The Wichita daily eagle., 1899-07-19

ter the present czar's accession and mar
riage she became lady OF honor to the
czarina- During al lthis time the coun-
tess was besieged by innumerabIe suitors
for her hand. Between them they pos
sessed every qualification that could be
considered desirable In a husband. As the
countess is one who believes that love
is the chief thing in the world, it IS sur
prIsing that she did not remarry sooner.
The fact that she was embarrassed by
the number and qualities OF her admir-
ers. The situation was such that any one
Of them might have turned the balance in
his own favor either by a happy audacity
or a signel act of devotion. None OF the
high born suitors rose to the opportuni-
ties.
Then a strange thing happened Among
her very numerous suite of servants was
a footman. a young Frenchman. dark
eyed, clean cut and muscular. The coun-
tess noticed that he was an excellent ser
want and singularly devoted to his du-
ties, and that was all.
''Do footmen have feelIngs?" the coun-
tess unused one day as she noticed the
footman at work, and then turned once
more to comb her schipperke dog.
The countess noticed another thing. and
thought but little about it. Every day for
a whole season she found great bouquet
of violets, her favorite flower. upon her
dressing table. She regarded 1t as the
act of some thoughtful servant, and pre-
sumed that the flowers were paid for cut
o fthe money which she allowed so Law
ishly to her household. Suddenly great
light broke in upon her. One afternoon
she walked quickly and silently into the
favorite room of her palace. There she
saw the footman passionately kissing her
portrait in a copy Of the great picture
painted by Carolus Duran. Then she re-
membered his devotion, the flowers on the
dressin gtable and many other things.
She found out later he had been wont TO
gaze upon her picture every day as II 1t
were enchanted The man was aghast
when he saw that he was surprised. He
expected to be Immediately banished from
piness for years.
The countess has very different views.
Here she had discovered a man who
really loved her and was contented to do
so even without hope. Here was an es-
cape from her dilemma As Francois was
about to back out of the room the coun-
tess asked him, in gentle 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 an immediate
marriage. 1t could not take place in st.
Petersburg, because the car would have
forbidden 1t. 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 has married his wife for love and
not for money.
It is interesting to recall that several
marriages between women Of high rank
and servants have taken place in Europe,
but usually they were Of a much less ideal
character than this one. Lady Ida Duff
is the sister of the Duke of Fife. who
married the Princess Louise. daughter of
the rince of Wales. After marrying Col
onel Adrian Hope. Lady Ida eloped with
her butler. named Wilson, and subse-
quently married him. Princess Alphonse
of Chimay also eloped with her husbands
butler. man named Jobson. and married
him after she had been divorced. She pur-
chased an estate and the title OF count
in Italy for him, and thereby enabled him
to bear a more euponious name than his
original one.