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Show a LoraySi That's Given As the Reason Why Mr. Frank Leslie Did Not Marry tho Marquis. THE LICENSE HAD BEEN ISSUED. Put All at Once the Handsome and Wealthy Lady Checked Her Effects and Grossed the Sea. Lonihis. July 20. The seven suicides of Mr. Manlilini and the four confessions confes-sions of Mrs. FXizabolh Milton are the only parallels in history and fiction to the oft-repeated rumors aud denials of the engagement of Mrs. Fnink Leslie to the Marquis do Lueville. Nevertheless Neverthe-less the prospective marriage of so distinguished dis-tinguished a journalist as Mi's. Leslie to a British noblomau with one of the proudest titles ever purchased, is of so much interest to tho American public that tho St. Louis Republic reporter has been at pains to investigate the latest rumor of tho engagement which came out, soon after Mrs. Leslie's departure on the City of Rome, and wus denied by her as soon as she canto within hearing hear-ing distance of tho New York newspapers. news-papers. My first efforts led mo to tho office of Registrar Frederick Hearno iu Victoria' street. This gentleman informed inn that Mrs. Leslio and the Marquis de Lueville called upon hitn on the evening even-ing of Thursday, July 10th, and took out a marriage license. Mrs, Leslie was to sail for America on Saturday, and she desired to have the ceremony performed on Friday. Registrar Tiearne told mo that he informed her that one whole day must elapse between the issuance of the license and the ceremony, cere-mony, and that Mrs. Islio Hum told him that she would bo compelled to leave London at 0 o'clock on Saturday morning to catch the City of Rome, und that she must then be married early Saturday morning. "Are you sure," I asked, "that the lady was Mrs. Leslie? Do Lctivilbi is quite capable of obtaining the services of some ono to personate hor." "Sho Is tho same lady to whom I granted a license last year," replied the Registrar. "I issued a license to the same persons last August. I could not. swear that the lady was Mrs. Leslie, but I have every roason to believe thut It was her." ' "Will you describe her!'' I aaked. The registrar described Mrs. Leslie, perfectly, "1 next called at the vestry office in Mount street, Grosveuor square, and when the notices of marriage were shown mn discovered that, Mrs. Leslie and the Marquis de Louv illo tiled notice of an intention of marriage there on August lit, 1HW. Do Leitville described himself as -William Bene Oliver do Lorneoiirt, Marquis de Leuvllle. bachelor, bach-elor, aged 44 residence, OH Victoria street.' Mrs. Leslie was recorded as 'whlow. !IH years of age; residence, Grosvenor hotel. To the question 'in what church or building is the marriage to be performed?' the response is "in tho registrar's office, St. Georges, Hanover square." Turning to the dale of July 10, IW'.IO, 1 found the last record of an intention of marriage on the part of the Marquis and Mrs, Leslio. Hero Do Louvillo described himself as William Wil-liam Oliver, Marquis do Leuville, and gave his ago as 4:1, one year younger than iu 1HWI. Mrs. Leslie's record was the same as in August, IMMlt. Sho still remained !IH years of age, according to the record, but her rcsidenco was the Burlington hotel. To elucidate matters I called at OH Victoria street, the Albert mansions, and was shown into the noble Marquis' drawing-room, an npurtment magnificently magnifi-cently furnished with the most uncomfortable uncom-fortable chairs ever manufactured and decorated with all the most modern designs in brocades. There entered a gray and cadaverous person of masculine mascu-line gender, w ho announced himself us "Cuiit. Humber, the dearest friend of tho Marquis." I told him that I would like to have do Leuvllle explain why Mrs. Leslie so persistently denied the fact of the engagement en-gagement to hint when thut fact Is on record. "My lord is not at home at present," said (''apt. Humber, "but I am sure that if he were here he would say that if the lady chose to deny the fact of the engagement en-gagement he would uphold her iu whatever what-ever she said." ('apt. Humlier then informed mo In confidence, which hn evidently did not care to have shared by persons outside of the Knglish-speakiiig world, that he had chanced to be standing in front of Registrar Heanie's olliceon the evening of Thursday, July 10, when a hansom cabman, whose vehicle was standing before the door, accosted him with the remark: "The Marquis de Leuville has just gone iu there with a rich American lady whom he is going to marry." It struck the captain as so remarkable a coincidence that he should happen to be there and that the cabman should happen to be there also and likewise the horse and the hansom, and he remained re-mained until the Marquis and Mrs. Leslie came out and drove away without with-out seeing him. "I am sure,'' said the captain, "that my lord will desire to bate the matter kept quiet as possible, however, and that iu no event will he consent to I interviewed on the subject." The correctness d Captain Hum-lier's Hum-lier's estimate of William Ren Oliver de Iorncotirt's views of the matter was proved by the circumstances that the marquis called three tinicn at the Republic ollice and finally sent his carriage to bring the reporter to see him. The Marquis was found in a wine vault off ihe strand, sampling 10 Pomi ry Sec with Freeman Thomas and a contingent of admiring satellites. The nobleman needed a shaTe, hair cut and a new hat. but he wore a golden bangle about his manly wrist and wintillated in the region re-gion of the cravat with all the known gein. "This is only a lt er's quarrel." be aid, "Of course if Mrs. I-slie says we are not engaged and never have lieeu I rannot, as a gentleman, deny it. But Never mind." |