The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-22

even to other men, and women, OF the
class who 40 not seek for anything more
than superficial perfecuions, aaored him.
A man of medium stature, of faultless
dress, of a certain well assumed high
bred air, of dark. glowing eyes, black
VanDyke beard. soft voice, gentle smile,
ready speech and Immaculate manners,
he at once captivated the widow OF
grass with the brilliant tresSeS and was,
turn, infatuated by her.
Three days after he had met her, he
declared himself. He must have her, or
he would die. She told him that she
had nothing to depend on but her ali
mony.
Never mind the alf1nony," said he
impetuously L have plenty of money
for us without that" But he was 81
prudent man, as well as a talented ana
fiashy one, as will presently appear
After Mrs. Cook had agreed to become the
Princess Vouro- Norousky, and pending
her departure with him to help him rule
over his splendid domain. the Island OF
Crete" he suggested that it might be
a good thing for both to go to Denver,
and, before the wedding, see what sort
of a settlement could be made with the
man who had been her husband.
To this Mrs. Cook agreed, and soon
she was there with a proposition to re-
lieVe Mr.. Cook OF all further expense on
her account, on the payment of a lump
sum, say. $4,000
But Mr.. Cook would say nothing of
the kind. He also had kept wide awake
and he knew. from what he had heard,
that his former wife was about to try
new husband. so he refused ali over
lures and awaited the tidings of the
marriage, and his consequent release
from all further financial obligations
with reference to the fair bride. He did
not have long TO wait. On December
II, 1900, Mrs. Cook became the Princess
NourO-N orouSky. and she and the
prince went as far toward the Island OF
Crete as the Albany hotel where he had
taken a VtU0RntG That NIGHT Frank G
Cook invited in his friends and broke
with them several bottles. ana the High
lands rang with his re1oicings and the
congratulations of his friends.
CHAPTER III
Effie Smith-Cook-Vou -Vorousky had
not outlived her yearning for life
of adventure and continuous change ana
well, now she was to have it
On the second night of their stay at
the Albany hotel the prince made a great
row and awakened all who had retired
before IL 80 o'clock by loud outcries OF
distress. Fastening to his apartments,
it was found that the prince was Well
nigh in Mysteries. He had gone to his
of his bosom missing.
Later in the night. the princess re-
turned and appeased his hignness by
telling him that she had become Jealous
young lady who served at the cigar
counter, and had only hidden out" for
while to wiring his heart and teach him
lesson.
The prince forgaye her and was very
good to her. He bought her fine clothes
and jewelry and they Jared very sumpt-
uously. Apparently there was no end
to the princes money. He not only pur-
chased fine apparel for his wife and the
boy, but costly trunks in which to store
1t. The only person he overlooked was
the proprietor of the hotel
But after awhile, the money dWindled
and there were no more theater parties.
Then some of the finery was sold the
prince explaining that there was some
temporary delay in the transmission of
funds sent to him from Crete, and then,
when their stock was reduced to two
trunks, the Vouro-VOrOuSkyS departed
suddenly one night leaving their trunks
behind them.
1t was while on their way from DEN
yer to Kansas City that the prince,
determining that it was best to make
no further concealment, disclosed to his
wife that be had no money except what
he-cOuld obtain by means of his wits,
but my, what wits he had
During her recent stay in Denver,
when. through the mediation of an old
friend of hers, she was attempting to
secure an interview with her former
husband, Frank c.. Cook-an interview
that was shortly and peremptorily de-
MED, she gave an account of her
strange wanderings and the stirring
events of the past three years that
may be here set down as near as may
be, in her own words.
CHAPTER ".
| Il can't begin to give you all the de-
tails said she. Il can't remember
them, and if 1 could it would take a
year to recount them. 1t all seems like
a dream to me-a whirl of places, faces,
sudden starts and abrupt stops. of
days of affiuence, succeeded by periods
of abject poverty-oh, such d time as
we had.
It found that my husband-In call
| him Vorousky for short, though he had,
and all of us had, scores of names dur
ing our years of travel-Was a well edu-
Gated man, d splendid musician, most
entertaining conversationalist, the mas
ter of seven languages and altogether
the most magnetic and persuasive per-
son I ever saw, and so prolific OF
schemes to enrich himself that 1 believe
if he had devoted his talents to homes!
purposes he might have become the
richest man in the world.
We'll, we got to Kansas City and
! though we had little more than the
clothes on our backs and few be-
| Iongings in our valises, we put up al
| the best hotel, he making some excuses
about delayed. trunks, and were soor
comfortably located. Vorousky at once
began to make friends and he soon had
plenty of money and we again had
| trunks. Within a week he and I and
| little Frank were invited to dine with
prominent banker. Vorousky delight
ed him and soon had him interested in
a scheme for manufacturing some sort
Of counterfeit-proof bank notes paper
and secured $500 on it down. He work
ed two other people for $500 each {
week or so later, and we skipped fol
st. Joe.
Here we took a new name and Fo-
rousky got next to a big railroad man
He had an automatic brake proposition
which put the ordinary air brake away
back in the shade, and it was easy fol
Vorousky to pull thousand dollars GU
of the shrewd business man. How h'
managed those things I don't know, bu
II think he must have hypnotized the
people he worked.
I'VE had to leave our trunks in st
Joe, and 1 cried my eyes out about it
for they were full of beautiful things
he had bought for me and for the boy