Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-11-20
CHAPTER NJ.
CHAPTER NJ.
THE PRINCESS OLGA
~AHF train from Moscow came
snGrting and screaming into
N the station. and among the
,,ae..,,..vg mostly officers and

| railway. were two women. one OF
these was about fifty years of age,
thin and subdued in appearance, and
her face bore the marks of suppressed
anxiety. The other was scarcely more
than n gin twenty at most-but her
| carriage Was Noble. and her entire ap-
| Dcarancc that Of one born to command.
| Her lovely p1cc and well shaped head
| rose above Il collar of crminc, although
! ii was not winter.
"TO the palace of Ncslerov, governor
of Tomsk," she said to n drosky
driver, and she and her companion
were soon on the way.
Ncslcrov was at dinner when a serv-
| ant announced the Princess Olga.
"What about the Princess Olga| he
asked
"Thc princess is here-she has asked
! to see your cXccllcncy.'
| Here, Olga Ncslcrov, here" rising
from the table. He had improved much
in the last few days, and his face wore
| a calm look that had not been there
since his meeting with Denton.
| lie found the princess in the recep-
| tion room.
"PrnccsS Olgaw he exclaimed, kiss
! ing her hand. Fair cousin, what hap
! by circumstance brought you here?
| And why have you come unannounced
! and uuatt"ulndr"
/ Il saw no reason to herald my g
/ proach" she answered, ''and | am not
unattended. This is my attendant"
/ The woman courtcsicd and looked
uncomfortable, but Ncslcroy paid her
not the least attention.
"WclI. since you are here | am pleas
ed to see YOU" said the governor
&" ur branch of the NcSlerOv family
/ ;.nd mine have not been too friendly. L
am glad that at last one of you has had
/ the grace To begin reconciliation
! Princess Olga smiled.
"Whatcycr feeling my branch of the
! family may have for yours could scarce
! Iy be said to interest me-" she said.
I "Remcmber, have spent much of my
/ time out of Russia, and-it happened
twenty years ago
NeSlcroy turned to the door and then
stopped.
You refer to the unfortunate mys-
terry of GraS1v." he said soberly. 1T
was that. | fear, that rupturcd the
former friendships. Yet | have insist
ed and proved that our family was not
/ to blame 1t was either an accident or
was done by our enemies. Pardon me!
| was so glad TO see you that | forgot
that YOU must be weary after your
journey. Let me have you shown your
rooms, and | will order dinner for you
/ when you wish
Thank You. We are both hungry. l
will Join you in ten minutes, and The
rese will be ready to 20 to the servants
dining room in that time
"You have become regular cosmo-
politan." laughed NeSlerov. Your Vis-
its to America and London have almost
taken away the traces of our Russian
habits"
( "Somc of them could be well dispens-
ed with" she answered.
In response to his summons n servant
appeared and conducted the women to
/ their rooms.
"Nuw. what dcvilish luck could have
/ brought her here at this timeF said
/ NcSlerov to himself. Il must be eau
/ tious. But it is so long-she was not
born-shc can know nothing. But |
] must be discreet"
"Well, we are here" said the prin-
| cess to her companion when they were
! alone. "Now. obey me; let me do the
! planning. NcslerOv must not suspect
us. 1t would ruin all. and there is no
/ telling what he might do. The govern
or of a province in Siberia is almost
! supreme"
Her attendant shuddcrcd.
81 lived in dread of Siberia for twcn-
ty years." she said, with a shudder.
"And now you have brought me here"
"But not as Il conyict-as friend, a
woman. like myself resolved to right
a wrong"
The princess was soon ready and
joined the governor in the dining room.
Il have just been thinking, Olga" he
| said his face Wrcathed with smiles,
that it is at least three years since we
met Your face has not changed much,
but you are now Il woman and were
then a little girl. You are one of the
most beautiful women in Russia"
"Thanl you"
"And. | might say, the richest"
"Nearly so. But the wealth brings
it's responsibilities. 1t is difficult in
| Russia to do those things that are just
and proper with our wealth"
81 never found it So" said the gov
ernor, with a laugh.
Perhaps" said Olga. you are not
interested in the question. To me it is
burning one Our mobiles have too
much wealth and our lower classes
have too little opportunity to rise. 1t is
not so in England, France or Ameri-
ca"
you had better leave those questions
for older heads. princess. You will be-
come involved with the government be-
fore you know You were not born to
waste your beauty and talents in such
matters. You were born to be admired,
TO enjoy Your wealth.
Il do enjoy my wealth and do what
good a Girl can do with it. AS to being
admired. meet few from whom admi-
ration seems to come with sincerity"
"Oh as to that, you cannot expect to
find the xourtiers at beauty's court all
as grun and outspoken as a drosky
driver"
Il have met some who were," she
said, laughing pleasantly.
They ate slowly, chatting the while.
you have not qucnchcd my thirst
for Knowledge said the governor. 'If
were in st. Petersburg and you did
me the honor to,ask me to visit you, it
would even then surprise me. But that
you have come to Tomsk, more than
half way across Siberia, TO visit me Is,
to say the least, amazing.
The princess gave her silyCry laugh
again.
"You are as conceited at any other
noblcman | have met. | did not come
to see YOU. i came, first, TO ride on the
new railway; second to study the con