Telegram-herald., 1889-08-27

rlexe Sere fa~ mea NO ~olld ngE
lave recognized - = glzace ghzr ulzSszss
bad an1 ..sz4nlc lgxl2- aa1 Inos~ Ccl1.
f-elc-1s eses ~1lcl 40 t-lc1 - A-1H-1
feeling Lad ever softezsd
-.l4lghser. sais be. Ia = oold rsSs-
urei te1s. ners cnilo9s - Ell than 10
ngiSiesg snxsr ''tAss are locking ter yea
IN tas oAA roons - qlncElyi-
AT TIE voEd f1.-snEer tie yo1Dg
s-,a4r1so-zn started - Il ke had D~sn
shoI. de had 10 -i--lc-lry Low Ia guess
inx Who bis lpysteE-oas kiy love ".s.
when her faIaeE sgood before hi-n a. lAs
person Il Nichols, eup peror II Russia
The ear waited til the Young grand
duchess aad disappeared. and thea turn
in< 3 her sover. asked n TIE deepest
to1es u his conn handing voice:
Who are yeu-7
Ia Lear. Unf4iteriEg tone the doomed
man Eo.1 his nAme and rank. Nicholas
started slightly. - II that name were a.
millsg 70 him, and then he sid coldly.
"toLo1 me!'
So saving hs Id the young subaltern
who followed with 2s firm q step as n
he were going % court ball instead u
10 Apparently certain de4thl away from
the lna.a front q the palace through a
low slls door and up winding stair
into a small roam which seemed - have
40 furniture beyond a chair a writing
table and lamp suspended above II.
The car seated himself. and, looking
keefsy ~ the young Russian, said, IA tho
deepest toael Of his commanding voice.
NOW, what have You 10 sayT'
- thlng.r answered the guarisman.
with the rec 4iess courage OF despair. Il
might say, indeed-aad trlly-that
knew not who her imperial highness
was. bat will not plead even that ex-
cuse. Nv life is in your majesty's hands
do with 1t IS you will.'
Their eyes met, and for moment the
two men ga4ed hxedly AT each other IN
silence. Then the car turned round 10
the table ana began 10 write.
Was il = death sentence that was being
written 50 quickly and coony?
Suddenly Nicholas rose and handed
him sealed letter. addressed TO the vice
roy II the Caucasus.
Take this letter" said he. 'and stop
nor by day Or night till YOU deliver it,"
The Young officer bowed and departed
without u word upon a journey of sew
erai thousand miles, which might very
possibly Ia so violent and shameful
death 1t tha end of 1T.
Meanwhile Nicholas went back to the
ball room, with the very ghost of a smile
/ PLAYING over his marble features, like
moonlight upon a statue He thought
/ that he had merely got rid Of pre-
sumptuous lad, and was doubtless well
| pleased 70 have done SO. What he had
really done Though he himself never
knew it, was to decide the event Of
mighty war and h open new chapter
in the history Of Russia.
Twenty years had passed since that
night. and all 81. Petersburg was in
fever Of Joy and triumph. The long war
with the CircaSsian mOuntaineers OF the
Caucasus was ended at last. and the ter
rible mountain chief, Schamyl, the life
and soul of that desperate struggle, was
entering the Russian capital as prisoner,
side by side with his conquoror, the great
| Prince Eariatinski. And Prince Baria-
tinski was no other than the grand
duchess former lover, the young officer
of the Imperial guard.
Many changes had occurred since he
left St. Petersburg on that memorable
night. expecting to see it no more. The
Car Nicholas had died by his own hand,
with his iron heart broken by the disas-
ter5 IF the Crimean war. His daughter
was far away, reigning over a loveless
home and crum5ling kingdom; while
her lover, the unknown subaltern of the
guard. was now governor general of all
southeastern Russia, knight of the Order
of St. Alexander Nevski, and. for the
moment at least. the most famous man
In the whole Russian empire.
"Ha, Eaglet' cried a familiar voice in
French, calling him by his regimental
nickname, "how goes it, old comrade?
We never could lind out why Nikolai
Pavlovitch (Nicholas, the son Of Paul.
sent thee TO the Caucasus in such 4
hurry; but, anyhow, it was the luckiest
event Of thy hfe!'
$50 il seems now answered Prince
Bariatinski, with mOmentary cloud
upon his handsome face; but can tell
thee that at the time | thought other
wise,'
And probably the grand duchess had
thought otherwise, too; for although she
and Bariatinski never met more, it was
whispered that she never wholly forgot
the handsome Young officer who had
come so strangely into her life, and had
been 50 suddenly taken out of IT,
DAVID KER.