Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-03-05

head was clouded, aud ms gloomy eJoS
seemed TO follow in space vague piian-
toms fittings before his imagination.
Repeatedly he neglected to reply TO
Questions addressed to him; and When
he was asked TO respond to a toast wnicn
one al the ROYAL Princes had proposed to
his honor, he seemed to awake from =
profound dream which had entirely
withdrawn him from his surroundings:
Suddenly, as if by a mighty effort OF
his will. he turned 10 his fair neighbor
and whispered, SO Ms only 70 be under
stood by her: u
$50 i shall leave Berlin tomorrow
He Paused abruptly and looked at
the Princess, as if he we're waiting ior
a n answer which expressed sorrow ahu
grief ON her part. But the Princess
was fully as proud as the Grand Duke,
and. overcoming the violent throbblpg
of her heart, she said politely to nm
"We are all very sorry TO see your I'M
perial Highness leave us so SOON.
Would il not have been possible for you
to defer your defarturef'
HYou will all be very sorryy' mutter-
ed the Grand Duke, not entirely salts
fed by the vagueness OF sorrow when
these words of the Princess Implied.
"But you in particular, madam, he
added after some hesitation: "for / will
depend on you alone whether l shall
STAY here or depart"
"Ahi" 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"
as that allg"
"And you must encourage me to
please you"
'sThat Is much more difficult" said
the Princess, with a 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 nv short stay at Berlin,
the Grand Duke continued, in the same
tone of voice, II have taken pains 10
study your character and your affections
and this study has satisfied me that you
would render me happy; while, on the
other hand, Ihaye 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 she
SAID:
but here, in the presence Of the
whole court, at the public table, you
put such a question to meV'
"Ohl" replied the prince, you need
not make any verbal reply. 1t will be
sufficient for you to give me some
pledge Of your affection. / see there
on your hand G small ring, whose pos
session would make me very happy.
Give it to me?".
What do you think of? Here, in
the presence of a hundred spectators y
"Ah, ii can easily be 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 speak
ing about press the ring into a morseI
of bread and leave ii on the table. ]
will take the talisman and nobody vii
notice it."
"The ring is really o talisman."
al expected {. May l hope to hear
its history?"
"Why net? Ny first governess wa,
a Swiss lady by the name of Wilder.
matt. Once she went to Switzerland Il
enter upon an inheritance which had
been ~bequeathed TO her bya distant rel
alive. When she came back TO Berlin
a few weeks afterward, she showed ms
quite a collection of pretty and costly
iewelry, which formed a part of the in
heritance. This is q curious ring,
said | 10 her AS / putthis little old-fash
toned ring on my finger. Does it no
look queer and cunning? Perhaps it j
an old relic or talismnn, and may have
been worn centuries ago by a pious lady
who had received il from hel
Knight, starting for the Hol,
Land / tried TO take the ring
from my finger again, but
could not get il off; for / was a littl'
feshier then than now" said Charlotte
smilingIy. MY g~overness insisted o.
my keeping the ring as a souvenir.
accepted the present, and the ring ha
been on my finger ever since. Som
time afterward, when / wa contemplat
ing its strange workmanship, i succeed
ed in pulling il from my finger, and wa
much surprised at seeing engraved Of
the inside some words, which, thong
nearly rubbed out by the wear Of tim
we're still legible. Now, Your Imper
ial Highness, what do you think wer'
the words engraved upon it? / thin
when you hear them you will take som
interest in the ring"
"Ahl and pray what were theyp"
"The words engraved upon the msid
were, Empress of Russia This rim
had undoubtedly been presented by a
Empress Of Russia 10 the relatives Q
Mrs. Wilderrnatt. for / was told tina
both this lady and her mother had for
merly belonged to the household of tn
Czarina, your most august grandmoth
err" "This is really remarkable" sai,
the Grand Duke, thoughtfully. IL an
quite superstitious, and / am reali
inclined to regard this ring, il I shoul,
be happy enough to receive it from yo'
as a pledge of your love, as an omen 0
very auspicious significance"
In answer to this second and eve
more direct appeal TO her heart, tn
Princess took a small piece of bread
played carelessly with it, and manage,
to pass the ring into the soft crumbs
Then she dropped it p~layfully on tn
table quite close to the plate Of he
neighbor. And, after this adroit exhi
bition of her skill as an actress, sh
continued to eat as unconcernedly as j
she had performed the most trivia
action of her life.
With the anne apparent GOODNESS AM
indifference the Grand Duke picked nj
the bread inclosing the ring, took til,
latter ont Of it's ingenious envelope an,
concealed il in his breast. for il was to-
small to fit shy of his fingers. 1t wa
this ring-both the pledge OF Charlotte
love and the suspicious omen of hi
own elevation to the imperial dignit,
which Nicholas wore on a gold chair
around his neck 10 the very last day o
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