Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-26
\ April 81, 1879, radiant spring day, the little
borough of Kermor, in Brittany, was en- tete.

~ borough Of Kermor, in Brittany, was en- tste.
merchants and laborers, and children with their
best Sunday clothes on, were assembled in the old
church witness the marriage of Yvonne de Kermor,
the only child of their beloved landlord and benefacto
Count de Kermor, to Marquis Gontran de Randall 1t
was not marriage de convenance, mere exchange OF
titles and coronets; for the bridegroom and the bride
had known each other from childhood. Neither was it
a marriage for money; for the groom at least as
wealthy as the bride. 1t was marriage for love-
Yvonne was beautiful woman highly educated, of
refined tastes charitable to but at the same time
of extreme frmness. She true Breton. Gontran
was typical nobleman At the age OF seventeen, dur
ing the Franco Prussan War; he enlisted in the Bat
TALON of Sharpshooters of Catheneau and took most
active part in the defense of small open town, Viii
LANES la Juhe when hundred and twenty German
Hnssards de la Mort were either killed, wounded, or
taken prisoners This brave little town saved from
complete destruction by heavy artillery through the
timely signing of the ar1nstice early in 1871. Dur
ing these skirmishes Gontran was wounded three times
his acts of bravery duly reported to the Secretary
of War and in other circumstances he would certainly
have received the cross of the Legion of Honor
Every symptom pointed to happiness, rank, title,
fortune, and love. Yet in this sky, there was
cloud. Marquis de Randall strongly inclined to
gambling and betting. Count de Kermor was well
aware of it, and while his future in law had dowry
larger than that of his daughter, he exacted IN
order to protect Yvonne against the of gambling
that the contract of marriage be under the Regime de
separation de biens.
thirty miles south of Paris, which was given by her
father to the Marquise Only one child was bonn
to them daughter whose birth costing the
life of the mother.
FOR three four years the sweet influence of Yvonne
saved Gontran from the evil of gambling. Then
the demon that rampant gained absolute control
over him. Being member of the Jockey Club and OF
the Betting Club where baccarat and ecarte played
daily and nightly for heavy stakes he began to neglect
his wife and his daughter. He constant loser and
soon, order to pay his debts dhonnem he had first
to mortgage and finally to sell all his properties.
He made his wifes life unbearabe; slowly but surely
f1oyh mood n
of Sorges with her daughter Yoande while her husband
occupied bachelor apartments on Boulevard Haussrnan
His only visits to Sorges when after heavy loss
he had to mplore his wife to to his to
what he called "the honor of the name
For over fourteen years gambling hung the head
of Yvonne like relentless and pitiless sword Yolande
was beautiful young raised by her mother
in the stricest From her mother she had in
herited rmness, rather tenacty, most uncommon
in young girls of her age from her father profound
dsdain for necessities of life She loved her mother
for her devotion and her patence she loved her father
for his very faults.
Nevertheless, the estrangement between these two
beings she loved dearly and their frequent quarre
had fostered in her the medatve almost sulen mood
Unborn III every Breton.
A FEW days before the tragedy took place the faith
full wife sent to her husband the following letter.
which was found in his desk after his arrest:
Herewith send you check for five thousand francs
had saved this for the trousseau of Yolande 1t
the last sacrifice will make insanity My daughter
and myself have lived here quietly economically IN
order to pay your gambling debts AS long income
sufficient we'll and good but remember will
reduce daughter poverty and want satisfy
craving for cards, do here any and
yourself the shame of mporing for it would be
useless AS mother place the future of daughter far
above your called honor of gambler. This is final!
Three days later he lost sur parole twenty thou
sand dollars He had only twenty hours to pay it,
under penalty of being expelled from the club He
hired an automobile, and driven to the castle of
Sorges. He alighed at the iron gate, dismissed the
chauffeur, and entered the park that surrounded the