The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-04
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| "Well. yes Ana fto1nnufh hi"pN"N
some sweet seeds, and presently fell asleep
III her memories sank deep in the heart oil
Marianka, they made still more an impression
ON the priest. and he encouraged the chlld u
prnttIe OF her past IL was never more, OF
much. only that she seemed to be struggling
after some life that lay hidden, or far beyond
her grasp
"She loved the palace Of Prince Okanin
although. nowadays, this was spot fnli oil
gloom and shadows The prince had long
since been arrested for completely IN some
political crimes, the princess for time bad
lost her reason they said aud now only lived
to seek increasingly the pardon OF her nus
band, who was confined in some prison 40
one knew where-and to mourn the little
child that she had suddenly lost All tbs
tsopie said. and much more, but people say
many things. and Ivan lyanoyItch and
Mariauka his wife were sure OF none OF II.
The palace. that vas one thing they were
quite sure Of the splendid palace had been
seized and turned into prison, at least the
lower story, winch vas fevef with the lake,
was full Of criminals. and the JallefS
wives came to Olo with their chil-
dren now and then to church. on sun
DAYS and saints days. and ltOxandra knew
well enough the two daughters of ALEXIS
Alexovitch, the head jaler Indeed, on her
raft she had padded up to the palace and
lain on her back III the sun looking at the
splendid large windows of the upper part,
and at the dungeons below with the air
hc.0s cut IN the masonry and barred with
iron.
e = D.
aulira thought TO herself, that she had stood
upon beautiful parapet, like this one
Wonder, and with flowers in her hand had
run to meet-well, whomi"
All, it was surely very perpexing, and she
would certainly talk more to the good priest
about it all
! Which she did.
| Month in and month out; year in and year
out; until the Lake baby was finally 10 years
old; a fine, nay beautiful young maiden
with straight and erect features, and long,
silky golden braids
"Now," she said to the priest, one carly
spring day, tell me about myself, for am
sure YOU know; where did come fromt /
am not the true child Of my mother, that
know-they do not call me Lake baby for
nothing, come now, bo agreeable, and tell
me; ell ask for is the good truth"
"Tush, tush," the old priest said, al Ustins
his speclacles
mo, no; | know, | feel that | am, you
know, some one-some one else! that Is 1t!
just so-chN
"Well, well, what of iti'
"But am listening, ehi"
4. 4 or. tt.lrr
be told her the history of the day that Mari
anla found her asleep on the Lake Of karka;
eli Of it.
and let me see, now, the packet Of pa
pers. oh, yesr Her lovely eyes sparkled aud
flashed. THAT tells who am, ehf'
He shook his head
What Well, what Of it thenp
Il will show YOU
And he did 50, unrolling carefully the thin
paper that had lain undisturbed for nearly
II years
A few wore were written on the outside
in Russian thus: "My daughter, baptized
Roxandra" She eagerly seized them.
"Ahl" cried she, My mother wrote this
and can remember her-beautiful-yes-
and then, all, she fades So"
"Wellp The priest held up before her
eyes picture.
Roxandra caught it and pressed it to her
lips frantically.
"Oh. she sobbed half laughing, this is
She How many times have tried to describe
her to-motber-and | could not-and this
she takes the other portraits from the hands
of the priest.
as this my fatherP her tone sinks to
whisper.
H mods.
"Where is her
The old priest shrugs his shoulders
And my motherP
81 know not"
"Who are theyi Who were theyl Oh,
who am II
How do known
THAT is true"
"Why was set adrift upon the lake Of
Karka, chr
"Who can sayr'
Sure enough
Are you satisiledr
Roxandra walks away, and she spends the
rest OF the day, far into the twilight, floating
on the lake although several times Ivan
lvanovitch shouts TO her from his work on
the shore that the waters are rising and that
all tho springs are overlooking, and that
there are floods coming.
The girl does not heed him, until Marian
ka's shrill voice rOuSes her when the stars are
out, and it is chill on the lake. Then she
comes in, and sullenly eats be- supper and
goes TO sleep
Roxandra dreams that night, not Of palaces
and ladies bg. .; the Lake Of karka, rising.
rising, until the hut floats, and she herself,
once more, she fancies, sleeps quietly on It's
brown bosom.
In three days this is not far
from the fact the spring floods are
come that way, and the lake has risen al
ready tive feet aud the hut is in great
danger
Roxandra gets upon her raft.
"Well what nowf' cries Marianka
81 am going TO see how the prison Of
Okanin fares
Better stop at home and look after tho
cabin OF Ivan lvanovitch, your father"
What can dof"
always a little"
"Oh, no, you are safe. All our things are
already up on the hill by the church and,
after all, we have nothing much to lose ~
Everything"
swell. am going"
"You are "A bad one