Evening star., 1920-03-01

even to this day have not seen their
end in the little kingdom.
The story comes in the main from a
young man. one of Prince Carols most
loyal friends, and, indeed, the one
who guided the prince and his be-
trothed to Odessa, protected them
when they We're stopped by the Aus
trians and arranged the plans for
their marriage in the Russian city. A
military scout in the war. a lover of
sports and an experienced traveller,
this young man. Henri Serdici, proved
invalSable in this romantic crisis. 1t
was only that the truth might be
know and many unpleasant rumors
and suspicious dissipated that he came
forward with his story.
But first it is of interest to trace the
growth of the attachment of Prince
Carol for Mile. Lambrino. as told by
Serdici and others.
LambrinO Family Arfstocrntfc.
The Lambrino family has been de-
scribed as aristocratic. 1t is all that
and more, from the Rumanian point
Of view. Some members of the house
even trace their descent from the
Byzantine emperors. They are the
so.e remaining descendants of the
Brancovanos. a very ancient family.
some OF whom. the Prince Regent
capitated in the seventeenth CEN
tury by the Turks. Later the Lam
brinos were again related to prince
regent. one Of them having become the
wife of a Couza of the same family as
Alexander Couza. the hero regent Of
Rumania from 1859 to 1866. Mich
olas Lambrino grandfather of Jeanne,
was in the chamber of Couza the
night the latter was betrayed and
imprisoned because of political
coup, and Couza, as he was led away,
gave gave Nicholas his watch. saying,
Take this in memory of me-"
1t was not extraordinary that
Prince Carol should have formed the
acquaintance of the descendants of
house so linked with the most
memorable events in Rumanian his
tory. The Lambrino family relaaned
and now remainshonored in Bucha-
rest. though its wealth is not what
1t was previous to the war. Before
her husbands death some years ago
Nine. Lambrino mother of the princes
bride. was active in society, and
her children. Jean and Jeanne, were
companions of the most conspicuous
young people in Bucharest
1t was from Prince Carols friend
ship for Jean that the whole affair
started. The prince had numerous
friends among the young sport loving
men of Bucharest. but none closer
tnan Jean-saVe one, and that was
the princes youngest brother. Nikola.
Twice week. or even oftener, the
prince would visit the handsome Lam
brino dwelling. on the Avenue Dom
nitza Anastasia, to see Jean, or he
would send motor car to take his
friend on hunting or racing excur-
sions This, of course. was long be-
fore Rumania entered the war.
No Early Evidence of Romance.
In those days. though, seeing Jean
SO frequently and visiting his home
so regularly. Carol, it is said. gave
no evidence of special interest in
Jeanne. Meantime, after her return
from schools in London and Paris.
where she studied in 1911, 1912 and
1913, Jeanne Cor "ZiZi," as most of
her friends called her), became visi-
BILE to this group, but only as the
daughter of the house has to be when
her brother is entertaining.
She would come into the room
where the young men were, pass a
few minutes in casual talk, and then
retire. or. perhaps: some evenings
she would play and sing for them
while they listened amid the smoke
rings or skylarked about the piano.
AS for the prince. he had no premo-
nitions. his friends think. Prince
Carol never was mad about women.
He never had a serious love affair
before his attachment for Mile. Lam
brino. Always from boyhood he was
of the athletic, strenuous type, de-
voted to sports. 1t was he who in
troduced the Boy Scouts into Ruma-
MIA and became their honorary chief.
Later, as illustrating his interests, he