The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-29
TITLED AMERICANS.
They Bring Money,
Their Husbands
Only a Title.
A TRAP FOR HER MONEY.
How An international
Marriage Was
Averted.

The return of titled American re-
Gently to her own country has called
some attention to the subject Of inter-
national marriages, in which it is al
most invariably the woman who brings
all the money while the impecunious
husband presents only his title and a
more or less damaged reputation. 1t
seems to require no more than few
years of residence on the continent to
harden any American girl to views on
the subject of matrimony which she
could never be persuaded to entertain at
home. In this country the marriage of a
young girl solely for money is ques-
ton that is discussed very delicately.
Marrying for money is doubtless almost
as common here as it is in the other
countries, but 1t is not a distinct Ameri-
can habit says the New York Sun In
Europe where marriages are arranged
with greater prudence than they are
here, the financial features Of every
match are discussed frankly, and set
tied just as any other matter of bust
ness would be. Here, the idea that she
was being married for her money would
be intolerable to any American girl. The
bare suggestion of such an attitude on
the part of the man she was about to
marry would putan end at the last mo-
ment to any agreement that might ex-
list between them.
That would be the state of mind of
an American girl in her own country
Once she has been transplanted to
Europe however. all that view changes
Immediately. The negotiations preced-
ing her marriage to a foreigner would,
in all probability, be concerned only
with the financial phase of the matter.
The relatives who concerned themselves
in the affair, the fiance himself, the law
yers, and everybody else interested in
the matter, would say and do nothing
but what constantly reminded her that
without her money she never would
have gotten the husband who is now
about to consent to take her. Every pre-
liminary step in the wedding prepara-
tions rests on this financial basis.
Yet the American girl is not shocked
by it. She quickly absorbs the foreign
ideas of the subject. She is willing to be
looked upon as the Indispensable adjunct
of some titled lovers life and realize at
the same time that her dot is quite as
Indispensable as she is. The betrothed
might take her dot without taking her.
The reverse of this could never happen.
Yet the American marries cheerfully
the titled foreigner when similar pro-
position from one of her own country
men would be looked upon as an insult
One case recently showed that this is
80.
An American woman of great wealth
became engaged to an Italian prince.
Everybody said that this was a love
match, even if millions We're involved.
Preparations for the wedding pro-
crossed favorably up to a-certain point.
There they stopped suddenly. Tug and
pull as the negotiators might things
would not advance. They stuck at the
princes memorable demand for the full
control of his wifes fortune They dis
cussed the question alone, with their
relatives and with their lawyers BY the
terms of the grandfather's will the
great estate that had come down to
her could not be alienated. Her execu-
tors in New York cabled their positive
refusal to allow any action by which
the control of the estate would pass to
her husband, for she had called in
their assistance to help her satisfy the
princes demands for her whole for
tune.
The fiancee became ill when it be-
came certain that the crisis was not to
be got over as she hoped it would.
The prince, who had never been angry,
but always low-voiced polite and con-
siderate, said goodby with sincere and
Well chosen expressions of highly aris-
tocratic regret. Then she grew worse
and The watching doctors never left her
for weeks. The prince retired TO one
of the residences of his sister, a du-
chess and wealthy. The breach SEEM
ed permanent, but the loss of the mill
lions was an awful blow
Nobody had supposed that the de-
mand to hand them over entirely ouId
be refused. 1t was late to maine an
other effort to get them, but tie re-
ward was great. One day the princes
from her country houses and called al
the American home. Mademoiselfa vas
too i'll to see anybody Duchesses- are
not in the habit of being baified by
Americans, and she requested her de-
manos TO the mademoiselle She be-
came so persistent that the yourg wo-
mans aunt came into the drawing room
to receive her.
1T adistresses our family" was The
gist Of her conversation, that this
painful difference. should have occurred
1t distresses my brother and your niece
1t enbarrasses all of us. 1t may even
make us ridiculous before the " Grid
My brother will marry your niece With
out any prenuptial contract They
will marry as people do in your own
country. My. brother viii ask no
8
hand to the altar"
This was delivered in a cordial tone
but without enthusiasm 1t was an in
tinlation that this noble family would
consent TO violate all its traditions for
the sake of these Americans who were
of kind that made the sacrifice i'm
mense. 1t was in reality a trap to get
the millions that seemed to be lost. The
old woman was tender and affectionate
But she had shrewd common sense.
we are as regretful as you over
this sad affair, Nine. la Duchess" was
her answer, land my poor niece is very
i'll. She is heartbroken. But l am afraid
! do not understand the offer you bring
from your brother. l thought that a
woman's property became her hus-
bands by the laws of France Surely
that would be no different from the
question that has already caused us so
much trouble"
The duchess rose from her chair and
looked at her contemptuously
You Americans" she exclaimed, as
If that ought to explain anything you
know more about the laws OF France
than / do, and my grand uncle was
one of its kings
She left the room then and the T----
riage proposition was never revived. To
this day the distress that the American
felt is dwelt on whenever her name is
mentioned and the affair discussed. She
did suffer dreadfully and il was her
heart not her pride that was wounded
She was Ill for long time and barely
recovered. The prince has married and
the woman is wealthy His deserted
American betrothed has told her
friends that her romance was ended
with that episode in her life. Her
titled lover tried to get complete con-
troll Of her fortune and refused to mar
he could not get it fairly, he tried to
trick her into it. An American who had