The age-herald., 1899-01-15
4 Famous Parissienne
Ard Her Sab.e

HIu neI OdU to A French woman, the Countess Potocka, and sable pelisse are now the talk of all Paris. The woman, a lissome Parisienne, has fascinating story. Fifteen years ago she is said to have been the loveliest woman that Americans saw in the equippages that thronged the Bois. She is still adored and still the most extravagant woman in Paris. The famous sable mantle for which the de- tectives in Paris are trying to recover be- longed originally to a Russian princess, so the story runs.
 The Countess Potoclka coveted that man. tie; but for years 1t seemed as though that desire of hers must be unfulfilled. Then one day it was reported that the Russian princess had fallen from grace. She was divorced, disgraced, the sovereign of the sables rode away, and the contuess felt that the fates were working for her. The belong ings of the princess were to be sold. The countess heard the news, sold one of her estates in Sicily at a sacrifice pocketed the money and started, by the first express to Russia. The money she had provided was not enough to buy the mantle. She tele- graphed to the count. He followed her, stopped on the way long cough to mortgage his Polish estates, and reached St. Peters, burg just in time to save the sables from the Jews by a dramatic coup de theatre So the countess had the most magnificent mantle in Europe, and she has never tired of it.
 That is the sable pelisse that is engross- ing the attention of Paris detectives The countess left it on a scat in the Bois Ge Boulogne. When she missed il and searched for it. it had disappeared and the careless boa tn ha pnnfoTtpd. The cloak was lost once before on the desert in Ali geria but desert being safer place Tor sables than the Bois de Boulogne, the lost property was easily recovered.
 The countess also owns the most beautitul pearls in Europe.
 They are of fabulous value and she wears them day and night. Even with her riding habit the pearls are always worn and well in view. But, in spite of this precaution, the pearls have twice been in danger And once only the self-possession of the count ess saved them. She was walking through lonely street of the Faubourg St Ger main toward evening when miserable looking wretch stopped her and tried to pull the necklace from her. No help was in sight but the countess was equal to the occasion She was terrified, but she did not show 1t. Instead she laughed easily:
 My good felow,' she said jestingy, you're evidently no connosseur. If they
 
 if you are as hungry as you look, I'm sorry for you and glad to give you something worth taking"
 She drew a purse from her huff and handed it to the man. who ran away. Then the serene heroine's knees betrayed her and she promptly dropped down on the pavement, and sat there Imply, with her feet in the gutter. until policeman came along and mistakinE her for an aristo- cratic "plain drunk" hauled her to her feet and ordered her to move on.
 A writer in his Paris letter to New York paper says:
 The Potocka stables are on the Avenue Friedand and are as insane an extrava- gance as Calgula's golden manager. When the Potockas first took possession of their magnificent establishment. all Paris rang with accounts of their bizarre housewarm- ing. It was given in the stables instead of the hotel, and was a most sumptuous and extraordinary affair. to which the guests came in riding costume of the period of Louis XIV Ono of the most stunning DOT traits of the beautiful countess shows her in the haht of ver-embro'dered yellow velvet which she wore that night. It seems pity that the omnivorous tourist Is barred from sight of those famous stables. but entrance to them is almost a. difficult to obtain as open sesame to Paradise and only visiting royalties and favored digni- taries are admitted to the sanctum. year or two ago tho Prince of Wales sent a note to Count Potocka asking permission to sec the stables. The reuest uwas granted and tho Prince. who was impressed and tremendously amused by the show, has