The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-04-29
THE PENITENT CAR.
BEING GUILTY OF INFiDEIiTY TO
THE CZARINA HE CONFESSES,
And Promises Official and Personal
Friendship to King George of Greece
faithful Iord-A Romantic Story,

And Promises Official and Personal
Friendship to King George of Greece
A Noble woman's Faith In Her I'm
faithful Lord-A Romantic Story.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, April ga romantic
story is told to explain the presence of the
c2arina of Russia during the rough and
ready military tour of the car to the south
OF Russia At first it was thought that the
attendance of the czarina and her court and
the czarevitch with her suite was intended
only as cloak to the real nature of the
journey and give it the appearance of
pleasure jaunt This position is no longer
tenable. for the car takes no pains to con
ceal the fact that he is making rigid
tour of inspection and final or
GAM alton of his southern armies.
1t is certain that the Russian arms massed
in Bessarabia and on the shores of the Black
sea do not exist on paper, but that every
man, animal, every gun and sabre and
every pound Of provisions named in the
muster rolls are on hand and ready for i'm
mediate service. Strangely enough the
ezarina seems more interested in these war
like preparations than in all her balls and
other pageantries The rumored reason is
as follows:
1t is said that during the attendance of
tho car and c.arina upon the reunion of the
latters family at Copenhagen last summer
the gallantries of his imperial ma
iesty among the Danish court ladies were
scandalously public and promiscnous At
least the butterfly character of his atten-
items provoked some of the discarded beau
IN, 10 or fa rxift
of course, referring to their own little lapses,
they pointed out to the king the fragrant
breaches of decorun, OF which the Russian
monarch was guilty every day with various
ladies of the court Gtnt,e King Christian
undertook to demonstrate with his august
sonin-law, but he only could stammer out
half his speech What he did
say had the effect of making
the car furious with anger and be
rushed from the room in search
of his wife. He found her in tears
and indicting letter He savagely de-
manded to know for whom that letter was
intended
"For my father, she replied
"Ah!" he roared, then have found the
traitress who has denounced me to the king
and perhaps made me the laughing stock of
Europe"
The c. arina arose, her beautiful ewes
streaming with tears and hell out the letter
to her husband
Sire" she said, read that letter and then
if am guilty You have your sword to give
me the the justice of death"
The letter consisted of a tender and pa
thetie but powerful appeal to the king not
to say one word to the car of tine ISLANDERS
that had lately been floating about the
court Two sentences in the letter especi-
ally commanded the attention of the car
The czarina sail she knew nothing of the
details of the scandals which had only
reached her ears because she had promptly
silenced all who had sought to
tell her, but she knew that her husbaIti, the
great car OF all the Russias, was not and
could not be guilty. The sentence which
affected the car was that, if the king gave
bis endorsement to the SANDER it would in
fict personal stigma upon her which she
would not voluntarily survive This blind
unquestioning faith and self-sacriticinE de.
votion completely disarmed the car, who
really loves his wife, and filed him with
contrition- He confessed that he had been
guilty, and humbly sued for pardon
VI course tnlS WAS granted anu COM
plete reconciliation was quickly effected.
Then the car insisted upon having some
act of penance to perform He besought
his wife to make him some extravagant
| requests, such as buying extravagant laces
or diamonds, doubling her suits of ladies in
| waiting, OF building new and splendid
| palace and he >olemnly swore that howe er
costly and apparently impossible the request
| he would fulfill it
The czarina replied; BE always friend
officially and personally 10 my brother
| Wilhelm"
| The C. ar was rather staggered at this re-
| quest, but he admired Its self-denying char
act5r, and he was bound by his oath. SO he
swore on the cross of the hilt of his sword
the most solemn and binding oath that he
| could formulate that he would aid to the
| fullest extent OF his ability Prince Wilhelm,
of Denmark, now called King Georgius |
of Greece in peace or war, in prosperity or
adversely and in any mutations of fortune
that might occur to him or to his people
| 1t certainly can not lie denied that the
car has repeatedly during the last few
months given aid of an important nature to
| King George, and as the story goes. the
purpose of the car mas presen 81 in tn
| Crimea is to soc that he continues to fulfill
| mo hidden