St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-23
THE LIEUTENANT'S PHOTO.

THE LIEUTENANT'S PHOTO.
sit was a cold day toward the end of thu
autumn Of 1879" said Russian officer
THAT L, Alexis Pletneff, sub-lieutenant o
the regiment of the Chevaliers Gardes d'
'lImperatrice, placed myself in the hands
of the well-known st. Petersburg coiffeu +
Deleuri, and dolefully ordered him to shave
off my mustache. the cherished object of Sc
much care and attention. Alas, there was
no help for it. [ had been unfortunate
enough to lose wager to my pretty but
mlschievOus little cousin, Vera O., who
had taken the very mean advantage thereof
to extort from me promise to have my
| photograph taken in female costume.
''In the space of two minutes my mus
tache, which had taken so many long,
weary years to grow. was gone. and Deleuri
was arranging my hair into most elabor-
| ate couture, which he finally finished off by
| pinning Oh my head an enormous Rubens
! hat. trimmed with great yellow bird with
| its beak wide open. | had on most elab-
crate black silk carriage dress with velvet
! mantle, and had it not been for my tall
| stature and ungainly movements L could
| have passed off as a by no means ill-look-
| ing young lady. Deleuri and my servant
| then helped me down stairs and across the
| pavement to my carriage, i'll which l was
driven rapidly off to the court photographer
| Levtsky, sitting as far back in the vehicle
| as possible, so as not to be seen.
I'm far too short time had arrived at
| my destination, the chasseur handed me
out of the carriage, and, my deep bushes
hidden by the veil L began slowly to
| ascend the staircase leading to the photo
| graphic atalier on the second floor. Sud-
denly, when about one-quarter of the way
| up, heard door open on the first floor
landing, and, looking up, to my horror be-
| held the car coming down stairs buttoning
his long military cloak over his uniform
| Being only 10 years of age at the time [
| did what many older men would have done
| in my place-that is to say. l completely
| lost my presence of mind. Instead of
merely remaining where L was and court
seying as he passed, l drew myself up erect
as if OH parade, with my right hand brought
to the side of my hat in true military sa-
lutte.
1.-The emperor considerably surprised
at this behavior on the part of such we'll
! dressed young lady, came down the stairs,
stopped short in front of me, stared at me
for about half minute from head to foot,
and hnallY exclaimed:
"'What does this mean? Who are
you9'
"'Alexis Pletneff sub-lieutenant of the
Chevalier Gardes i Imperatrice, sire,' L re-
piled, in fear and trembling.
land what may be the meaning of this
masquerade?' he inquired. severely.
8. May it please your majesty, 1 have
lost wager to my cousin, Vera o.. and
have been called upon to pay forfeit by
having myself photographed in lady's
Dress
Before had finished the frown on the
cars face had given way to that ever-mem-
orable and winning smile which those who
have seen can never forget.
"'Well, go and have yourself0photo-
graphed in accordance with your promise,
and afterward go to the general command
ing your regiment dressed as you are, and
tell him that ordered you to report to him.
With that he went down stairs, leaving me
convinced that my military career was
ruined forever.
Il hardly know how I got through the
sitting for my portrait which, however,
Levitsky pronounced very successful; but
an hour later I rang the bell at the door of
Gen. Baron II. house. The orderly who
answered the door inquired politely: What
name shall I announce, miss" and was
greatly staggered when l angrily ex-
claimed: why, you idiot, don't you know
me? Announce Lieut.. Alexis Pletneff."
The man stared at me a minute, and then.
stuffing his handkerchief into his ugly
mouth to prevent his screaming with laugh
ter. went into the generals library and
announced me.
81 heard the general reply: Tell M.
pletneff to come in AS L entered the room
the general, without looking up. babe me
take seat until he had finished a letter he
was writing. ! sat for few minutes. At
length he threw down the pen and raised his
eyes, Starting up, he exclaimed: I beg
ten thousand pardons. madame. for
keeping you waiting; but l understood one
of my servants to say that one of my officers
was here to see me- There was no help
for it, so, standing up again erect as on the
staircase at tie photographers an hour pre-
viously, brought my right hand up to the
side of my hat in military salute, and said:
Excelency, l am sub-lieutenant of your
regiment. For the sake of wager had
to go and get photographed in this costum e.
and on my way 1 met his majesty, who
ordered me to come and report myself to
you dressed as | vas %! shouted the
dear old general, who was very fat and
apoplectic. What! the emperor saw you?
The emperor! Why, the boy is lostp and
almost choking he fell back in his arm
chair, gasping Water! waterp
Seeing the old man in danger of a fit, L
yelled for assistance. tore down the bell
rope, and attempted to unbutton the collar
of his uniform. Among the persons who
rushed into the room in answer to my calls
f0, hr,l,, h0 Wi ~
ing her husband half insensible in the arms
of a strange woman, as she thought, was
seized with violent fit of jealousy.
Catching hold of me in no gentle man
ner, and apostrophizing me as shameless
MINK and other equally polite epithets,
she attempted to pull me away.
"'Why, am not she, Baroness; am
he exclaimed 1, almost crying with vex
alton.
''At these words the baroness stared at
me for a minute. recognized me, and then,
notwithstanding the gravity of the situa-
ton. fell into an utterly uncomfortable fit
of laughter The general recovered after
few minutes, and, having ordered me to
remain under arrest in his dining-room I'M
til his return. he buckled On his sword and
went off to the winter palace.
meanwhile, thanks to the indiscretion
of the orderly, the story of my adventures
had spread like wildfire through the bar
racks, and within a quarter of an hour
every one of my brother officers were in
the dining room convulsed with laughter,
in which, though in despair as to the flu
ture. l could not help joining. At last,
after about two hours, during which l had
been made to waltz or polka with each Of
them in turn. the general returned and in
formed me, in his usual kind manner, that
the emperor had taken the matter most
good-naturedly.
His majesty had ordered that was to
remain under arrest for two days for APP
pearing in public without my sword, and
that as soon as my photograph was ready l
was to go to the palace and present copy