The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-10

+ 4 IS
the lost property was easily recovered
IT the countess does not find her. furs
she Will, at least, have her pearls te
comfort her. They are of fabulous
value, ana she wears them day and
4 nlsht. Even with her riding habit tbs
psaIis aIe Always worn and well in
view But, in spite of such precaution
the pearls have twice been in danger;
and once only the self-possession of the
countess saved them She was walk
ing through lonely street of the Fau-
/ pourg st. German toward evening, when
miserable s looking wretch stopped her
/ ana tried to pull the necklace from her.
NO help was within sight, but the
countess was equal to the occasion. She
was terrified, but did not show it. In
stead, she laughed easily.
~ good fellow she said. jestingly.
you re evidently no connoisseur. II
/ they We're real, / wouldn't wear them
here; but if you are as hungry
| as you look, I'm sorry for you, and glad
| 10 give you something worth taking.
| She drew a purse from her muff and
handed it to the man, who ran away.
Then the serene heroine's knees be-
trayed her, and she promptly dropped
down on the pavement and sat there,
Imply, with her feet in the gutter, I'M
til policeman came along, and. mis-
taking her for an aristocratic plain
drunk, hauled her to her feet and or
dered her to move on.
Almost every famous portrait painter
of Paris has painted portrait CT the
Countess Potocka-always with the sa-
bles and pearls in evidence and usually
with the knout somewhere in the pic
ture. This knout belonged originally
In the whip room of the famous Potocki
stables, which are one of the wonders
or Paris. On the walls of this room
hang by silver chains all the whips
that have been used by long line of
Potockas, and the collection represents
when she first examined the whips, took
a considerable fortune The countess,
when she first examined the whips,
took a certain fancy for certain knout
with an old gold handle, thckly set
with valuable rubies. She carried it
away with her, and it has been her pet
toy ever since.
The Potocki stables are on the Ave
nue. Friedland, and are as insane as ex-
travagance as Caligula's golden man
ger. When the Potockis first took pos
session of their magnificent es-
adjustment all Paris rang with
accounts of their bizarre house
warming. 1t was given in the stables
instead Of the hotel, and was a most
sumptuous and extraordinary affair, to
which the guests came in riding cos
tunes of the period of Louis XIV. One
VI 'AC iiloSl sluHilluS portraits OF Inc
beautiful countess shows her in the
habit of silver embroidered yellow vel |
vet which she Wore that night. 1t |
seems a pity that the omnivorous tour |
1st is barred from a sight of these IA |
nous stables. but entrance to them is
almost as difficult to obtain as an open
sesame to Paradise, and only visiting
royalties and favored dgnitaries are
admitted to the sanctum. A year or
two ago the prince of Wales sent a |
note to Count Potocki, asking permits |
sion to see the stables. The request |
was granted and the prince. who was |
impressed and tremendously amused by |
the show, has since always alluded re- \
specially to the 2S horses in those sta
bles as "Messeigneurs the horses OF
the Count Potocki.''
The 2S boxes of the sta blers are of 4
carved mahogany, inlaid with silver.
On each are two superb silver plates, 4
one bearing the Potoch crest the 9TH i
err the pedigree and name Of the horses. /
In each box is pool, lined with pink |
marble and filed with pure water, a /
drinking fountain for the pamEsred /
horse that is monarch of the box. The |
Potocki coiors being blue and yellow, the
livery and all the rugs and accoutre- |
ments for indoor use are in those col |
ors; but, for the drive, white is the hobby |
of the countess. Her three splendid /
black horses are driven abreast, and |
their white harness is silver mounted |
and decorated with tiny silver bells |
Rugs. carriage Innings, etc, are white,
and the equipage is the most striking
to be seen in the Bois.-NeW York Sun.