Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-15

sisted In calling her, '.The Lake Baby, ,
had so entwined herself about the good
old priests heart, that he treated her,
! indeed, very differently from the rest.
! Often IN the early twilights of ths
autumn and winter the child would
sit on the floor before the hot stove
close to the sputtering oil lamp, hel
book In her hand, while her foster
mother went abo-t the house duties
bravely.
And she would say, Mother, 1 re-
member a different house than this
"Yes, well?" And Marianka would
sit down and prick up her ears.
where was It?''
"flow can tellp'
But did we not live somewhere else,
IN large house, with many people
about, say, mother?'
Not that | know?"
"Well, it is strange, for 1 am sure
that l remember it only when | try to
remember it better, it fades all away
just as the fire dies down in the stove. ~
Never mind. Try. What else,
Only the large house by the water. {"
'rhe waterl'' Marianka started.
"Yes-and a beautiful lady, not
dressed like you and L mother-but-"
We'll. how, how?''
"Oh, don't know-there she goes
now in the ashes, and cannot catch a
good sight of her."
well, let 1t alone"
"wel, yes" And Roxandra
munched some sweet seeds, and pre-
sently fell asleep.
''lf her memories sank deep in the
h.asa NF
more an impression on the priest. and
he ENCOURAGED the child to prattle
of her pastl 1t was never more,
or much, only that she seemed to be
struggling after some life that lay hid
den. or far beyond her grasp.
''She loved the palace Of Prince Okla
min, although, nowad Iys, this was a
spot full OF gloom and shadows. The
prince had long since been arrested for
completely in some political cIInes, the
princess for time had lost her reason
they said, and row only lived to seek
increasingly the pardon of her husband,
who was confined IN some prison
no one knew where-and to mourn the
little child that she had suddenly lost.
All this people said, and much more,
but people say many things, and Ivan
Ivanovitch and Marianka his wife We're
sure of none of il.
The palace, that was one thing they
were quite sure Of, the splendid palace
had been seized and turned into a
prison, at least the lower story, which
was level with the lake, was full of
and the iailer'S wives came
to OloI with their children, now and
then to church, on Sundays and saint
days, and RoXandra knew well enough |
the two daughters of Alexis AleXo- |
Witch, the head jailer. Indeed, on her |
raft she had padded up TO the palace |
and lam on her back in the sun looking |
At the splendid large windows of the |
upper part, and at the dungeons below |
with the air holes cut in the masonry |
ind barred with iron.
"Where was il? When was it?r |
ROxandra thought to herself, that she !
lad stood upon beautiful parapet, |
ike this one yonder, and with flowers |
m her hand had run TO meet-well, |
" lom?"
Ah, 1t was surely very perplexing,
NJ she would certainly talk more TO |
he good priest about it.
Which she did.
Month in and month out: year in and |
rear out; until the lake baby was finally 1
. years old; a fine. nay a beautiful |
Toung maiden with straight and erect |
eatures, and long, silky golden braids.
Now" she said to the priest, one /
,arly spring day, "tell me about my
elf. for l am sure you know; where /
liG l come from? 1 am not the true |
,hild of my mother, that 1 know-they |
10 not call me Lake baby for nothing;
,oms now, be agreeable, and tell me;
III ] ask for is the good TRUTH
"Tush, Tush," the old priest said,
adjusting his spectacles.
"No, no, know, feel that 1 am,
7ou know, some one-some one else!
hat Is it, just so-eh?''
''Well, well, what of ltP''
''But / am listening, eh?"
He glanced at her, and then quite
imply he told her the history of the
lay that Marianka found her asleep on
he Lake of Karka, all of it.
"Aud let me see, now, the packet of
,apers; oh, yesP" Her lovely eyes
parkled and flashed. That tells who
am, ehr"
He shook his bead.
"'Whatl Well. what Of it thenp"
"I will show you"
And he did so, ulrolling carefully
he thin paper that had lain undis-
urbed for nearly twelve years.
a few words were written on the
outside in Russian thus: MY daugh-
er, baptized Roxandra." She eagerly
eIzed them.
..AhI" cried she, MY mother wrote
his, aud 1 can remember her-beauti-
then, ah. she fades sol''
"Well?" The priest held up before
er eyes a picture.
Roxandra caught it and pressed 1t to
er lips franrically-
"Oh," she sobbed half laughing,
this IS shell How many times l have
ried To describe her to-mother-and
could not-and this?r she takes the
ther portraits from the hands of the
REST.
''Is this my father?" her tone sinks
o whisper.
He mods.
Where Is hep"
The old priest shrugs his shoulder.
"And my motherr'
"I know not"
who are theyP Who were theyp
'h, who am 1p"
How do knowP'
"That is true"
.'Why was set adrift upon the lake
harka, eng'
"who can sayP"
''Sure enough"
"Are you satisied?n
Roxandra walks away, and she
Dends the rest of the day, far into the ;
floating OH the lake, although
syeral times Ivan lyanovitch shouts
} her from his work on the shore that :
ne waters are rising and that all the
Drings are overfiowing, and that there
re floods coming.
The girl does not heed him, until
shrill voice rouses her
hen the stars are ont, and 1t Is chill
q the lake. Then she comes in, and
lllenly eats her supper and goes to
eep.
Roxundra dreams that night, not of
alaces and ladies', but of the Lake of
.arka, rising, rising, until the hut
pats. and she herself, once more, she ;
lncIes, sleeps quietly on its brown
osom.
| O.,