Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-08-04
How He Got
Even With Her
By BARBARA PHlPPS

A young Swedish nobleman came on
arriving at age to title without a for
tune. He was bemoaning his fate to
friend and announcing his intention to
drop his title and 60 where he would
be known merely as Paul jacobson
when his friend said to him:
why not make a matrimonial trade,
Paul? Marry some woman who has
inherited fortune made in trade.
There are many such who would be
glad to exchange a part of a fortune
for title"
Il don't wish to marry, and If mar
ried commoner it would avail moth
Ing. Ny wife would not be received at
court, end that would ostracise me So
cially."
but you need be her husband only
by law. You need not live with her;
you need not see her."
Converted to the idea, Paul adver-
tised for wife who would exchange
a part Of her fortune for his title, speci-
flying that it was to be a purely CON-
merc1al transaction. The only draw
back was that neither party could
marry another; they must remain sin
gle
He received several replies, one of
which he accepted. Bertha Stair,
whose father had made an enormous
fortune in trade, agreed to exchange
what would be 100000 in American
money for the privilege Of being
Countess Wendalen. She expressed
herself content with the title and will
ling to dispense with the husband.
They were married by proxy. the
wife's solicitor paying the money at
the time Of the ceremony
The count had not been married long
before he heard that the Countess Wen
dalin, a very beautiful woman living
in the northern part of Sweden, or
Norland, had received the thanks of
the king for charities she had bestow-
ed on the poor and had been invited
to one of the balls given at the palace
at Stockholm. The count pricked up
his ears. He attended the ball, but
kept out of his wife's way, seeing her,
yet taking care that she did not see
him. Being very much struck with
her, he wrote her letter proposing
that they make their marriage a real
! connubial union. The reply he received
was that she had married him for his
! title and had no use for him personally
! whatever.
| I'LL make her pay for that,' SAID
Paul.
! Not long after the countess had re
turned to her home a valet came one
evening to her residence and said tha
his master, who had been hunting il
! the vicinity, had been injured by {
; fau5from his horse. Would the count
; ess give him shelter till the next day
The countess gave orders that he wa
! to be brought to the house and treated
with every consideration. She receiv
ed him herself and sent for her physt
clan to attend him.
! The Invalid proved to be a handsom,
young man, and an invalid Is sure t,
enlist sympathy. The countess a
once became much interested in him
and since he did not seem we'll enough
to depart on the following morning sh,
insisted that he should not attempt t,
do so. The countess being a woman
who could not possibly marry and tn
invalid being an attractive man, tn
most natural thing in the world wa
I ha CHI 20 sv, ~,
She read to the poor fellow and talk
ed with him and made nice things wit
her own hands for him to eat. In re
turn he listened to whatever she sait
with rapt attention, having the goo'
sense to know that listener is NOR
interesting than talker.
Several weeks passed before the in
valid was able to be moved, and the1
he told the countess that he nigh
better have been killed by his fall. TO
he should die Of grief for love Of her
He was but poor young man with
out fortune, and, of course, unto,
with her was impossible. She told hin
that his poverty would not keep then
apart, but she confessed that she wa
already married. At this he bemoan
ed his fate and departed.
One day Count Wendalen received
proposition from his wife through he
solicitor to pay him an additional $50
600 provided he would consent to d
vorce. He declined the offer. An &C
ditional $4,000 was offered, but tn
count was not tempted. The negotis
tons were broken off for a brief intel
val when another $4,000 was Offered
When the amount Of the offer reache
100000 the count consented, but stil
ulated that the money should be pal
him personally by the countess.
To this his wife consented and O.
an appointed day the count set GU
for Nor1and. He was not received q
the porte-cochere by the countess, a
the injured huntsman had been we
coined, but was shown into a reception
room to await her coming. When sh
entered the room, whom should sh