Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-08
CAPTURES BY CUPID.
Romantic Tales of the Little Gods
Conquests in Washington.
A RICH BELLIES FAITHFUL BARON.
Adventures of a Beauty Who Was Petted
by the Prince Of Wales.
A slX.MONTHs' TRIAL ENGAGEMENT
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH I

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPAToH.l
WASHINGTON, March EVERY season
Washington furnishes the materials for half
a dozen three volume novels. The romances
of society here are stranger than fiction, and
the best of them seldom get into the news
papers.
The marriage last June of Miss Lena
Caldwell to Baron Zedwitz, Minister from
Germany to Mexico, was the happy culnin-
alton of a romance begun some years before
in Washington. During the winter the
Misses Caldwell occupied the old Knapp
house. corner of Seventeenth and 1 streets.
Baron Zedwitz figured prominently in So
ciety as Secretary of the German Legation.
His iniatuation for the younger of the two
sisters at once became apparent to all who
knew them. Fired with that spirit of re-
peated endeavor which rendered the name
of Robert Bruce OF Scotland, famous in all
ages, Baron Zedwitz persistently followed
the beautiful young object of his affections
from one place to another. Whenever the
two girls appeared at summer resort the
musical Secretary was certain to- loom up on
the horizon and renew his protestations of
unalterable love.
Welded in the University.
Finally he was promoted by the home
Office and sent as Minister to Mexico, while
Miss Caldwell and her sister went abroad
for long stay. Distance, however, seemed
in no wise to have affected the lovers ardor,
for several times year he regularly went
abroad until at last his devotion was re-
warded, and Miss Caldwell, returning to
this country, was married to him in the
chapel of the new Roman Catholic Uni
versity, which her sister Gwendolin endowed
with $500, 900.
The romance which first brought Miss
Adele Grant into public notice as a beauty
was enacted abroad. Yet it is in many ways
allied to her life in Washington; as the SEN
sation which her appearance in any assem-
bIage invariably created during her resi-
dence here several winters since, is unde-
niably due to the fame which now enyelops
her as the American girl who had the good
sense to sever her engagement with the
Duke of Cairns, real live Duke, albeit a
thoroughly unprincipled man. According
to report Miss Grant, upon whose beauty
the Prince of Wales had set the royal seal
of his appreciation, consulted no less per-
sonage than His Highness on the momen-
tous sub ject of her engagement, and upon
his august advice it was formally annulled.
She Was to Pay the Expenses.
The titled lover, like many another be-
fore and since, reckoned without his host, or
more properly speaking, appears to have
gone ahead without much attempt at any
sort Of reckoning, for no sooner was it noised
abroad that the engagement was declared
off than bills began to pour in from every di
recton upon the astonished young lady.
Not only was she expected to pay Tor the
jewels lavished upon her in prodigal pro-
fusion, but the caterers and florists ac-
counts for innumerable entertainments were
also presented to her for liquidation.
The first thing which appears to have
caused any apprehensions as to the disinter-
ested devotion of the Duke was his action in
seeking to borrow a large sum of money
from Miss Grants mother on the eve of an
entertainment at Nice. Miss Grant then re-
turned to this country, and it was scarcely
more than year thereafter that the Duke,
falling heir to large fortune, Immediately
married an English girl.
Miss Audenried and the Nunnery.
Miss Florence Audenri Il. daughter of the
late General Audenried, United States
Army, who within the pasr few months has
married count, though one of the youngest
of Washington beauties, has already had an
unusually eventful life, replete with ro-
nance and adventure. In the height of a
successful season, surrounded by admirers,
Miss Audenried suddenly became sated with
the gay world of fashion, and, deciding upon
a venture of religious enthusiasm, without
warning, abjured the Episcopal faith to be-
come an ardent devotee of the Church of
Rome.
Hardly had society recovered from this
sudden announcement before it was startled
bY the intelligence of still more unac-
countable move on the part of the young
debutante. Renouncing the world, the
flesh and the devil, Miss Audenried under
cover OF night hied her to a convent, leav-
ing behind as the sole clew to her action the
time-honored note on the pin cushion In
vain Mrs. Audenried wrote and implored
her daughter to come home. In vain she
applied for nelp to the Mother Superior of
the convent, from both alike came the same
answer, namely, that the young girl having
entered of her own accord and protesting a
desire to remain, she was not to be coerced
into leaving those walls within which she
had sought shelter.
State and Church in Conflict.
Then it was that her mother decided upon
an equally bold plan of action, and accom-
panied by the family lawyer proceeded di-
rect to Cardinal NIcCioskev in New York,
formally demanded that her daughter as
minor should be at once delivered to her
guardianship. At first it began to look as
though the Church and State would enter
into open conflict over the matter, which
was, however, after few days successfully
compromised, there being considerable
money at stake, and the mother departed
happy once more In the possession of her
daughter. A romantic attachment next en-
gagged the young beauty's attention, and