Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-01-04
y Graf Won ).
Blumen : SchlosS.

ored ~ an invitation from the amnoro.
ana empress and was thereby msdo =
part Of BeGlin society," Nor Wen IN
tell you now.
While In Vienna | was invited 70 =
state ball at the palace. Nv nartnor
IOr sne cotillon was young German
Graf Won Blumen-Schioss. he vas
handsome. refined and of a noble hear,
ms. his social position was Of the
very best not only from his nersonoI.
n.y. but because he represented one of
tne Oldest families of Prussia Mos
a. untitled American whose father had
Deen pork packer and whose bus-
pand was a manufacturer OF SHOES
Nevertheless Graf Won Blumen.SchloSs
treated me with as much attention az
u had been a duchess When with
me no attraction elsewhere couId in
0uce MIN to desist from listening to
what ] had to say to him or to SUSPEND
Tor a moment his attentive gaze unon
my race True, l was then young and
mad some good looks, but | knew n
was not who held his attention. bnt
courtesy Inherited from a long line Of
mobiles. Besides, when he was with
other women he was apparently quite
as much wrapped in them.
He wore an army uniform and on
his breast several decorations. did
not know what they represented. but
4 understood that one of them had
been bestowed upon him for bravery
In battle. think should have fallen
In love with him If l had been single
and given an opportunity. But did
not see him again while In Vienna. and
shortly afterward We VT for America.
Two or three yealt after this, while
In Philadelphia, stopping at one of the
finest hotels in that city, on entering
an elevator one evening to go up to
my rooms was ushered In by a man
wearing the hotel uniform. There was
something about him that was familiar
to me. The uniform Of a servant SEEM
I'd to resolve itself into that of an
army officer. l heard the strains of
dance music and was whirling in the
german cotillon. / raised my glance
to the servants face. Could believe
1t? He was the Graf voD Blumen.
Schloss.
His flaming face told me that it was
indeed he and that he knew ne. but be
made no other sign of recognition.
Nor did ]. The elevator door toward
which he waved his hand stood open.
entered and was lifted 20 the fifth
story. could not bear to run the
risk of continually meeting my pre-
vious cotillon partner reduced to
servant. and the next morning left
the hotel.
Three years after that my husband
gave up business, and we again went
abroad. Being wealthy and abundant
ly able to keep up position in any
foreign city, we desired especially to
spend a winter in Berlin, but on arriv.
ing there my husband, who is an i'm
patient, independent, thorough Amer
lean, gave offense to our minister, and
there was a deadlock upon our en-
tering society. We were about to give
the matter up and go elsewhere when
luton. An invitation came one morn
ing to attend a ball to be given by
Graf and Graf1n Won Blumen-Schloss.
1t was evident, first, that the graf had
resumed his original position In the
world and, second, that he knew was
In Berlin. l assumed that he must
have seen me, though l had not seen
him. We made inquiries and learned
that he had married a wealthy and
refined American lady and had recent
ly been appointed an aid-de-camp to
the emperor.
We went to the ball and were very
Rraeiousiy received by the grafin, VINO
gave as a reason for inviting us that
we were her fellow countrymen. MY
meeting with her husband in his own
home was naturally constrained. He
made no mention of having met me In
America, but asked me If he had not
met me in Europe. I told him that he
had been my partner at state ball In
Vienna. Then he appeared to remem-
Der. He may have been sincere In
not giving evidence of recohecting just
where he had first seen me.
Later an Invitation came to dine
with the emperor and empress which
OF course, was inspired by his aid-de-
camp. the Won Blumen-Schlosses be-
ing Of the dinner party. After this
we were welcome everywhere.
Never did either Won Blum an
Schloss or his wife make the slightest
allusIon to his having been in Amerl-
ca. / as well ignored having met him
In hotel livery. What inspired MS
kindness to me do not know. II
NAV have been intended to keep me
silent on his past or 1t might have
been a token of gratitude for my faii-
ura to recognize him while In meniai
position. Indeed, he might have been
Influenced by both Of these causes
In time ] came upon his story. Soon
after | had danced with him In vienna
financial reverses deprived him OF MS
fortune. Like many an EUROPEAN arts
tocrat in the same circumstances, ne
vent TO America and became q serF-