The times., 1898-01-04

his dissipsted companions Stories u the
outrages to which his daughter was being
subjected had reached the Duke Of BruBs-
wick. but he was pOwerIess to act In the
matter. A few friends who had followed
Z, Charlotte from her native home to Russia
saw in the Present conditio Il an o opportunity
for Rescue, and deteraiiEed to embrace IL.
Among these rriends was the famous Coun-
tess Aurora yoD Eonigsmark, woman
famed b1f1re and afterward for her courage
and rare talents.
The countess decided 10 act at once.
and so formed Eer plans. She dispatched
eouriers TO the Gar, and also to Alexis,
telling then tnat the princess was dead.
Alexis hurried back to his palace. and,
dreading the anger or his father. ORDER
ed an immediate interment. Neither he nor
any Of his associates saw the body, for
the coffin as sealed before his return.
aud it was inferred in the royal Inauso-
leum with all the honors due the s-cfnd
woman in the empire.
News OF tine death OF the Princess Char
Iotte was sent to all the courts OF Europe,
and royalty went into mourning for thirty
days. The Duke OF Brunswick was over
wieImed at the loss OF his child, and or
dered commemorative coin 70 be struck
in their memory.
Meanwhile the Countess Won KonigSn1ark
carried out her plans. Withas much money
and all the jewels she could collect with.
out detection, she started off from Moscow
with the princess and single female at
tendant. To have informed the Duke OF
Bruns wick that his daughter was living
would have led TO Complications OF the
most serious character. a. 10 would have
been impossible to keep the matter secret.
The countess realized that for the present
at least she must carefully guard her
secret, for the safety o. the princess lay
III complete seclusion.
The partv, after many trials, reached
Paris in safety. Here, through the Count
ess Won Konigsmark, the princess became
acquainted with the Chev alier d'Aubert
The chevalier had been an attache % the
French embassy in Russia. where he had
frequently eT. the beautiful princess He
was now Ell route for Louisiana on mission
for the KiIg He was brave, keen -yFitte,i
man, and il would seem that a feeling
higher thar mere gallaHtry posses ed
min The chevaIier pointed out that in
Louisiana the princess and her eompa nion
would find safety ard sssIHsion and not
knowing which way 10 turn, she accepted
his offer of protection. and, accompanied
by one female servant, sailed for America
Soon after the princess landed in New
Orleans. the news reached America that
Alexis was dead. He had come 70 -
tragie1l end. and although never sub
staItiated. il was then and is still believed
that the monster was behesded by order
of his own father.
The prircess was nov wido y and
might have returned TO her own Country
but it was pointed out to her that her only
country was Russia and that if she made
herself known she must return hither The
chevalieT d'AubeIt was a man of dis
tInguished family, and so a Connection with
him could hardly be regarded as mesal-
lance His dc vOtion hal strengthened into
a profound bUye and, determined 10 devote
his life to the princess he had protected, he
offered her his hand, which was accepted
For some years after the woman whocame
so near to being the Empress of Russia
lived happily witt her husband on the banks
OF the beautiful Bayou Teche, in southern
Louisiana. A t length D'Aub became III.
and upon his physician telling him that the
only hope OF saving his life IS TO return
to France, his wife determined to accom-
pan hin.
In Paris they lived in retirement. One
day, while they Were seated in seClusiOu
in the garden OF the Tnleries, Marshal
Moritz, son OF the King Of Poland. passed
them. before this D'Aubert and his wife
had been pointed out to the marshal as
AmericaaS. Surprised at hearing two
foreigners talking German with 80 much
fluency, the marshal stopped and looked
at them. On the instant he recognized
the woman as the Princess Charlotte Of
BIankenbUtg, whom he and his aSsoci-
ates had - long regarded IS dead. Find
ing she was discovered, Nine. D'Auber5
threw herself On her knees before her
kinsman, briefly told her story aud IN.
vOked him by the memory OF his mother
aud the love he bore his God TO guard her
secret. This he promised to do for three
months. 4 At the end of that time he
sought out Nine. D'Aubert and declared it
tn be his dut y to tell the whole truth 10 the
X ing OF France.
The Ring kept the secret, but soon af-
terward he sent the Chevalier DAubert
and his wife to the Isle of Bourbon
Here Trey lived for some years, treated
with royal honors.
Through the King of France, Marie
Theresa became acquainted with the fabu-
lors stor~of her aunt. The Empress wrote
to Nine. ID uberts beseechins hre t. leave
her husband, and to take up her home as
Jne of the royal family in the court of
Vienna.
As might have been expected, Nine
fAubert refus ed to be parted from the.
nan who had devoted his time TO her.
;he remained with him till his death
On the Isle of Bourbon, which occurred
about the time OF the breaking out of our
'wn Revolutionary war. On the same
sland dice the son and daughter who had
been born to her.
A gain alone in the world, the princess
returned to Europe, and after settIin. up
her husband fairs in France, took up her
hnme in Brussels Here Charlotte lied q.
retired life, no one but an aged waiting
woman knowing anything Of her roma ;itic
past. On her death, in 17S5, il became
known that Size had been supported b. the
ustrian Court The princess is buried
IN the cathedral Cemetery at Brussels,
the stone above her grave giving her name.
late of birth ard death, and below this
The line, 'CharlUtte of Blankenburg''