The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-03-05

S14oA OA Ao1 PaIC' Out JIG IIuCeSS
was fully as proud as the Grand Duke.
and, overcoming the violent throbbing
of her heart, she said politely to him
ave are all very sorry to see your I'M
perial Highness leave us so soon.
Would it not have been possible for you
t. defer your departure?'
"You will all be very sorry?" mutter-
ed the Grand Duke, not entirely salts
fed by the vagueness of sorrow which
these words. of the Princess implied.
But, You in particular; madam" he
added after some hesitation: "for I will
depend on you alone whether I shall
stay here or depart"
"Ah!" replied Charlotte, with her
sweetest smile; "and what have to
do to. keep Your Imperial Highness
here?"
"You must permit me to address my
admiration and homage to you"
els that ala"
"And you must encourage me to
please you"
''That is much more difficult" said
the Princess, with deep blush, but at
the same time her eyes beamed forth so
much affection and delight that the
Prince could see at a glance that his
fondest hopes had been realized before
hand.
During my short stay at Berlin"
the Grand Duke continued, in the same
tone 81 voice, II have taken pains to
study your character and your affections;
and this study has satisfied me that you
would render me happy; while, on the
other hand, I have qualities which would
secure your own happiness"
The princess was overcome with
emotion, and in her confusion did not
know what to answer. At last sshe
SAID:
"But here, in the presence of the
whole court, at the public table, you
put such a question to mel"
"Oh!" replied the prince, "you need
not make any verbal reply. It will be
sufficient for you to give me some
pledge of your affection. I see there
on your hand small ring, whose pos
session would make me very happy.
Give it to me?"
What do you think Of? Here, in
the presence of hundred spectators ?"
"Ah, it can easily be done without
being seen by anybody. Now we are
chatting so quietl; with each other
there is not one among the guests who
suspects in the least what we are speak
ing about; press the ring into morsel
of bread and leave it on the table. 1
will take the talisman and nobody will
notice it."
"The ring is really talisman."
II expected So May hope to hear
its his tory?"
""Why net? Ny first governess was
a Swiss lady by the name of Wilder
matt. Once she went to Switzerland to
enter upon an inheritance which had
been bequeathed to her by distant re1-
alive. When she came back to Berlin
a few weeks afterward, she showed me
quite collection of pretty and costly
jewe]ry, which formed part of the in
heritance. This is a curious ring
said TO her rs put this little old fash
Toned ring on my finger. Does it not
look queer and cunning? Perhaps it is
all old relic or talismnn, 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 I
could not getit off; for was a little
tieshier then than now" said Charlotte,
smilingly. MY governess insisted on
my keeping the ring as a souvenir. I
accepted the present, and the ring has
been on my finger ever since. Some
time afterward, when was contemplate
ing its strange workmanship, succeed
ed 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 Imper-
ial Highness, what do you think were
the words engraved upon it? I think
when you hear themyou will take some
interest in the ring"
"Ah! and pray what were they?"
"The words engraved upon the inside
were, Empress Of Russia This ring
had undoubtedly been presented by an
Empress of Russia to the relatives of
Mrs. Wlldermatt, for was told that
both this lady and her mother had for
merly belonged to the household of the
Czarina, your most august grandmoth-
err" "This is really remarkable" said
the Grand Duke, thoughtful]y. II am
quite superstitious, and I am really
inclined to regard this ring, if I should
be happy enough to receive it from you
as a pledge 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 small piece of bread,
played carelessly with it, and managed
to pass the ring into the soft crumbs.
Then she dropped it playfully on the
table quite close to the plate of her
And, after this adroit exhi.
bition of her skill as an actress, she
continued to eat as unconcernedly as if
she had performed tho most trivial
action of her life.
With the same apparent GOODNESS and
Indifference the Grand Duke picked up
the bread inclosing the ring, took the !
latter out of its ingenious envelope and
concealed it in his breast, for it was too
small to fit any of his fingers It was
this ring-both the pledge of Charlotte's
love and the suspicious omen of his
own elevation to the imperial dignity |
which Nicholas wore on gold chain |
around his neck to the very last day of |
his life, and which, if we are not mis-
taken, has even descended with him in |
to the vault of his ancestors.
Three years aftarward, in 1917,
Princess Charlotte, then only 10 years
of age, and in the full splendor of beau
ty and happiness, made her entry INTO
st. Petersburg by the side of her hus-
band, whose eye had never looked
prouder and whose Olympian brow had
never been more serene than at this hap
piest 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 rejoicings, and then
agein upon his fair young bride, per-
haps the inscription on the ring re-
Cured to his mind; for. bending his
head close to the ear of Charlotte, he |
T0 ~