The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-06-09
CHAPTER M.

over as with huge brush dipped in
dirty whitening, and the plains of
Tver spotlesS, dazzling level of snow.
The snow was falling softly and
steadily, falling in little more than
fine powder. with a temperature 40
degrees below freezing point.
Across the plain of Tver, before the
north wind, a single sleigh was tearing
as fast as horse could lay hoof to
ground. and the track of it was as
line drawn from point to point across a
map.
A striking feature Of the winter of
northern Russia is the glorious uncer-
tainty of its snowfalls. At Tver the
weatherwise had said:
"The snow has not all fallen yet.
More is coming. 1t is yellow in the
sky. although March is nearly gone"
The landlord of the hotel Ga good
enough resting place facing the broad
Volga) had urged upon NJ. lie Prince the
ACCESSIBILITY of waiting, as is the way
of landlords all the world over But
Eta had shown strange restlessness,
a petulant desire to hurry forward at
all risks She hated Tver, the hotel
was uncomfortable, and there was an
unhealthy smell about the place.
The night express from st. Peters
burg had deposited them on the plat
form in the early morning. Steinmetz
had preceded them. Closed sleighs from
Osterno were awaiting them. A luxu
rious breakfast was prepared at the
hotel. Relays of horses were posted
along the road. The journey to Oster-,
no had been carefully planned and ar
ranged by SteinmetZ, a king among or
ganiZers The sleigh drive across the
steppe was to be accomplished in ten
hours.
The snow had begun to fall as they
clattered across the floating bridge Of
Tver It had fallen ever since, and the
afternoon lowered gloomily. In Ameri-
ca such visitations are called 'bliZ-
Yards here in Russia it is merely 1.-THE
snow" The freezing wind is taken as
q matter of course.
At the castle all was in readiness for
the prince and princess. their depar-
ture from Tver having been telegraph
ed. On the threshold of the great house.
before she had entered the magnificent
hall, Etta's eyes frightened, her fatigue
vanished. She played her part before
the crowd Of bowling servants with
that forgetfulness of mere bodily ia
tigue which is expected of princesses
and other great ladies. She swept up
the broad staircase leaning on Paul's
arm with carriage, a presence daz-
zling wealth of beauty, which did not
fail to impress the onlookers. What
ever Eta may have failed to bring to
Paul Howard Alexis as wife, she
made him a matchless princess.
He led her straight through the
drawing room to the suit of rooms
which were hers. These consisted Of
an ante room, small drawing room
and her private apartments beyond.
Paul stopped in the drawing room.
looking round with a simple satisfac-
ton in all that had been done by his
orders for Etta's comfort.
"These," he said, "are your rooms"
He was no adept at turning a neat
phrase, at reeling off a pretty honey
moon welcome Perhaps he expected
her to express delight, to come to him
possibly and kiss him, as some women
would have done.
She looked round critically.
YES" she said, "they are very nice"
She crossed the room and drew aside
the curtain that covered the double lat
ticed windows. The room was so warm
that there was no rhine on the panes
She gave little shudder, and he went
to her side, putting his strong, quiet
arm around her.
Below them, stretching away be-
meath the brilliant moonlight, lay the
country that was his Inheritance I'm
mediately beneath them. at the foot of
the great rock upon which the castle
was built, nestled the village Of Os-
terno, struggling, squalid.
"Oh," she said DULY, "this is Siberia!
This is terriblev'
1t had never presented itself to him
in that light the wonderful stretch of
country over which they were looking.
"It is not so bad" he said, Gin the
daylight"
And that was all, for he had no per-
suasive tongue.
THAT is the village" he went on
after a little pause. Those are the
people who look to us to help them in
their fight against terrible odds. l
hoped that you would be interested in
them"
She looked down curiously at the lit
tie wooden huts. half buried in the
snow, the smoking chmneys, the twin
Killing, curtainlesS windows.
''What do you expect me to do?" she
asked I'm a queer voice.
He looked at her in sort Of won
derment. Perhaps it seemed to him
that a woman should have no need to
ask such question.
ut is long story,"+he said. 81 will
tell you about it another time. You
are tired now after your journey"
His arm slipped from her waist.
They stood side by side. and both were
conscious of feeling of difference.
They were not the same as they had
been in London. The atmosphere of
Russia seemed to have had some sub
tie effect upon them.
Eta turned and sat slowly down on