The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-26
RIVALS FOR An
ASIORS HAND
Two Powerful Foreigners Love
American Miss.
ONE Is A WHOEVER
With Four Children but Is Heir
to Throne.
ONE is A WHOEVER

For the hand of beautiful Pauline Aston
two powerful rivals are tcontending-
Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria and
lionel Bratiano, Roumanian minister
OF foreign affairs.
Prince Ferdinand is heir to the Bulgar-
ian throne He is anxious to have the
daughter of the cAstors as a stepmothe'
To his four motherless children and to
have the benefit of the millions she Will
Inherit He is not prepossessinS and MS
reputation has been clOuded by many
escapades He is more than fifty years
of age.
On the other hand lionel" Bratiano
is young, vigorous. manly and unmerce-
nary That he will become the leader
of the Liberal party, as his father was,
is generally admitted. He is only thirty
FIVE years old His ambitions are lofty
and his motives d,sinterested and high.
He cannot offer Miss Astor the rainbow
promise Of throne but his power. il
not his title, is likely. In the course of a
year or two. TO exceed that of Prince
Ferdinand. even should the Prince be-
come King.
Between the claims Of these two suitors
Miss Pauline Astor has expressed no
choice. but ner actions are significant.
For four months she has fingered with
her brother in Bucharest, where Bratiano
is assiddOus in pressing his suit for her
hand The two are very often seen to-
gether and it is evident to the most care
less observer that his attentions are not
unwelcome.
The atmosphere surrounding her is one
which might be expected 10 influence her
IN his favor. She is the constant COM
panion Of the Crown Princess of Rou-
mania, whose guests she is, and is on
terms of close friendship with King Carol.
She dimes en- famille at the royal palace.
Both the Princess and the King are
srdent supporters Of Bratiano If Miss
Astor should want title the King would
doubtless be glad to bestow one on his
favorite minister.
Besides all this, it is very well known
that Prince Ferdinand has used every
means to induce Miss Astor to visit So
phia. but has failed.
Taken altogether. it is a strange posi-
ton forg this young woman. who was
born in New York and who has passed
the greater part of her life in London,
where her fathers wealth and his pas
sion for titles and aristocratic society
have hedged in her life. The enormous
riches that will some day be hers have
attracted scores Of distinguished sui,ors,
and she could have been duchess had
she ana her father so wished.
If she desires TO have real power. to
be force in the world. to play the game
of international politics, as the young
Roumanian minister she could have abun-
dant opportunities.
The report that Miss Astor was to
wed lionel Bratiano was first publish
ed in the Vienna newspapers. When the
independence Roumaine. of Bucharest.
published short denial the following
day no one took it seriously. In fact,
one of Bratiano's friends and political
supporters walked UP to him during
sitting of the Chamber and congratulated
him on his engagement. The young man
was painfully embarrassed and seemed
IN doubt whether to deny or accept the
calculations. After few moments of
hesitation he said seriously that there
was no cause for congratulations.
\ few days ago King Carol asked one
of his ministers if there was anything
the minister replied:
There is nothing that interests the
people half so much just now as the news
that my colleague Bartiano is going to
marry Miss Astor"
The King at first appeared much sur
prised and then smiled as if ne had al
ready heard something about the report.
4 can't believe it" said His Royal
HighneSs. although his tone indicated
something quite different.
For many years nothing has interested
e. Bucharest society so much as the visit
OF Miss Astor and her brother. and the
results which seem likely to follow 1t
was ten months ago mat the youthful
Astors came to Bucharest as the guests
OF the Crown Princess aIare. whose &C
quaintance Miss Astor had made in Lon
don
They remained in Bucharest but a short
time. during which they We're much
sought after by the first families in the
capital and given the most brilliant en-
tertainments, The children Of the ex-
patriated American millionaire had plan
ned long journey 70 the east and they
continued on their way. The original
itinerary contemplated but a brief STAY in
Bucharest on their return. They reach
ed the Roumanian capital in January
and they have been here ever since
Apartments wore prepared for them
In the Crotoceni palace. where Crown
Princess Marie lives surrounded by all
the beautiful things that wealth can fur
nisn
Princess Marie is a very remarkable
young woman. She is the daughter Of the
Duke Of Edinburgh who married Rus
sian. OF the royalty Of Europe Marie is
perhaps the most brilliant and daring.
She rules her husband splendidly
Princess Marie is even lovelier than
her photographs indicate Before the
camera she loses the wonderful expires
sion. the vivaoity. piquancy and naivete
which are her chief charms She Is some
thing Of an aesthetic and devotee Of mod
err European schools of art.
Princess Marie delights in England and
in English society. She deprives a vast
amount Of amusement from poking fun
at her mother-in-law. Carmen SYLVIA
the Queen who writes and who takes her
self and the cultivation OF the arts most
seriously. and who has surrounded her
self with a court OF musicians. painters
and literary men. Princess Marie saws
no end OF clever things about Garments
Academy as she calls her mother-in-
laws court.
Also Princess Marie Is amazingly ex-
travagant- She spends a huge amount