The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-11-18
How He Cot
Even With Her
By BARBARA PHlPPS

"A young OWeulSn HODleHndn came on
arriving at age to a title without a for
tune. He was bemoaning his fate to a
friend and announcing his intention to
drop his title and go where he would
be known merely as Paul Jacobson
when his friend said to him:
why not make a matrimonial trade.
Paul? Marry ONE woman who has
inherited a fortune made In trade.
There are many such who would be
glad to exchange a part of a fortune
for a title"
81 don't wish to marry, and II I mar
ried a commoner 1t would avail moth
ing. My wife would not be received at
court, and 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 a wife who would exchange
a part Of her fortune for his title, speci-
flying that 1t was to be a purely COM
mercial transaction. The only draw
back was that neither party could
marry another; they must remain sim
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
wtfe'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 ear He attended the ball, but
kept out Of his wife's way, seeing her,
yet taking care that she did not see
ILL., oCAhB fCIJ IuuCn bL1uCh WILL
her, he wrote her a 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.
"I1l 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 that
his master, who had been hunting in
the vicinity, had been injured by a
fall from his horse. Would the count
ess give him shelter till the next day?
The countess gave orders that he was
to be brought to the house and treated
with every consideration. She receiv-
ed him herself and sent for her physi-
clan to attend him.
The invalid proved to be a handsome
young man, and an invalid is sure to
enlist sympathy. The countess at
once became much interested In him,
and since he did not seem we'll enough
to depart on the following morning she
insisted that he should not attempt to
do so. The countess being a woman
Who could not possibly marry and the
invalid being an attractive man, the
most natural thing In the world was
that she should fall in love with him.
She read to the poor fellow and talk
ed with him and made nice things with
her own hands for him to eat. In re-
turn he listened to whatever she said
with rapt attention, having the good
sense to know that a listener is more
interesting than a talker.
Several weeks passed before the in
valid was able to be moved, and then
he told the countess that he might
better have been killed by his fall, for
he should die of grief for love of her.
He was but a poor young nan with
out fortune, and, of course, a union
with her was impossible. She told him
that his poverty would not keep them
apart, but she confessed that she was
already married. AT this he bemoan-
ed his fate and departed.
One day Count Wendalen received a
proposition from his wife through her
solicitor to pay him an additional $780,
600 provided he would consent to a d.
vorce. He declined the offer. An adj
ditional $4,000 was offered, but the
count was not tempted. The negotia-
lions were broken off for a brief inter-
val when another $4,000 was offered.
When the amount Of the offer reached
100000 the count consented, but stip-
ulated that the money should be paid
him personally by the countess.
To this his wife consented and on
an appointed day the count set out
for Norland. He was not received at
the porte-cochere by the countess, as
the injured huntsman had been well
coined, but was shown into a reception
room to await her coming. When she
entered the room, whom should she
see but the man who had won her
heart as an invalid.
Excuse me-" she said, drawing a
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