The times., 1899-08-27
WHY ONE MATCH FAILED.
A Carriage Separated This Ameri
can and Her Prince.

can and Her Prince.
! One international match that promised
brilliant consequences was prevented By
what seemed a trihing mater to the
| bridegroom. He was of fine family-in-
deed. of royal blood; not of the Oldest
royalty, but sufficient for the ambitions
of an American woman who was chiefly
| interested in the glories that were 10 come
| from her new rank, relates the New York
Sun 1t was said he had gone at a bar
/ gain. He was not very young. but his
debts were not large, and he could speak
English as well as his own tongue. Such
| an accomplishment counts in husband
! as we'll as a valet. and it was possibly
what had most endeared him to the Ameri-
can colony. Ii was unanimous in saying
/ that the prince had gone for very small
sum. His allowance for pin money was to
! be $4,000 year; more than any but the
richest of them had ever possessed as
capital But they agreed that his high
ness had gone at an abSurdly low fgure.
The American woman who was TO become
his wife had millions enough to allow him
more if she wanted to, and the sum he got
was what the prince first proposed Only
a short time before the day set for the
wedding the engagement was called off,
and the prince two years afterward mar
ried somebody else. So did the American
woman in the case. Neither suffered long
from the sting of separation.
The excitement at the time was great
in the small set of expatriated Ameri-
cans in Paris. 1t took some of them longer
to recover from the shock than IL did the
two persons chiefly interested in the affair.
The opinion of this interesting group was
that the Prince had realized what bar
gain he was, and had at the last moment
decided to ask for more. The facts were
somewhat different, as the prospective
bride explained. 1t was sonly one straw
that proved too much in the accumulated
burden of the noble suitor's demands, He
was better satisfied with the allowance
made him than the colony was, but he de-
cided to ask for a little more, and to in
clude few special stipulations.
Everything seemed easy enough to agree
to- said the American woman, who,
though young, was still old enough TO look
after her own interests, because was in
love with the Prince, and was willing to
do whatever seemed right for his happi-
ness. which was to be mine, too One day
had been discussing matters and signing
papers until 1 think l had got little bit
nervous. I had not troubled about the
thousands. But when we came down TO
one clause in the marriage settlement. my
patience gave cut. II seemed to me too
much for any woman's forbearance. The
Prince didn't seem at all the sort of per-
son who would insist on such a thing. But
he did, and l suppose / lost my temper.
He was to have a carriage of his own and
an allowance was to be made especially
for keeping it. His horses and footman and
every necessary expense were to be provid-
ed for after the carriage was bought out
of my money. The lawyer put such an
emphasis on the words exclusive use when
ever he mentioned the carraige that final
iy said 10 him Jokingly that | thought the
Princes wife might be allowed to ride in
it in an emergency of she wanted to.
Yes replied the lawyer, soiemnly, L
have no doubt he will allow you TO ride
whenever you ask him.
Il did not like the words. Ask him.
was net at all to my liking. repeated
the phrase. Then / looked at my fianee,
who had said nothing. Wouldn't 1t be ri
dicuIous, / said to him, III I should have to
ask you to let me have the use of your
carriage after we were married7 The
Prince smiled, but was silent for mo-
ment He saw / was waiting for an an
swer.
g 1t might seem ridiculous to your
American ideas, my dear he answered
slowly and positively, as If he felt the ne
cessity of impressing that idea and all It
conveyed on me once and for all but my
father was a King. Royalty expects its
rights even in republic, and l would al
ways have TO expect my own carriage
Nothing would delight me more than to
let my wife have it when I was not in the
need of it-and when she had asked me
beforehand, my dear, as you would al
ways do
81 brought the business to an end for
that day on the plea of headache, and
the lawyer left. My princeIy betrothed
followed after a few moments. / don't
think he noticed that the carriage incident
had got on by nerves. But it had The
more l thought Of it the worse it seemed
to me. To buy a carriage for man and
keep it for him seemed only a part of all
the outlay that was expected of me- 1t
was the necessity OF being SO intensely
humble about it that gave me an entirely
different idea of the affair than any / had
before. l had lived long enough in France
10 realize that sentiment and business fig
ured equally in these affairs there But
the carriage episode seemed to mean too
much. Other formalities were to follow
before the marriage. I eabled to my
brother to refuse my guardian to allow
any further settlements That refusal was
made known to the Prince and he did Just
what / expected. He felt himself compelled
to withdraw under the circumstances OF
course. / was immensely relieved But IL
he had not asked for the carriage | might
have married him. I've often tried since
to imagine myself asking permission of my
husband to let me use, when he did not
want 1T, carriage which had paid for
l have tried, / say. to picture myself in
this position. But l have never succeeded
yet