The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-16
The sADDEST Of MANY.
Life Of 4 Fair Young Bride Blasted
by Monte Carlos Gambling
Den.
The Honeymoon Had Not Waned
Ere She Was Deserted Among
Strangers.
Dcpravity 10 which q Husband, Ruined
by Gambling. Snnk--Surccase OF
Sorrow In Death.

NICE, Jan. l5.-That eruesome gambling
den, Monte Carlo. has just been the seen,
OF the saddest close Of a young life whicl
has ever been recorded among its ANIMAL OF
bitterness and despair. It IL that Of a
young and beautiful Russian wife, as good
as she was beautiful, named Nadioska
Charikof.
The Charikoffs are an ancient and noble
family, whose estates lie not far from st.
Petersburg. Through the recent failure OF
the grain harvest, Count Ivan has been
hard pressed for funds 70 defray the OK.
penses of his usuAl winter visits to the
Rivera. On his way to and from st. Pc
tersburg he frequently made visits to Blu
charest, the gay capital Of Roumania, where
he found in the late spring all the rieors OF
Russian winter and quite as much gam
bling as on the Mediterranean in the So
looms of the Roumanian aristocracy.
II WAS not long before he discovered that
Bucharest contained an additional attrac-
ton in the person Of Nadjoska l.itolf, the
youngest daughter of a landed proprietor.
Nadioska's beauty and accomplishments
had already brought the eligible youths Of
Roumania to her feet, but she was still
heart-whole when the handsome Russian
appeared.
She allowed herself to fall deeply. in love
with the newcomer. The marriage oc-
Cured about tho middle of November. The
bride. who had never before left homo at
this season, was eager to visit a region of
almost perpetual sunshine, and to enjoy
the sight Of roses blooming. and lemons
and oranges ripening in the open air OF
December.
Count Ivan did not intend to eschew play
even during his honeymoon. The countess
was aware that her husband was fond OF
play as she had seen him gambling at
Bucharest.
before a fortnight elapsed. however.
Nadjoska realized that she had been yirtu-
alIy Abandoned. Between noon and the
time the tables closed. at midnight, she
only saw her husband at the dinner hour
and even then she was not sure OF his CON-
psny, a. he was frequently too much alb
sorbsd in the game to remember That he
was hungry. 49, -
Hotel de Paris, adjoining the Casino, 80
that the count might be promptly on hand
when the doors opened and the play began.
The hotel is resorted to by many OF the
wealthy, but the least reputable OF those
Who make Monte Carlo their winter home.
Nadioska was unable to conceal the
grief that the counts conduct caused ner.
Thereupon Prince Altobreccia, an Italian,
Who knew that Count Ivan was losing
heavily, sought an interview with him, and
coolly informing him that he seemed to
care more for money than for his bride,
proposed that she should be transferred rec
in consideration Of the payment OF 2oo,WU
francs (S40,O O0) in French gold. The count
was not as tall as the prince, but indignant
at the audacity Of the proposal, he prompt
" knocked the ~insolent Italian down. But
this spasm Of right feeling and action did
not save the count.
He kept on plunginR and losing unit
ruin stared him in the face. II was for thi
that the willy Italian had waited. lie again
threw himself in the way OF the Russian,
who finally humbled himself SO far as TO
ask for the 100000 francs as a loan.
Prince Altobreccia fastened to seek III
interview with tho countess and proposed
an elopement, which was Indignantly re-
jected. Meanwhile Count Ivan was Ell
gagged in rapidly losing his windfali, and
the second day found him nearly reduced
to beggary.
He had enough money left to pay his own
expenses n%orthward, and unable to face the
situation he had created, took The fist
train for Vienna and st. Petersburg.
1t was on New Years eve that the count
ess discovered that she had been abandoned.
So far as ready money was concerned she
was almost penniless, but she might have
raised q considerable sum by selling her
jewels. This she disliked to do. She still
hoped that her husband would, after a short
absence, return. Tuesday last, having al
ready given up all hope and too proud to
call on her friends at home to help her,
she closed her unhappy career by taking
poison.
Hardly was her body cold when the pro-
prietor Of the hotel received a telegram
from St. Petersburg, stating that Count
Ivan had been run over by n railroad train.
and that, on his pockets being searched, q
note WAS found giving his name and stat
ing that he had committed suicide, but
pleading that q charitable silence might be
preserved regarding his wife.