Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-28

weeks waning, WINE there we can H.
united at once"
THIS was not true. No coupIa co,,,.
be married in the Greek church dn-s.s
Lent in Russia any more than in parls
The girl protested, but in vain. &C.,
moff seemed determined, ard. beca-s
ing fearful Of his integrity, not dar,,.
to keep her secret longer, Heloise ,oIs
her mother OF his solicitations.
At the same time rumors came :.
Mrs. Durand that StremofY was a raj.
and profigate, without any sense =
honor whatever. Fortunately the m
rands were relatives of the Amer,c,.
minister at St Petersburg, and n.
mother wrote him with reference !.
the marriage and the rumors she h,a
heard. The ambassador wrote her !.
come at once to the capital.
The fact of having the influence ~
one of so much importance at the Rms
sian court makes this episode In resr
life one of the remarka BILE stories % n.
world Mrs. Durand and the youar
bride-the latter assumed the title ana
name of Countess Stremoff-went 4
Russia and stayed at the Amer,c,,
embassy. They were informed nv N.
counts brother that he was a villain
and that they had better have NOTHING
further to do with him.
Stremoff while drawing a younv
American girl into his tolls had no idea
that she had the opportunity Of caIlinp
to her aid the power of the United
States. Her cousin. the ambassador
took the matter as an indignity to an
American citizen TO the Russian eoy.
eminent and asked for redress for tbe
young countess. The result of his rem
reservations was an arrangement b.
tween the two powers that the pair be
officially married at Warsaw. in Rus.
sian Poland. The count. who BY this
time had thrown off the mask, shown.
that he had intended to make Miss
Durand his dupe. refused to go to War.
saw or be married.
And here comes in among the wrongs
that may be perpetrated by despotic
power a case of right Probably nc
other sovereign. no head of a republic
surely, would have been able to compel
this rascal to do justice to the girl be
had intended to win for the purpose O,
deserving her when won, except the
car of Russia.
One day Stremoff received an Official
document from the car ordering him
to go to Warsaw and complete the
marriage that he had begun Oh the Ri
viera. An order from the autocrat Of
all the Russias to one of his subjectsis
not to be despised. One who by nod
xr-ffh h.
blance of a trial, to work in the dread
ed mines in Siberia is not likely to be
disobeyed when he directs man to do
justice to a woman. And the wronged
girl had behind her the power Of the
great American republic TO re-enforce
the car.
Count Stremoff dared not disobey his
sovereign's order, and at the appointed
time the so called wedding party met
at the church, the bride wearing
black dress, attended by her fasaer.
her mother and the grooms brother
who had been very kind to the In
jured girl. The father had concealed
on his person a revolver. determined
that if the villain refused TO convey
the necessary legal rights to his
daughter he would at least prevent his
working any more mischief.
The bride and groom met at the altar
rail. Probably no more dramatic
scene, certainly no more unique one
ever was enacted in a church The
groom was simply passing through
form in obedience TO the will Of one
who held over him the power OF Ms
and death; the bride was enduring an
ordeal to make her legal wife. Bui
for her it was a terrible crisis, know
ing as she did that her father was
armed and at the slightest disposition
on the part of the groom to recede the
ceremony would be turned into trag
edy. She must have prayed silently
there before the altar that she might
be spared bloody ending of her mis-
fortune.
The priest began the marriage sefs-
ice, all save the bride keeping their
eyes fixed on the count, wondering by
what loophole, if any. he might az
tempt to escape what was TO be forca
upon him. To all, especially the Drlde,
the service seemed interminable. But
at last it was ended, and Heloise Du
rand had become legally as Wen Is
really the Countess Stremoff. The prae
and groom parted at the door OF tns
church, never TO meet again.
The Americans fed from Russia a.
once. for by the Russian law the nus
band can imprison, beat, in every VIZ
III treat his wife if he can get his nanos
on her. They reached the border tDs
same day and were safe.
What became OF the groom. whetne4
be continued his villainy or had oeen
sobered by this one experience, Is ~
known. The wedding took place mols
than half century ago. and his nalns
save for this episode. wherein
showed his villainy, has sunk INTO w
ivion. Not so his wife. She pecamD
,ne of the worlds famous actress
Yet of all the dramas in when sne
aver played 1t is questionable II az!
vas so truly dramatic as the one
which she had played the reah w
principal role In the days OF her earn
Touth.
Jan. 20 In American