Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-10

SULTAN MCLEY HaSSAN.
% one Of tho finest properties in England.
The two were regularly married in Scot
land and went to live in France, where for
year Lady Grosvenor led a quiet and en-.
tirely respectable life.
But the young husbands friends insti-
tuted divorce proceedings and they planned
SO as to lead him to believe that his wife
was not faithful 1t is said that in consid-
Grafton of large bride Nora lent herself
to the plot. Certain it is she soon grew
weary of quiet married life and offered
no opposition to the divorce.
One month after the decree was granted
she was dancing and singing in Paris.
In the meantime Professor Manette had
committed suicide under romantic circum-
stances. He charged Nora with his death
and at once she became one of the most
notorious women in Europe. Her salon
was the rendezvous of the fast set The
Due lie Morny was an admirer and it is
said Napoleon III visited her incognito.
After two years of this life and before
she was 81 Nora ran away with Prince
Warnoff of the Russian embassy and "a
kinsman Of the car. After year this
marriage was annulled with Noras con-
sent, her condition being that the edict of
disgrace against the prince should be re-
voked.
She now determined to give up the stage
and prepare for entering n convent.
Nora was dropping out of the busy
worlds memory, when one morning all
Paris was ngog Mt the news that she had
run away with the handsome young priest
who had been her confessor. The young
priests friends were powerful. They
charged him with insanity and he was
locked up in an asylum and the fascinat-
ing Nora was invited to leave France,
which she did in an open, deliberate way.
She went back to London, returned to
tho vaudeville stage and became greater
success than before. Although Lord Gros-
venor had in the meantime married a wo-
man of his own class, SO great was his in
fatuation for Nora that his friends kept a
close watch on him, fearing she might run
him off again.
After year in London she joined a
company to play through Spain and the
seaports of northern Africa.
Apart from her fascinating personality
Nora must have had rare talents as a
dancer and singer. The dancers of Madrid
have long been famous, yet this woman
created perfect furorc in the Spanish
capital. The students drew her carriage
from the opera house. and gay army Off
Here young nobioman, direct descend
ant of the great Columbus, asked her to
be his wife, but she received warning or
1t may have been that she was satisfied
with her marital experience; but, be that
as 1t may, she had the good sense to refuse
the offer.
After profitable tour through Spain
and the Balearic islands the company to
which Nora was attached went TO Tan
gier. This was tho pivotal event of this
strange wOman's life.
The manager did not expect patronage
from the subjects of his majesty the en-
peror or sultan of Marocco, yet the Mos
lens came in eager crowds to see the won
Gerful dancer and to listen to her houri-
like voice
Having exhausted Tangier, the man.
ager was about 10 sail for Malta, when he
received an order to perform before the
sultan at his palace in the capital. The
manager was glad TO obey, but it is doubt
fTl II he would have gone had he foreseen
the result
The sultan, Muley Hassan, then stout,
dark man of 40, with well stocked harem,
was ut once infatuated with Nora.
Alter the performance the sultan had a
private talk with the young woman.
what passed between them is not known,
put II Is known that when the company
left Tangier its principal attraction was
LETT back in the sultans palace at the cap
HAL 1t Is now pretty well understood
that Nora adopted the Moslem faith in
consideration Of her being made first wife,
or empress.
The sultan died in 1894 and his wife in
1880. she exercised good influence over
fer opuient, barbarous husband.
Although the question has been raised,
there Is now but little doubt that the
present sultan, Abdul Azziz, who was
born In 1878, is the son of Nora Dsegan.
ALFRED II. CALHOUN.
An.