The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-03-25
my admiration and homage to you"
us that all ?"
"And you must encourage me to

"And you must encourage me te
please you"
"That is much more difficult, >
said the Princess, with a deep blush
but at the same time her eyes beam
ed forth SO much affection and de-
light that the Prince could see at a
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, Il 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
have 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
"But here, in the presence OF the
whole court, at the public table, you
put such question to me p
"Ohl" replied the Prince, "you
need not make any verbal reply. 1t
will be sufficient for you to give me
some pledge ofyour affection. Isee
there on your hand small ring,
whose possession would make me
very happy. Give it to me ?"
"What do you think of? Here,
in the presence of hundred specta-
tors ?"
"Ah, it can be easily done without
being seen by anybody. Now we
are chatting SO quietly with each
other there is not one among the
guests who suspects in the least
what We are speaking about; press
the ring into a morsel of bread and
leave it On the table. / will take
the talisman and nobody viii notice
it."
''The ring is really talisman."
II expected so. May l hope to
hear its history?"
"Why not? My first governess
was Swiss lady by the name of
Wildermatt. Once she went to
Switzerland to enter upon an inher-
tance which had been bequea.hed to
her by distant relative. When
she came back to Berlin a few weeks
afterward, she showed me quite a
collection of pretty and costly jewel
ry, which formed part of the in
heritance. ''This is curious ring"
said | to her as 1 put this little old
fashioned ring on my finger. ''Does
it not look queer and cunning? Per-
haps it is an old relic or talisman,
and raay have been worn centuries
ago by a pious lady who had receiv-
ed it from her knight, starting for
the H Holy Land" l tried to take the
ring f;om my finger again, but l
could not get it off for / was a lit
tie ffeshier then than now," said
Charlotte, smilingly. my COVER
ness insisted on my keeping the ring
as a souvenir. / accepted the pres
ent, and the ring has been on
my finger since. Some time after
ward. when l was contemplating its
strange workmanship, / succeeded
in pulling it from my finger, and
was much surprised at seeing en-
graved on the inside some words,
which though nearly rubbed out by
the wear of time, were still legible.
Now, Your Imperial Highuess, what
do YOU think were the words en-
graved upon it? l think when you
hear them you will take some inter-
est in the ring"
"Ahl and pray what were they ?"
''The words engraved upon the in
side were. Empress of Russia" This
ring had undoubtedly been present
ed by an Empress of Russia, to the
relatives of Mrs. Wildermatt, for I
was told that both this lady and her
mother had formerly belonged to
the household of the Czarina, your
most august grandmother"
"This is really remarkable" said
the Grand Duke, thoughtfully-" Il
am quite snperstitious, and 1 am
really inclined to regard this ring. if
l should be happy enough to re-
ceive it from you as a pledge of
your love, as an omen of auspic-
ious 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 man.
aged to pass the ring into the soft
crumbs. Then she dropped it play
fully OH the table quite close to the
plate of her neighbor. And, after
this adroit exhibition of her skill as
an actress, she continued to eat as
unconcernedly as if she had perform
ed the most trivial action of ber life.
With the same apparent GOODNESS
and indifference the Grand Duke
picked up the bread inclosing the
ring, took the latter out of its ingen-
ious envelope and concealed it IN his
breast, for it was too small to fit any
of his fingers. 1t was this ring
both the pledge of Charlotte's love
and the auspicious omen of his own
elevation to the imperial 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 descend
ed with him into the vault of his an
cestors:
Three years afterward Princess
Charlotte, then only 19 years of age,
and in the full splendor of beauty
and happiness, made her entry into
81. Petersburg by the side OF her
husband, whose eye had never look
ed 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 to-
gether from all parts of the vast en-
pire to greet the young Princess
with shouts and rejoicings, and then
again upon his fair young bride, per-
haps the inscription upon the ring
recurred to his mind for, bending
his head close to the ear of Charlotte
he whispered Now Empress of
the heart, end some day, perhaps,
Ez- - Al, ~~ol~, J,