The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-11
THE RACES oNAThEN ETA


degrees below zero. From the tall steeples
Of innumerabie churches the bells OF 81.
Petersburg rfpg 10 the sacsed ieast. In an
exquisitely appointed room or palace,
where tender lights inter through the
golden shadows OF silken hangings, sits
woman. Her ATTITUDE - one OF repose,
deep unrutned From fne crown Oh her
little flame coiored head to the ZIP OF her
dainty shoe, sne is perfect pit OF dame
Natures art .she were standing we
should call her fali. put she sits crouching
In her chair WIN all the abandon OF doz-
Ing tigress. she gives little yawn.
AM iate az usual, she says aloud,
AS sne speaks the door opens ana a serv-
ant enters.
capt. Hepine, ne announces.
lie iohows quickly on the mans heels
snort, tnick SET, with duii Cossack race
ana Kindly smile, wearing the uniform OF
an oiheer OF the imperial BODY guard.
Pardon, my dear Elisayeta. Have /
maze you waltz -.
one gives her shapeiy shoutders sfght
shrug, out watches MIN with contempia-
ave eyes as ne ratties on,
Imagine, my beloved, Thought that 1
shoula not ne aple TO take you 10 tine races.
was SO rushed at the last moment. Oh,
but they will be superb Never has the
track been more perfect-hard as rock,
ana not nake OIL snow.
indeed, says the lady ianguidiy. Put-
ing OUT lazy. Deringed nand she draws
BACK the curtain that nldes her WINDOW.
1t is superb she assents. .-.s,-.t.
fon Know how difficult 1T Is to accom-
plish that," continues the young officer,
with this cursed wind drifting the La
doga snow. stu must tell you that 500
men have worked all night at 1t. Brave
feilowsl"
The journals say something OF three
horse race" ..
Yes the event OF the day. hut come"-
We have still an hour, she answers.
and motions him to n seat beside her
No, no, ut your feet, always at your
feet, Princess Vets" says the young man
gayly, tinging his head back to better look
into the opal tinted eyes above him, With
her little pointed chin against the rose of
her palm she sits lost in a world of reyerie.
do you remember Sergius HotzkaW
she asks suddenly. tA
He shrugs his shoulders, accustomed to
the willful wanderings of the great city's
| petted belle. Re- ..a -.s.
"How could ever forget him. he says
in turn, Was there ever a man who left
more ineffaeeable traces behind him2 He
was IN original nadman.n
N~@ASSo
cowardly word. Originate" she repeats,
as though interrogating her own thought.
The young man frowlis slightly, but she
goes on with calm retrospection. "Only
| three years ago." she said, and he ap-
penred among us like some brilliant me-
teor; fabulously rich; astonishing the
world with his eccentric prodigalities.
Then all those clod roofing swine. they
deserted him when he was no longer
wealthy"
| Her lovers white teeth are like wolfish
danger signal as he turns to look at her.
My dear" he says coldly, you can't
| expect the world to be faithful to
| proscript."
"Proscriptp
Exactly. They say that political com.
plications were his ruin. At any rate he is
| banshed from st, Petersburg"
"Then he is in Siberiaf'
With ali soldiers diplomacy he says,
indifferently; "Ibelieve not. The peasants
tell story of a hermit of the Steppes, who
mends kettles and plows for the farmers.
Many believe it ODE Hotzka, with the re-
mains of his own famous stud"
Farmers-kettles," echoes Elisaveta abb
sently.
Suddenly she turns on her moody swain.
Come, Alexander, she cries; Il can see
bne croMus Bdeuer itoih here' NJulCk-We
must hurry"
1t is scarcely half hour later and the
race course presents brilliant spectacle.
The river Neva is now only colossal road
way, between two walls of splendid rose
granite that line its quays. 1t is mirror
of polished steel. Stands, richly decorated
with flags, occupy at least quarter of the
inclosure, aud over a hundred Thousand
spectators surround the arena. In the CEN
ter OF everything great pavilion draped
IN purple and gold shows that royalty is
expected to take part in the city's festival
huge figure IN white uniform shows it
self. The impassiveness of this counter
ance, with its eagle profile and small, gilt
tering eyes, is unmistakable.
lis he, the autocrat-the emperor of all
the Russlas
From the human hive mounts and swells
| a growing noise; cries, oRthS, calls from