. and, though the evening was cool,
she used fan continually.
II first met the Marquis de Leuville,"
said she. latter had been widow upward
of wear. / was almost friendless and as
moor as poverty. My husbands will was
being contested, there was trouble with the
executors. and was crushed beside under
dozen lawsuits which threatened to ruin
the small prospects which then had. Be
fore nv husbands death | had been accus-
toned to live at the rate OF $50, 900 year,
INT now had almost nothing | had given
M nv fine house, and was living in rented
rooms in a medium-class boarding house.
The rooms were in the attic. They were
the best l could afford-in fact, and better
than could afford. In the darkest of these
dark times | was introduced to the Mar
uuis de Leuville by Lady Duffield Hardy,
who was then living in Forty-nInth street.
''The way our acquaintance came about
was rather romantic 1t seems that the
marquis was pas ing Lady Hardy's house
ore day just as | was stepping from cab
opposite her door with the iHteption of
making a call. / was dressed in the deepest
black and wore a veil which completely
covered my face. He stopped a second
and then moved on ss | went up the steps.
did not see him at all, but some time later
Lady Hardy introduced him TO me, saying
that he had desired to make my acquaint-
ance. Later on in our acquaintance the
marquis told rue that he had not known of
the existence of Mrs. Frank Leslie, but
that the lady shrouded in black, who dis
mounted from the Gao at Lady Hardys
door, had attracted his attention and adj
miration on account of the small and
daintily shaped foot that emerged from her
skirts when she stepped to the pavement"
:. Mrs. Leslie blushed deeply as she said this,
and ha tened to add, parenthetically:
''You see, the Marquis de Leuville had
lived ell his life in England, and all English
ladies have very large and ungainly feet.
Most American ladies', on the contrary, have
small shapely feet, aud mine were, con-
sequently, only the rule here, not the excep-
ton, so far as beauty was concerned. The
Marquis hadn't been long in the country, or
he wouldn't have thought my feet excep-
tional Anyway, that don't matter. He
asked Lady Hardy to introduce him to the
lady who called on her that day, and Lady
Hardy took an early occasion to do so.
Well, | met him several times later at the
houses of different friends, and he paid me
a great deal of attention. Then l was in
vited to a large theater party. l declined
because of being in mourning, but
sit in the back of one of the
boxes. did not expect to meet the mar
quis there, but there he was. He sat with
me the whole evening and talked, and
neither one of us heard line of the play.
We had a little supper at our hosts house
afterward, and there the affair began.
had always worn my wedding ring. but
,,rr,% ,AoJJx IA
my glove. 1t was found in the hall the next
day, but that night the loss made quite a
disturbance. Our host and hostess and all
the guests joined in the search for it, but it
was not found. Finally, Just before we
separated, the marquis put an exquisite
ring, studded with diamonds, upon my
ringless finger and said. in the presence of
the whole company, that he would replace
the loss. protested, saying that the ring
lost was wedding ring.
But this is a wedding ring said the
marquis, earnestly.
We'll, saw him a number of times after
ward, and at length things got to such a
pass that | thought he ought to know
before he pressed his suit further lust what
my poverty-stricken situation was, and how
small my prospects were for ever coming
into any money. People spoke of me as a
rich woman, and wanted him to know that
pAODAOAS LSNOl WOulu 90
invited him to call on me in my meanly-
FURNISHED garnet rooms thinking that tie
sight OF them would disenchant him, But
IL didn't, somehow. Right on top of that
ne urged mar: iage. told him of the law
sultS and OF my beggarly prospects, but it
only made him the morepressing. He urged
me strenuously to let the lawsuits and the
WIZ go to whoever might profit by them,
ana 10 go to England with him and share
MS fortunes. This l persistently, for many
months, refused to do, saying that | owed
IL 10 my dead husband to see his business
saved and carried on toward the end at
t wnich he had aimed during his life. Finally
Ulie marquis went back to England on nv
sollcllatlon, on the understanding that
some me time might send for him.
ne darkest times for me we're vet to
e tne lost almost all hope in the ltiga-
ppoa' and almost all nv friends besides.
a Iuo through all the marquis wrote me
IucerIhg letters. Do you wonder that I
I've t"Se great regard for hims 1 assure you
=! nose VINO say he has been seeking fortuna
~ ioliowlng me are sadly mistaken
FINALLY all came out right. and one dav
~; CooK sudden notion and cabled over to
~ 70 come to me in New York Yes 7
81 1-oleu MN that | would marry him, This
d d?S ABOUT hive years ago. He came over but
81 ar oiu NOT marry him, somehow He STAYED
5 to ,-. The city for eleven months, and then
dsoY 1e en- rome. You see, thought grea: