The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-04-15

staeo1 tha4 ~ struck her and mocksl
hoS DORM.
0he coul6 not obtain : divorces from
her husband abroad. TO obtain one n
Amss1ca would tive her no right Oves
her child In Russia or Austria. Hes
only sourc was TO run away with
the little one.
So a day the countess packed mp
few Of her belongings and. with her
little girl. Ned 10 London. She let II
b. known In the counts household
that she had gone to Paris In order TO
throw him on the scent a long rs
possible.
Kidnapped BY the Father.
One day. Z week or ~ later. while
the little Girl was put for m airing
with her nurse. 4 big touring automo-
bile. which was seemingly speeding
aiong. came to . sudden halt. The
countess. while making her headQuar.
tiers 1t the Savoy. In town, had ~
Questered the child In . cottage at
campden Hin. one Of the suburbs Of
London. In charge OF the nurse. whom
she trusted implicitly. Three men
Jumped out Of the auto. and q Of
the engaged the maid with some
Que6lions about the route In the neigh
boFhood- The two other men-one Of
them wrapped up In . big motoring
coat and cap. whose face was half
concealed by q motoring mask-inter-
exted themselves with her little charge
and set the -choo choo~ going to
amuse her.
While the nurse was good naturally
trying 10 explain to the very agree
able stranger the little she knew
about Campden Hill. and while the
baby Vas gleefully chuckling over the
noise the motor made. something
strange happened. The agreeable man.
without 70 much as m apology. made
. sudden jump and leaped into the au-
tomobile. and before the poor. dunn
founded nurse girl could rub her eyes.
the big machine ri speeding over
the hills and far away with him. the
wv tlkG 00Oy
Detectives under the immediate
guidance OF the count had tracked the
countess ut every step she had made
since her flight. and the nan In the
big furs and the motor mask who had
kidnapped the baby Was the count him
self.
The vain and wearisome hunt to To-
cate the baby. and the poor young
mothers distracted efforts to have her
little one restored { her. Is a long
story.
Offered 70 Return to Husband.
Lawyers were secured. all influence
possible TO secure was brought to bear
ON the ase and all Russia, Poland
and Austria were ransacked by search
ers to find the baby's hiding place.
The countess. who lis passionately
fond Of her baby. al last was at her
wits end Every that had
been suggested had been tried-but
hopelessly.
Then came q bitter pill TO swallow.
In her intense love and longing once
more to hug the child to her bosom.
the miserable mother finally consent
ed to the humiliation of promising that
she would 90 back 10 her husband IL
only he would share the baby with
her.
During these negotiations, In which
the oun pretended to be agreeable to
a reconciliation. arrangements were
made by the lawyers ON both sides for
the mother TO see the child. first, In q
house near Vienna. The countess. her
heart beating high with expectancy.
arrived In an automobile at the place
al two o'clock in the afternoon. the
hour appointed.
But the child was not there. The
countess. torn between conflicting
anger and chagrin. saw In this cruel
episode another wound from the count
10 torture her. and hastily she rode
away again to hide her anguish.
The Counts Explanation.
The count. however, declared. when
the hasco OF the arranged meeting be-
tween mother and child had caused a
afttue8 uApsE1AdItlehS tue
opposing lawyers. that he had acted in
good faith but distrusted the motive
of the countess. His lawyers explained
that the count had been warned to
take every ~precauiion against a plot,
for his wife would resort 10 any trick
TO ksdnap the baby herself. just as he
had dnre. All the roads leading to
the rendezvous were inspected with
the utmost care. and IL was found that
back IN the senu.s there were two
waiting automobiles containing six
mgn.
Later. when the child reached the
house. the greatest possible care was
also taken 70 guard against surprise.
since the suspicions OF the spies had
been keenIy aroused. The child, they
swofe. had been kept In the villa three
hours Ia the belief that the countess.
In her anxiety To see her baby. would
return. but when after q wait Of three
hours she failed To appear again the
little girl was finally sasugE.ed through