Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-04
very sumptuous and comfortable inn,

as 1t proved.
The mad life and gaiety of the
town. the evidence of wealth and
pleasure, the lights sparkling on the
snow, the laughter of the magnificent
ly-dressed women in the innumerable
sledges dashiag here and there, the
crashing and jingling of bells-an,
these things thrilled Hardy and made
his heart beat faster as he drove to
the hotel.
She, the Princess, was one of the
richest Of the rich, one of the most
aristocratic of all the aristocrats of
this brave town, he reflected, and he
looked eagerly into the sledges as
they passed in an endless stream. #
perchance he might see the naughty
laughing, high-bred face he knew so
well; If perhaps he might pass her
here, as he had done on the streets
Of Vladivostok
All the fashion and wealth Of Mos
cow seemed to be out this crystal
clear, biting evening.
Should he see her, would she recog-
nize him? Would that superb, fearless,
handsome and unprincipled animal,
Boris Romanoff, be by her side, chat
ting gaily and intimately? The first
three adjectives passed through Har-
dy's mind in Justice to the man, but
he could not resist adding the last In
justice to himself, and he felt sharp
twinge of pain grip his heart the
fingers Of jealousy, though he would
not have liked to acknowledge the
sensation by that name.
The certainty that Romanoff had
been with her all this time, passing
his evenings with her, taking her to
the theater or to drive, or meeting
her at social gatherings. gave him
acute discomfort, and he realized
sharply, as he drove along in his hired
sledge, that he was in Russia and
engaged in commerce. He decided,
before reaching the hotel, that per-
haps he would not call, after all; that
it would be foolish for him to do so.
"If l should become infatuated with
her." he muttered, II should only
make myself the more miserable by
seeing her again.
For several days he devoted his
entire attention to business, conferr-
Ing with merchants and going over
lists, prices and accounts with Wang.
Meanwhile, whenever he went into the
street, the interminable procession of
sledges was there, and he watched
them constantly, always with one face
In his mind that graceful head held
SO high, with its crown of hair the
| color of ripe wheat and fine as spider
threads. Many ladies of pure Russian
type he saw. their faces peeping sauci-
| ly from collars and hoods Of costly
| fur, and often he would start and his
heart would throb more violently as
he thought he recognized the Princess.
He would generally realize his mis-
would dash by with Its dangling bells.
But on one or two occasions he was
| not quite sure. and he would glance
back at the sledge flying down the
street in furry of snow-spray, won
dering if indeed he had again looked
into the eyes of his fair fellow passen-
ger Of the Pushkin.
He was more easily deceived be-
cause there WIS a striking general
| resemblance among the faces, owing
to the prevalence of the Moscow typo
Unlisted on by the poet Griboyedoff,
In his charming comedies.
He would have gone away without
calling on her had he finished his
business as quickly as the original
plan contemplated but old Emery who
had come up as far as Irkutsk. kept
writing to him, sending new commits
sions. Bmery, by the way, was be-
coming jubilant. The diplomatic rela-
lions between Russia and Japan were
growing less cordial every day: the
demands of the latter country were
waxing more and more insistent and
difficult to evade. Tue Japanese, too
according to Emery's advices, were
rushing preparations Tor death.
grapple with the Bear on gigantic
scale.
This means war, my boy" wrote
the old man, "and war means bust
ness!"
So Hardy worked away, enlarging
his acquaintance with the Moscow
merchants. while his respect for the
magnitude of their operations and for
the greatness of the city's industries
steadily grew.
And one evening. as he walked home
to his hotel. he saw the Princess Ro
manovna. There was no mistake about
| it this time, and ne realized that, when
1t was indeed she, there could be nc
mistake. She was leaning back In q
sledge with high curving dash. luxur
iously piled with skins On an elevated
seat in front sat her coachman and
footman, the former directing the en-
ergies Of four milk-white steeds
whose tails were tied in knots. but
whose long names streamed wildly in
| the wind. Two of these horses were
running free, and, thus untrammeled
| the beauty and grace of their move.
ments was sight to be remembered
for a lifetime. The Princess wore a
white round cap of fur. and her
| cheeks, deliciously REDEEMED by the
excitenSut and the, keen teeth of the
wind. Were snuggled in the soft col
lar of white fur cloak. Hardy no
| ticed, with thrill of distinct pleas
ure, that no man, but an older woman
accompanied her.
And the Princess saw Hardy. Az
he arrested his steps at the edge oi
the curb and gravely lifted his hat
she bowed and leaning forward. touch
ed the coachman and called to him
4 The horses came to O. sudden stoD