The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-02
MARIE'S CHOICE.

Petersburg a young girl so beautiful and
lovely that the greatest prince of Europe
had he met her even in peasants hut
might well have turned his back upoK
princesses to offer her his hand and throne
but, far from having seen the light in
peasants hut, she was born in the shadow
of the proudest throne on the earth. II
was Marie Nicolaewna, the adored daugh
ter of the emperor of Russia. AS her ia
Their saw her blooming like the May flower
and sought for her all the heirs of royalty
he cast his eyes upon the fairest, the richest
and the most powerful of them and with
the smile of a father and king said to
her:
My child, you are now Of an age &c
marry, and I have chosen for you the
prince who will make you a queen and the
man who will render you happy"
1.-THE man who will render me happy"
stammered the bIushing princess, with
sigh, which was the only objection to
which her heart gave utterance. Speak,
father" she said as she saw a frown gath
ering on the brow of the czar, 'tspeak, and
your majesty shall be obeyedI"
"ObeyedP' exclaimed the emperor,
trembling for the first time in his life. ''Is
it, then, only as an act of obedience that
you will receive a husband from my
hands9''
The young girl was silent and concealed
a tear.
Is your Ial6n already p11gnuSOF
ayes, father-if I must tell you-my
heart is no longer my own. 1t is bestowed
upon young man who knows it not and
who shall never know it if such be your
wish. He has seen me but two or three
times at a distance, and We will never
speak to each other if your majesty forbids
IT."
The emperor was silent in his turn. BE
grew pale. Three times he made the tit
cult of the salon. He burst not ask the
name Of the young man.
ga strangerf''
eyes, father"
The emperor fell back into an armchair
and hid his face in his hands, like Aga
memnon at the sacrifice of Iphigenia.
''Where shall see him?" said the car,
rising, with threatening aspect.
Tomorrow at the review"
Chow shall recognize himP'' demand
ed the czar, with stamp of his foot.
''By his green plume and black steed. -
as TITS well. Co. my daughter, and pray
God have pity upon the manP'
The princess withdrew in fainting
condition, and the emperor was soon lost
in thought.
"a childish caprice, - he said at length.
at am foolish to be disturbed at it. She
will forget it, and his lips dared not ut
ter what his heart added. cit must be,
for all my power would be weaker than
her tears
On the following day, at the review, the
Czar, whose eagle eye embraced all at a
glance, sought and saw in his battalions
naught else than green plume and a black
charger.
He recognized in him who wore the one
and rode the other simple colonel of the
Bayarian light Observation-Disclosures Joseph
Eugene Auguste Beauharnais, the duke
of Leuchtenberg, youngest child of the
son of Josephine who was for brief time
empress of France, and of Auguste Anne
liza, daughter of Macmillan Joseph of Ba-
varia, an admirable cavalier in truth, but
as far inferior then to Marie Nicolaewna as
is common soldier to an emperor.
lis it possible2' said the car to himself
as he sent for the colonel with the design
Of sending him to Munich. But at the
moment when he was about TO crush him
with n word he stopped at the sight of hi7
daughter fainting in her calash. There
is no longer a doubt" thought the czar;
80 tits indeed he
And, turning his back upon the stupefed
stranger, he returned with Marie to the
imperial palace.
For six weeks all that prudence, tenn
pered with love and severity, could inspire
was essayed to destroy the image of the
colonel in the heart of the princess. At the
end of the first week she was resigned; at
the end of the second she wept; at the end
of the third she wept in public; at the end
of the fourth she wished to sacrifice her
self to her father; at the end of the fifth
she was dying. Meanwhile the colonel,
seeing himself in disgrace at the court of
his host without daring to confess to him
self the cause, did not wait for his dis
missal to return to his regiment. He was
on the point of setting out for Munich
when an aid-de-eamp of the cZar came for
him.
81 should have set out yesterday, - he
1t
what awaits me. At the first flash save
yourself from the thunderbolt.' -
He was ushered into the cabinet where
kings only are allowed to enter. The en-
peror was pale, and his eye was moist, but
his air was firm and resolute.
Colonel Duke said he, enveloping
and penetrating him with a glance, you
are one of the handsomest officers in Eu-
rope. 1t is said also-and I believe it is
true-that you possess an elevated mind, a
thorough education, a lively taste for the
arts, a noble heart and loyal character.
What think you of the grand duchess. my
daughter, Marie Nicolaewna?''
"The Princess Marie sireP' exclaimed
he, reading at last his own heart without
daring to read that of the car. Your an
ger would crush me if 1 told you what
think of her, and ] should die Of joy if you
permitted it,
sYou love her-'tis wellI'' resumed the
ozar, with a benignant smile, and the
royal hand from which the duke was
awaiting the thunderbolt delivered to the
colonel the brevet of general id-de-camp
of the emperor, the brevets of oommandant
of the cavalry, of the guards, of the regi-
ment of hussars, of chief of the corps of
cadets and of mining engineers, of presi-
dent of the Academy of Arts and member
of the Academy of Sciences of the univer-
stiles of St. Petersburg, of Moscow, Of
Keasan, of the council of the military
schools, etc, all this with the title of i'm
perial highness and several millions of
revenues.
you see that also love my daughter, -