The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-31
ing an American girl against

warning an American girl against
latter the poisoning scene he disap-
neared from Paris. We heard nothing
from him until a year later, when
friend at Naples Informed US that the
Count was there with his yacht ana eA-
pecting to marry the daughter OF the
Russian ambassador in Italy. The
next day 1 was on my way TO Russia
with my mother and my brother.
"Goy. Seymour was the American
minister then in st. Petersburg and |
called there upon him. The Car hearo
my story. He was greatly excited at
the recital of my wrongs and vowed 70
settle with the man who disgraced MS
Emperor and the whole Russian nobll-
ity. Immediately he issued an impe-
rial ukase ordering Count Gueroei TO
return to Russia and marry me or take
the alternative of going to Siberia for
life.
.qThe Count was not in Russia, but If
he had disregarded the ukase his es-
tates would have been forfeited ana ne
would never have been allowed to re-
turn to his native land. So he came to
st. Petersburg.
THE Counts family begged me not
to insist upon the marriage because ne
was such bad man. They were AFRAID
he would kill me.
But the Car gave me my passport
himself before the marriage. So when
the Count threatened to keep me IN
Russia by withholding my passport, as
Russian husbands can do under ordi-
nary circumstances, 1 showed him
this passport.
"He had never dealt with an Ameri-
can woman before and he could not be-
Ieve l was able to get SO many favors
! from his sovereign. He was so aston
ished he had not a word to say. l told
him l was not afraid of him and that
would never see him after the marriage
was legalized. But the rites at Nice
were binding to me and l was deter
mined to make him feel the same
/ bonds.
THE Gear ordered the marriage per-
! formed at Warsaw, as the court was
there. and the scene was brilliant
! one. The story, too, had got abroad
4 and excited much interest and the
/ streets were filled with people from the
town and the villages.
1 But l dressed in mourning from head
to foot. My mother and brother were
with me in the church and at the door
stood my father, who had FASTENED
over from America. He had loaded
revolver in his hand and fully intend
! ed shooting Count Guerbel dead If he
made the least resistance to escape the
! ceremony. However, the thought OF
Siberia for life was enough to induce
the count to make me his wife accord
ing to Russian law, as l was already
according to American law.
After the ceremony l took off the
ring and flung it in his face. That IL
not the way a woman usually wins q
mans heart, but, strangely enough, the
count was desperately in love from that
time on. Several times afterward when
1 was in Paris he tried to induce me &c
live with him. But l declined ever
TO see him and he had stormy inter
views with my mother. Once he ap'
peared at our apartments with two bis
policemen and demanded me as his
wife. We were French subjects and We
laughed at him.
when he Gsed l would not touch {
penny of his money or-take a foot o.
his land. And that is the story.
would not tell II as long as he wai
alive, but now that he IL dead perhaps
Il will prevent some foolish American
girl from throwing herself away on I
titled foreigner. They are all alike
they want nothing but her money"