Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-20

but his property remained forfeited and he
was forbidden ever to enter Russia again
With his infant daughter, now motherless
he retired to Paris. and there turned some
of his yOutEful accomplishments to account
, by painting and working for a living. But
his constitution had been broken by the
two years among the mines of Siberia, and
he was already a prematurely aged man,
Strive as he might he barely managed tc
earn a competence for himself and little
Sophia. The child grew from infancy &c
girlhoOd in the frowsy apartments of the
Latin Quarter and the scarcely less frowsy
ones of Mcntmartre. And for her sake the
quondam Count Baradoff toiIed night and
day.
Here the record ended abruptly; but So
phia knew how to fill in the rest. In the
midst of his labors her father had been
overtaken by illness; and in the two months
during which he had lain an invalid all his
savings had been swept away. until starva-
ton and ejectment seemed imminent.
Sophia closed the book with a sigh; and
her father waking at this moment, she
FASTENED to bring him medicine. Vassili
Baradoff looked fondly into the face of his
daughter.
"Ah, my child" he said, Il shall soon
be well now-soon be able to begin the
struggle again"
do you know that the czar is in Paris,
father?"
THE czar! No, / did not know. Well.
Wtll! mat can 40 lie Dul lttle good, Inc
czar hates me as indeed he ought"
But there is a new czar, father"
THAT makes but little difference, my
darling. My crime was against the Rus
sian throne. They cannot forgive. At any
rate, | am too weak and perhaps too proud
to petition this new czar. Yet he and |
played together in the winter palace when
we were boys. Give me of the sleeping
draught, Sophia, Sleep is my best doctor
now. In a few days, little one, | can so
forth again"
SOPHIA'S SCHEME.
Vassili. Baradoff sank into a profound
slumber; and Sophia returned to muse be-
side the window. Long and earnestly she
thought, for the cannon had ceased, and
there was nothing now to distract her mind.
But the words Of her father, 'and he and |
played together" kept again and again re-
curing to her. Finally she went to bed
with a half-formed resolution in her brain,
and all night she dreamed of great white
cars and the terrible wastes OF far Siberia.
Almost as early as the Montmartre sun
light, Sophia was up and dressed, Her
little mouth was closely compressed and II
was quite clear that she had something
on her mind. Hastily arranging her fathers
medicines within easy reach of his arm, she
penciled a note to Nine, Bricquet in the
apartment below, Then, without waiting
to take breakfast, she drew on her some
what shabby little hood and tripped down
stairs, Under Nine. Bricquet's door she
slipped the note; and very much astonished
was the good woman when she found 1t
there an hour after, for 1t announced that
Sophia had gone to call upon his imperial
majesty, the car, and implored Nine.
Bricquet to look after the invalid.
Into the Rue des Moulins aux Champs
passed Sophia; and through the streets of
in the direction of Paris proper
she trotted resolutely onward. She had
accompanied her father to and fro on all
his expeditions in quest of dealers. and the
way was familiar enough. But II is a long
journey from Montmartre to the palace of
the Elysee where the czar was lodged; and
hunger and fatigue led Sophia into a tiny
cafe where she was stared at by the half
awakened waiter while she consumed a very
light breakfast. Then westward again, until
tho goal OF her journey vas reached.
THE REFUSES.
you cannot come in here. little girl"
loftily exclaimed the gorgeously attired por-
ter at the Elysee; and the small crowd
which even at that hour had already begun
to gather around the palace laughed and
chartered over the child's discontinue
at Is the queen OF England come 10 call
on the car" cried a dirty galnin OF the
streets.
mon. mon v!euxi lis the Princess Kara
bcNski In disguise" another little arab
answered, and the listeners KEEP, up a run
mag fire OF sarcasm and rude fun, while
Sophia moved slowly away from those gates