The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-26

native freshness clinsing to her. She
had none of the awkwardgesseo of the coun-
try girl. however. and ! thought. as
looked at her affair upon her yacht. that
she was the fairest. most elegant princess
had ever seen. Helene stands at least
six feet tail. and her coloring is very
brilliant. Her hair and eyes are dark,
but her cheeks are bright scarlet, paint
ed by Natures own hand.
She stood upon one end of the yacht,
talking 10 her father-in-law. the lament
ed King Humhert. who was her ardent
admiror and faithful slave from the first
moment he laid eyes on her, which was
early In the year 1884, From 1884 to 1896
the Prince of Naples wooed Helene and in
october, 1896 nearly four years ago, they
were married.
The Princess.
My coming was evidently expected. for
at word from courier, the princess
turned and speaking to one of her ladies,
walked, accompanied by the woman, to
the center of the yacht, where /, hesitat-
ing and uncertain. stood awaiting her.
! had interviewed Olga OF Gscece, and
had gone through with the many oere-
monies attendant upon an audience with
her majesty. / had also interviewed
Queen Margherita. of italy, and was
struck with the simplicity OF her ways
She was so utterly different from other
European sovereigns. Would the Princess
Helene be like her or differentl
The princess spoke first.
do you enjoy Yachting on the Levant?"
she asked.
l replied that 1 greatly enjoyed all the
country around Italy.
Where do you live?" she asked.
Il live in the United States" l replied.
but am from the state of Florida"
rs Florida beautiful2' she inquired
~
exquisite. as beautiful as Italy,
She seemed much pleased at the reply,
and after few more words. in which
she invited me to inspect the yacht,
withdrew, most favorably impressed with
Italy's future queen.
No one at that time thought that the
Princess Helene OF Naples would so soon
become Queen Helene of Italy, the sue
cessor to Queen Margherita. the Pearl of
Savoy.
Queen Helene was born January s, 1873
with no very golden spoon In her mouth
She was the third of seven daughters OF
Prince Nicholas, lord of the Black mount
ain kingdom of Montenegro.
Her father. bravest of men. had high
ambitions for his favorite and most beau
tiful daughter. and when the late car of
Russia, anxious TO win the good will of
this small but mighty people, who held
one OF the southern outposts OF Russia"
sent for Helene and made her an inmate
Of his palace and protege OF the ear
ina, with the well-understood purpose of
marrying her to his son, the young girls
widest dreams seemed on the point of
becoming realities
In Russia.
Did she love the Czarovitch7 Well. that
is a question upon which the dark-eyed
beauty has not opened her lips. But that
she loved the idea of one day becoming
Czarina of all the Russias mistress of the
most splendid court In all the world there
Is no question how she stood there. She
would have given her two black eyes and
pearly ears for the chance
The Czarina fell in with her husbands
idea, and the Montenegrin was treated as
kindly and as lovingly as II she were a
daughter. She bore herself bocomingly.
and those who saw her would scarcely
have imagined that she was brought up
in n squalid little village of l 900 inhabit-
ants among the Balkans. Cettinje by
name, where her father was more like q
highland chieftain than the ruler OF a
people. according 10 the modern idea of
kings.
But she had been well tutored, and spoke
Russian, among four or five other lam