The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-23

The fair-haired woman of this picture is
me most perfect portrait of the Countess
! Wyanoff ever painted
! Inc Countess by no means confined her
| presence to the artistic society of Paris
| She never allowed a season to pass with
| out going to st. Petersburg and takinr
the part in court festivities to which her
rank entitled her.
When the present Car Nicholas 1,as
| only the czarewitch and a varv I,o,'ro2
man. ne was fascinated by the beautiful
countess. A filtration followed. which
pIeased her because it was DeriIous Tho
CZaFeWltch showed a devotion to her that
became ominous. Then she received o
warning from the police, doubtless insnir-
9u ny the car. that it would be well for
her to absent herself from St. Petersb,,rfr
and its vicinity for a season.
She was in no sense disgracad A4+o-
lhc present cars accession and 49,
rage she became a lady of honor +o tho
cZarina. ~ Ohe
During all this time the countess wac
oesleged by innumerable suitors for ~
hahu' Between them they possessed ev-
cry qualification that could he consido,,o,
desirable as a husband. As the cn,,,,+o 81
IS one who believes that love is tho 49,
lIIhg In the world, it is s1Irnrisino 49,
siie old not marry sooner The fact 10 tbat
size was embarrassed by the nu,nbar -
qualities of her admirers. anu
ne situation was such that anv o,,o
o oroo mem IN might have turned the bal
ahce IN his own favor eitbar ~
happy audacity or a signal aot oy
Votlon- None Of the high born c,i+ora
| rose to their opportunities
linen strange thing bannano7
1,lIionS her very numerous suite Of sarv-
80 was Iootman, young Frenchman
os,n n-eyeo, clean cut and muscular. Thu
countess hotlced that he was an excellent
servant and singularly devoted ~ bia
duties, and that was all Ills
DO footmen have feeIings?" tho oo,,r
tess unused one day as she noticed tbe
Iootnan at work, and then turned once
more to comb her schipperke dog.
me countess noticed another thing
ana thought but little about 1t. Everv
gay Tor whole season she found
a great bunch of vioets. her favor
ite flower. upon her dressing table
She regarded 1t IS the act of soma
| thoughtful servant, and presumed that
the flowers were paid for out of the
money which she allowed so Iayisb1v tn
her household ~
Suddenly great light broke in. upon
her. One afternoon she walked quickly
ana silently into the favorfte room Of
her palace u
1here she saw the footman passionate
~ kissing her portrait in a copy of the
great picture painted by Carolus Duran
Then she remembered his devotion, the
| mowers on the dressing table and MANY
other things. She found out later he
haa been wont to gaze upon her picture
every day as If 1t We're enchanted
The man was aghast when he saw that
ne was surprised. He expected to be inn
medtately banished from the presence
which had been his only happiness for
years
The countess had very different views
| Here she had discovered a man who reaI-
ly loved her and was contented to do so
even without hope. Here was an escape
from her dilemma
AS Francois was about to back ont op
the room the countess asked him, in GEN.
! tie tones, to stay. He did so, and being
quick-witted he saw that the happiness
he had only dreamed Of was within his
grasp. He embraced the opportunity and
the countess.
She consented willingly to IN immediate
marriage. 1t could not take place in St.
Petersburg, because the car would have
forbidden it. The lovers, therefore. went
TO Vienna. where they were quietly mar
ried. They then went to BULGARIA where
| the countess purchased for her husband
an estate which carries with it the title
OF count. He is thus ennobled and will
be received generally at European courts
and in good society.
They are said to be very happy, and
the husband has shown that he married
his wife for love and not for morev.
1t is interesting to recall that several
marriages between women of high rank
and servants have taken place in Europe.
but usually they were of much less ideal
! character than this one
Lady IdS Duff is the sister of the Duke
OF Fife who married the Princess Louise,
daughter of the Prince OF Wales. After
marrying Col. Adrian Hope, Lady Ida.
eloped with her butler, named Wilson
and subsequently married him.
Princess Alphonse of Chimay also elop-
ed with her husbands butler, a man
named Jobson, and married him after
she had been divorced. She purchased
an estate and the title of count for him
in Italy, and thereby enabled him to
bear more euphonious name than his
original one.