The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-06

atlves. But what did Mary want With
a Count without title or Inheritance?
| There were no cartoon artists III
that day but those wicked paragraph
ers had a field day Of it. One ran IN
this way, if my memory serves me
right:
"Mary had little Count,
His hide was white as snow;
Everywhere that Mary went
The Count was sure to go.
The whole gamut Of "Mary and
the lamb" was spun out in the differ
ent papers. Another verse ran thus
"What makes the Count love Mary
so,
The people all did cry.
Because Mary loves the "chink,"
you know,
The Comte did reply.'
And SO it went the rounds Of all
Europe,
firing Of the tickle and the efete
Gaul, Mary and her co-adventuress,
Miss Pearl, next bent their steps to-
wards the capitol Of the Russ, their
fame having preceded them, there
they played their beauty and excel
lent French against the fortunesof the
stiff-necked Muscovite. This Jezebel
could have plagiarized Caesars ia
nous saying, ''Veni, vidi, vici, ,"
only she would have put it, II came,
theysaw, and conquered" At every
court ball at the Winter Palace, or
fetes of royalty, she stood the bright
est stan in the galaxy. The Arch
duke Alexander, youngest brother OF
old Nicholas, was smitten to the bone.
He fairly ''brain stormed' over this
republican queen. Alas! for Mary!
Alas! for Alexander!
Mary was at the zenith Of her con-
quest, her little toes barely touching
the earth, while her eyes were among
riffs in the cumulus, diamonds, jewels,
precious gems fell at hers and Miss
Pearls feet in such quantities that
it began to seem sacrilege to gather
more. A great ball was to be given.
The Winter Palace was ablaze with
splendor. The oldest and bluest blood
of the empire was there. Mary was
soaring to perilous heights. Alexander
sought private interview just before
the opening of the doors to the great
ball room. They met in a little alcove
Alexander bedecking her with the
most ancient and costly jewels in all
Europe, some of which had come
down from the great Catharine, be-
ing a part Of her crowned jewels.
The daring Archduke did not intend
that Mary should wear these jewels;
he only wished to see her in the setting.
They were to be hers, of course, but
outside Of the "dominion Of the
great White Gar" But vanity has
been the ruin Of better women than
Mary. When the great vaulted arches
of the corridors began to resound with
merry laughter and small talk, beau
ty and royalty thronging in the great
ball room, Mary. robed in all the
splendor that French artists could
devise, weighted down with jewels and
gems worth half millions, glided in
on the arm Of some obscure noble
man.
When she entered the assemblage
stood entranced. She was the very
incarnation Of southern womanhood
and beauty, adorned in such an array
Of Jewels and gems, and robed in
garments as the queen herself might
nave envied. Every tongue was still
ed in admiration and astonlshment.
But the keen scented old Car gave
a squint at this plebian beauty and
adventures. and detected the jewels
Of his grandmother. Calling his
Chamberlain to him he asked
for facts. they we're soon forth
coming. Then he ordered these
jewels replaced, and beautiful Mary
was escorted beyond the frontier
within twelve hours, with an admo-
inition that if caught within his con-
fines again, she would spend her time
in future in Siberia.
Alexander was placed in what is
called "diserace," with orders never
Ito hold office of trust in the limits of
the Empire, and banished from the
Thrones influence. To the day OF his
death he held some minor official po-
sition. outside the realm.
Mary's wings were only clipped.
She futtered to Monte Carlo, and
tboro o,anoh1e6 aWay a KINGS ransom.