The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-07

dilCCblOii anu biitI tllC COulu
see with glance that his fondest hopes had
been realized beforehand.
"During my short stay at Berlin" the
grand duke continued in the same tone of
voice, 1" | have taken pains to study your
character and your affection, and this study
has satisfied Inc that you would render me
very happy while on the other hand have
some qualities which would secure your
own happiness"
The princess was overcome by emotion,
and in her confusion did not know what to
answer. At last she said, I" But here, in
the presence of the whole court, at the pub
lie table, you put such a question to meW
"Oh," replied the prince, you need not
make any verbal reply. 1t will be sufii-
Gent for you to give me some pledge of
your affection. see there on your hand o
small ring whose possession would make
me very happy. Give it to me-"
"What do yo think of? Here in the
presence of hundred spectators ?'
''Ah, it can be easily done without being
seen by anybody. Now we are chatting
so quietly with each other that there is not
one among the guests who suspect in the
least what we are talking about. Press the
ring into morsel of bread and leave it on
the table /; | will take the talisman and no.
body will notice it."
"'rhis ring is really a talisman."
81 expected so. May hope to hear its
history 2"
"Why not I? My first governess was a
Swiss lady by the name of Widermitt.
Once she went to Switzerland in order to
enter upon an inheritance which had been
bequeathed to her by q distant relative.
When she came back to Berlin, few weeks
afterwards, she showed me quite a collec-
ton of pretty and costly jewelry, which
formed part of the inheritance. 'This is
curious old ring said to her as put the
old-iashioned little ring on my finger.
Does it not look queer and cunning ?
Perhaps it is an old relic or talisman, and
may have been worn centuries ago by
pious lady who had received it from her
knight, starting for the Holy Land |
tried to take the ring from my finger again,
but could not get it off for | was little
heshier then than now," said Charlotte,
smilingly. "My governess insisted on my
keeping the ring as souvenir. accepted
her present, and the ring has been on my
finger ever since. Some time afterward
when was contemplating its strange work.
manship, succeeded in pulling it from my
finger, and was much surprised at seeing
engraved on the inside some words which,
though nearly rubbed out by the wear of
time, were still legible. Now, your i'm
perial hghness, what do you think were
the words engraved upon it? | think
when you hear them you will take some
interest in the ring"
"Ah, and pray what were they !"
'!,rhe words engraved upon the inside
were, Empress Of Russia This ring
had undoubtedly been presented by an en-
press of Russia to the relative of Mrs.
Wildermitt, for was told that both this
lady and her mother had formerly belonged
to the household of the czarina, your
august grandmother"
"This is really remarkable" said the
grand duke thoughtfully. 81 am quite
regard this ring, if | should be happy
enough to receive 1t from you as apleoge Of
your love, as an omen of very suspicious
significance
In answer to this second and even more
direct appeal to her heart, the princess
took a small piece of bread, played care
lessly with it, and managed to press the
ring carelessly into the soft crumbs. Then
she dropped it carelessly on the table quite
close to the plate of her neighbor. And af-
ter this adroit exhibition OF her skill as an
actress she continued to eat as unconcern-
edly as if she had performed the most in
significant action of her life.
With the same apparent GOODNESS and in
difference the Grand Duke pickedsup the
bread inclosing the ring, took the latter out
of its ingenious envelope and concealed it III
his breast, for it was this ring-both the
pledge Of Charlotte's love and the ausp-
cious omen Of his own elevation to the i'm
perial dignity-which Nicholas wore on a
golden chain around his neck to the very
last day of his life, and which, if we are not
mistaken, has even descended with him in
to the vault of his ancestors.
Three years after, in 1917, Princess
Charlotte, then only nineteen years Of age,
and in the full splendor of beauty and hap
pness, made her entry into st. Petersburg
by the side of her husband, whose eyes
had never looked prouder, and whose
Olympian brow had never been more serene
than at this happiest moment of his life.
As he looked down upon the vast multitude
who had flocked together from all parts of
the vast empire to greet the young princess
with shouts and rejocings, and then again
upon his fair young bride, perhaps the in
scription Of the ring REQUIRED to his mind
for bending his head quite close to the ear
Of Charlotte, he whispered, Snow En-
press of the hearts, and some day, perhaps,
Empress of the realm"
At this moment the procession reached
the main entrance of the Winter Palace,
where Alexander the First, the Emperor,
surrounded by a brilliant suite Of generals
and courtiers, came to meet his beautiful
sister-in-law, and conducted her into the
sumptuous drawing-rooms of the magnifi-
cent palace of the Cars. Who would be-
leye that eight short years a!tcrward the
brilliant young Emperor had breathed his
last, and that Nicholas and Charlotte would
succeed him on the throne of Russia? Tru-
ly the inscription of the engagement ring
had proven prophetic.