New-York tribune., 1900-07-15

descends is quite poor Her father was Gov
ernor IN Bohemia, and died four years ago; her
mother, Countess Kinsky, fourteen years ago
she has one brother who is provincial official
and six sisters, OF whom four are married-one
as long ago as 1868 in Stuttgart, where her
iather was Minister. The Countess was most
carefully educated and had a great predilection
Tor arts and letters from her early youth. She
IS OF a sweet, retiring disposition not fond OF
society, but gay and happy in the family circle
she was very happy when she lived in the Arch
duchess Isabellas household with the seven
Archduke Frederick
As The Archduchesss daughters grew up the
ArGhduke ferdinand was a frequent visitor
and spent whole evenings with the favorite
lady-in-waiting. Countess Sophie in some cosey
corner of the salon, speaking of art and takin;
her advice on the castles which he was rabuiIdo
ing ana Tor which he was laying out parks
one day, about a tWelyemOnth ago the storm
came The Archduke had spent a night at
HaIbthurn, Archduchess Isabcllas Hungarian
property ana left for his own castle Of Eckart-
sau early in the morning. AS is the fashion
with young men here. he wears a chain his
heS9' PeHClI, ilaJchDoX and other sundTieS, all
IN gold, and his valet has to place them in his
pocket when he is dressed. The chain slipped
under the toilet cover the servant forpOt all
about IL. and when the servants of HaIbthurn
found 1t the Archduke had gone They took
II TO the Archduchess Isabella, who closely ex-
aHihed TINS bachelor property, and found at
tached TO the chain a gold medallion which
when opened revealed an exquisite miniature
painting or her lady y-in-waitinE. Countess Sophie
Chotek me Countess left Halbthurn without
luggage half an hour after the discovery and
Archduke Francis Ferdinand has not visited
the house since. The Countess went IN stav
with her sister, who is married in Dresden tn
Herr Won Wuthenau but she had her imperial
admirers word. and when he could not go To
See her she came to Austria at his bidding
Thus they spent three days last Christmas at
Castle l|ckartsau. On the Danube. There was a
time when the Archduke was even PREPARED To
rehounce the throne If he could not otherwise
marry the Countess. but consultations with the
hrst legal authorities convinced him that this
was not necessary. This being So the two hays
a res IN h.,
tful Villa d'Este, in Rome to its old grandeur
and glory and residing part of the year on The
Italian estates inherited from the Duke of Mo-
dena But in the eventualty of the ArchdlILs
Francis Ferdinand becoming Emperor he will
nave to give up this property to his brother
otto, so nothing is being spent upon it,
The Archduke has been residing since Nav l
IN IhG beautiful rococo Palace of the BeIvedcre,
buIit by Duke Eugene Of Savoy.
Countess Sophie Chotek is a tall graceful eIa
giant person, very lovely, with beautiful express
slVe eyes a sensitive mouth finely modelled.
straight nose. She is exceedingly tail but so is
the Archduke, and with her brown hair worn
WaVy and high she just reaches his ewes She
dld not expect this great piece Of happiness, for
a year ago she was filled only with the ambi-
ton of going on a journey with the Archduchess
Isabella She is thorough Czech and an en-,
thuSiast for the rights of her people Some SAT
that it due To her influence that the Arch
duke when he was Consumptive and would NOT
obey the doctors at last submitted to s1,.iTs
prescriptions and when he saw that he was in
deed mcndins he took a VOW that if he Quite
recovered he would marry his fair counsellor
II WAS lear OF gong IN the face of this VOW
that made the Emperor consent to the marriage
In Court circles certain difficulties that will
arise out Of a morSanatic marriage are dis
CuSScd with interest. OF course the Countess
will live in the Archdukes house If she ac-
companies him 10 the station when he starts
for some journey she can ride with him in his
imperial carriage. but she cannot come back
from the station in it. she must not ride alone
in Il carriage with golden spokes to the wheels
with coachman in full livery She must
not sit in the opera box with him, nor attend
the races in the Imperial stand And SO forth
a1 infuitup