The age-herald., 1898-01-09

1 tilated figure, the princess rushe51ko her apartments and fell in a swoon. Never theless, preparations for the marriage were
 resumed and the ceremony was consum-
 mated.
 Intrigue and treachery at once established themselves between Peter III. and his queen. The unhappy husband quailed be-
 fore the fertile genius andssteady purpose
 of the wife
 Then in the dungeon where he had grown up from helpless childhood, lay Ivan, the rightful Czar of the Russas. Tbe lately
 dead Elizabeth had seized him while an infant and consigned him there to confirm
 her own usurped right to reign. Peter III.
 seeing that he must quickly make choice
 between an enforced abdication in favor of
 his wife, Catherine, and voluntary abdi-
 cation in favor of Ivan, secretly repaired to the distant fortress and the dungeon for an interview with the terribly wronged
 Ivan. Could Ivan be sane to eligibility? Had the many years in the darkness left the prisoner manhood enough to meet the emergency? Peter saw and returned con tent Orders had been left for the build ing of large and comfortable apartments, safely within the fortress lines. sFOstensi- ply Peter would liberate Ivan to this wider world of new buildings; really Peter would consign to the new walls in perpetual inn prisonment his ambitious wife, Catherine. Congratulating himself upon the wit of his far reaching scheme, Peter III. left St. Petersburg for his summer palace. Cath crime betook herself to Q summer place, half days drive from St. Petersburg. Peter soon drifted into abandonment to his mis- tresses and the luxurious pleasures with which he had surrounded himself Gather inc was far differently engrossed in desires, wisdom and pleasure. At dead of night Catherine ordered her coach. A young of- ficer of the guards, Alexy Orlon, held the reins and she was driven rapidly for St.
 Petersburg. One of the horses, overcome
 by heat, fell on the way. The royal pas senger and her driver, nothing daunted, proceeded afoot until meeting in the road a farmer with his team, the farmers fresh horses were impressed and, at break of day the barracks of the garrison at St. Peters, burg was reached. Orloff prepared the comandant within to meet the usurping empress. Within two hours long process sion of soldiers, priests and populace was escorting Catherine to the Church of Kason already prepared for her reception. The archbishop in sacerdotal robes proclaimed in loud tones "CatherineII., Empress of all the Russias,' and declared her infant son, Paul Petrovitch Grand Duke and heir to her throne.
 The army was mustered The empress borrowed the uniform of a young officer and mounting spirited horse fully capari- soned reviewed the long line of troops. Then a youthful ensign, but siX.een years old, discovering the hat of the empress to be void of a plume, tore his own from its place and gracefully craved permission to fasten it in the head gear of his sovereign. In coming events the gallant youth became the famous Potemkin.
 In vain was Peter urged by his depend- ents to strike for his throne He could be aroused to no device of gerater energy than order to the chancellor Vorotzroff, to hie himself to the empress and eXpostulate with her on the rashness of her conduct She received the chancellor only to assure him that when the Russians were well gov erned they cared nothing for the legitimacy of the government. Peters messenger promptly saw the point and took the oath to Catherine
 Within one brief week of Catherine's us- urpation Peter after taking a draught of poisoned wine, was strangled by his guards.
 Catherine II. was crowned at Moscow On this occasion a Sullen silence possessed the people. The royal entrance was with out demonstration of public joy. But her resourceful mind was not cast down. She made presents to the polulace and prom ises to the priests. 'None but fools are ir- resolute," she declared
 The empress hastened back in great pomp to St. Petersburg. She organized the most brilliant court in Europe. The handsomest men, the most beautiful women and the richest toilets were there. The empress at once discovered a remarkable aptitude for administration work. Her hours with her ministers were fixed and inviolable to all interruption. Affairs of state disposed of for the day, she provided for her own enlightment conversations daily with men of education in science and