The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17

sian empire. the courtlerS OF the royal
palace wondered that the proud and
dainty Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt did
not impress the young Nicholas more.
1t was an open secret that this girl OF
sixteen was intended to become the next
Czarina, and the court treated her as
such.
The young people saw each other
every day. but, on the part of the
Czarevitch at least, the friendship was
purely a platonic one. 1t could not we'll
be else with the image of the Labous-
kaia in his heart and his first great pas
sion then at it's flood.
The Car, ignorant of the tragedy
then building up and soon to be played,
asked his son twice II ne would marry
Princess Alix. Twice the answer came
in the negative. Yet SO anxious was the
Gar that Nicholas felt some excuse was
necessary. Crafty he feigned a liking
for the Princess Marie of Greece. 1t
was an admirable subterfuge to gain
time, and one not involving much risk,
for the relationship between the two
dynasties was very close. On just these
grounds the Queen of Greece objected
and emphatically refused her consent.
Another delay was occasioned by a
prospect young Nicholas suggested of
marriage to one of the daughters of the
reigning Prince of Montenegro. This
fell through from the final lack of in
terest on the Czarevitch's part, and the
Car, discouraged for the time being, let
the matter rest.
Meanwhile the beautiful ex-dancer and
mistress of a charming villa was living
a life of ease and luxury. That she eX-
pected to wed her lover at some time
there is little doubt. Certainly the cards
were all played that way. She must
have known how it would all end never
theleSs.
Until his dying fathers fiat came in
the early days of last fall that he must
marry with all speed the Princess Alix
.1.<. @f<,rr <,f 1<~sk
Nicholas had seen little Of his inamorata
since his return from his long tour.
Once the imperative orders for marriage
came, however, he went posthaste to
Warsaw and welded his Martha quiet
ly in the little town of Kalisch, Rus
sian Poland. Immediately after this the
Labouskaia went to st. Petersburg and
was secretly placed by her husband in
a small but beautifully fitted UP palace
in the suburbs, purchased in her maiden
name by an officer of the Chevalier
Guard Regiment acting under the in
structions of the Czarevitch.
AT LAST CAST OFF.
The public bethrothal Of Nicholas and
the Princess Alix came shortly after
The death of the Gear Alexander and
the royal wedding of the new Gar fol-
lowed in rapid succession. Heart-broken
though she was then, the true wife of
had gone beyond the family ears, though
the new Czarina was kept in ignorance
of it. Possibly through the influence of
Marie Fedorovna, possibly by the order
of the Car Nicholas himself, his feel
ingS changed because of his accession
and new responsibilities. and this cruel
and final blow was dealt:
Pobedonosteff, procurator of the Holy
Synod. delivered the following message:
"Mademoiselle can never hope for recog-
milton; the Kalisch ceremony was idle
mockery.' AS plainly as anything can
be inferred, this meant that If for one
moment the Labouskaia claimed to be
more than Nicholas's mistress she, her
whole family and the man who per-
formed the Kalisch marriage ceremony
would at once be transported to Siberia,
beyond possibility of return.
1t is no wonder, with all the forces of
the Russian governmental machinery
against her, harsh and implacable as
they are, that she returned In her lone
liness to the scene OF her girlish tri-
umphs six years ago at Warsaw, and
from there found her way into Odessa
to die. Alone and among strangers she
ended life full of sadness that but
adds to the romance of her royal love.
No Russian law could help her to gain
her marital rights, for kings and princes
have their own peculiar marriage code.
Grand Duke George, next to Nicholas
n
morganatic marriage with a peasant
girl of Livadia, in the Crimea, few
years ago. Prince George has renounced
his rights of succession, however, and is
slowly dying of consumption, hence this
marriage is condoned, and the young
woman has been recognized and treated
with some courtesy. She was Mile.
Isch, of Tiflis, and like Martha Kse-
zinska, she possesses wondrous beauty
Nor have other mesalliances been I'M
known among the present heirs of the
house of Peter. Grand Duke Nicholas,
a brother of the late Gar, was on the
eve of marrying a notorious woman of
the town, and was arrested by the Gear
just in time to prevent the ceremony.
However, he has continued to live with
the woman openly. Grand Duke
Michael another brother, married the
Countess Nuremberg, a most unfortunate
match, for this lady was the daughter
of the Prince of Nassau and his NOR
ganatic wife Grand Duke Nicholass
widowed mother, the Grand Duchess
Alexandrovna Petrosna, is now living in
cloister at Kiev. She was banished
by the Gar on account of the numerous
scandals connected with her name.
There are many tales of the gay life she
led in her young days, despite her dig
nifty as Princess of Oldenburg.