The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-08-19

lection to which her heart gave ut
terance. speak, fatherl" she said, as
she saw frown gathering on the brow
of the czar; speak, and your majes-
ty shall be obeyed!"
4 "Obeyed!" exclaimed the emperor,
trembling for the first time in his life;
lis 1t then only as an act OF obedience
that you will receive husband f.om
my hands?"
The young girl was silent, and con-
/ cealed a tear.
rs your faith already plighted?"
Yes, fether-if / must tell you-my
heart Is no longer my own; II is be-
slowed upon Young man who knows
1t not and who shall never know 1t,
| II such be your wish! He has seen me
but two or three times at distance,
and we will never speak to each other,
If your majesty forbids it,"
The emperor was silent in his turn,
He grew pale. Three times he made
the circuit of the salon. He burst not
ask the name of the young man.
"a stranger?'
Yes, father"
The Emperor fell back into an arm
| SHuii anu ulu MS lace III MS HdHdo,
like Agamemnon at the sacrifice OF
Iphigenia.
Where shall l see him?" said the
czar, rising, with threatening as
| pect.
Tomorrow, at the review"
! How shall I recognize him?" de-
manded the GEAR, with stamp of his
foot
by his green plume and black
steed."
"'ris we'll! Go, my daughter, and
pray God have pity upon the mani"
The princess withdrew in fainting
condition, and the Emperor was soon
lost in thought.
"a childish caprice!" he said at
length; "am foolish to be disturbed at
it, She will forget it," and his lips
dared not utter what his heart added.
1T must be, for all my power would
be weaker than her tears!"
On the following day, at the review,
the car, whose eagle eye embraced all
at a glance, sought and saw in his bat
talions naught else than green plume
and black charger.
He recognized in him who wore the
one and rode the other simple colonel
of the Bavarian Light Horse-Maxi-
). million Joseph Eugene Auguste Beau
4 harnais, the Duke of Leuchtenberg,
youngest child of the son of Josephine,
who was a brief time Empress of
France, and of Auguste Amelia, daugh-
ter of Macmillan Joseph, of Bavaria,
an admirable cavalier, in truth; but as
far inferior then to Marie Nicolaewa
&c a ~
rs 1t possible?" said the ezar to him.
self, 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 word he stopped
at the sight Of his daughter fainting in
/ her caleche. There is no longer
doubt" thought the car; tbs indeed
he."
And turning his back upon the stu
i pefed stranger, he returned with Ma
RE to the imperial palace.
For six weeks all that prudence, tenn
pered with love and severity, could in
spire, was essayed to destroy the image
Of the colonel in the heart of the prin-
cess. 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 herself to her
father; at the end of the fifth, she was
4 dying. Meanwhile, the colonel, seeing
himself in disgrace at the court of his
I host, without daring to confess to HIM
SET the cause, did not wait for his dis
/ missal to return to his regiment. He
was on the point of setting out for
jah uth n ai Ia mr. Of bo
car came for him.
Il should have set out yesterday"
he said to himself; Il might have
avoided what awaits me. AT the first
flash save yourself from the thunder
bolt!"
He was ushered into the cabinet
where kings only are allowed to en-
ter. The emperor 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 off
GERS in Europe. 1t is said also-and I
believe it is true-that you possess an
elevated mind, 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, SIRE ex-
claimed he, reading at last his own
heart without daring to read that of
the car, your anger would crush me
4 if told you what think of her, and
should die of JOY if you permitted
it,
''You love her-'tis WE'LL" resumed
the ear, with benignant smile; and
the royal hand from which the duke
was awaiting the thunderbolt, deliv-
cred to the colonel the brevet of gem
eral aide-de-camp OF the emperor, the
brevets of commandment of the cavalry,
Of the Guards, of the Regiment of Hus-
sars, of chief of the Corps of Cadets,
and of Mining Engineers; of president
4 of the Academy of Arts and member of
the Academy 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
imperial highness, and several millions
of revenues.
"You see that also love my daugh-
ter" said the father, pressing his SON
in-law in his arms.
III