A REAL CINDERELLA

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10377, 7 April 1927, Page 5

A REAL CINDERELLA

POOR KITCHENMAID TELLS OF HER EARLY STRUGGLES.

£1,000,000 LEGACY

GIRL WHO ONCE THOUGHT OF KILLING HERSELF.

BERLIN, March 20. “1 have known the time when I even contemplated suicide. Life’ seemed so cruel and hard. I 'lost faith in love itself. But I struggled along, hoping against hope that life would hold out some happier prospect for Die. ” So said Marie Draxdorf Mecrane to-day—the penniless kitchenmaid, •who has just 'been left one million pounds by her uncle, Mr Scheffelhauer, a Milwaukee land speculator. Marie’s romance rivals the story oi Cinderella. In her brief life she has experienced all the changes that Fate deals out to heroines in fairy tales. ~ Born in Le-ipsig, she left school earlj r and went into domestic service, but her beauty entangled her in an affair with a young man, who jilted her and left her with the responsibility of a child. Later Cupid rapped at the door of her heart again, and she became affianced to Joseph Raff, a young bricklayer. ‘‘l could not help weeping tears of joy,” confessed the poor little rich girl, as she sat in the kitchen of the butcher’s family who had helped her in her less fortunate days. “My mind is made up about what I shall do. lam going to stick to my poor sweetheart Joseph, who loved me when no thought of being rich was in our minds. My other sweetheart has tried to come back since he heard of my fortune—hut I cannot forget ” Eighty begging letters a day have been received by the girl since her fortune became (known. All have been put on the fire, along with the scores of offers of marriage she has received.