The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-12-04

The woman for whose sake the Car
of Russia refused to wed the present
queen of Italy, then Princess Helene Of
Montenegro, is not happy with Gar
mac crown upon her head. She would
gladly have given up to her beautiful
rival the glittering diadem and the
Domp ard power of the strongest
throne in Europe for the love Of
princely soldier, who had wooed and
had won her before relentless diplo-
macy forced her into a marriage
against which she protested il vain.
The pathetic romance of the Prin-
cess Irene, which eliminated in her
sacrifice to Nicholas Of Russia, is now
laid bare for the first time by the
Countess Radzcivill, lady of honor at
the court of Wilhelmina, formerly at
the royal palace of Berlin, one of the
Czarina's closest friends during her
girlhood, and for a time the trusted
go-between for the unhappy lovers.
Irene's meeting with her lover was
quite unconventional. She happened
10 be walking in the gardens at Schloss
Tugenstein, the home of her fathers
sister, the Herzogin Sophie, after
heavy fall of rain. To the tall. blonde
young offcer, who, mud-bespattered
and flushed from fast riding, approach
I'd her through the dripping gardens.
abe must have appeared lovely as one
Of the visions that had filled his young
fancy.
what Otto Won Hexse Cassel saw was
a charming young girl with flushed
cheeks, curly dark hair her white dress
rain-moistened, clinging to the soft
contour Of her neck and arms. And
they loved one another naturally and
spontaneously.
And SO the blisstnl dreams were
being realized at last. On golden day
Ia late September Otto learned that his
hopes were not pregmatic and that
Erene's superior rank was no bar to her
maidenly love for him.
Neither had the yaguest fear of the
future; they were content to live each
DAY, to the end drinking divine
6raughts of their love for one another.
Perhaps when the blow fell she
cared little as to how 1t all came
shout. She was informed by the Graf
of a royal message ordering her to
Berlin at once. Some dread forebod-
ing told her that ali was not well, and
she slept but little on the night OF her
royal arrival in the imperial palace.
The interview was to take place the
following morning and Irene learned
90 her gratitude that his majesty
would see her alone. When the morn
lag dawned at last, Irene, white and
Servous, was ushered into the royal
ABSENCE. The emperor softened at
once at sight OF her, but held to his
, purpose, which was to inform her of
the offer which Nicholas II. had made
for her hand. 1t was because of his
real regard for her, the emperor went
on, that he let her know at once OF
his plans for her before she should
become fixed in her affection for one
who could never be her husband. 1t
was in vain that she pleaded it was
forever too late, that her heart was
given. The emperor argued strenu-
ously in favor of the tremendous dip
lomatic advantages that would result
from this second union between the
royal houses of Germany and Russia;
that she would be an empress; that
noblesse oblige, etc.
Irene pleaded fervently for awhile;
pleaded with all the power of her love
and fear. The emperor was obdurate;
the projected Russian alliance was too
distinctly of diplomatic Importance to
subserve a woman's whims. The
Hesse Darmstadts, ardent and self
willed, had always been troublesome
In the matter of their marriages and
Irene was simply exemplifying a fam
lily trait Moreover, he had seen the
denouement of her fathers morganat,c
marriage with the COUNTESS Rabinski.
his subsequent derolitio- and dis
grace; nothing was gained by that bit
of self will but the dislike of Wilhelm.
the serious i'll will of all England.
which resented the slight put upon
this wife, their loved Princess Alice,
and Ludwig's forced final reputation
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