The daily Alaskan., 1907-01-08
A Royal Romance
lOrlginaL.l

husband who brought with him prob able crown The princess was Spir | tied girl and not amenable to an or | der, even from such q source, without her own consent. However, she ac | Ceptcd the CZarOwitZ, whom she had never seen. OH condition that she should be invited to spend Il winter In l St. Petersburg The invitation was | given. and the princess was the most 1 admired of all the women that winter at the court of Russia. The czarOwitz, | who was destined soon tO rule the em- pire. took q deep interest in the prob l lemS confronting the state and seem | ed 10 have no time to devote to hls | ianCcC. Margaret apparently accept ed the situation as well as the atten- | tions of such men of the court as dared risk offending the heir apparent. | One of these, Count Demidorf, seemed to be the favorite. One afternoon in December there was a skating party on the Neva. Nei- thCr the c2aruwitz nor the count was present, and the absence of these the one the imperial betrothed and the other the supposed lOver-gave other men opportunity. and the princess was much sought The days are short in winter In St. Petersburg. and the sport was kept up after twilight. At dusk a man in the uniform of captain of artillery came upon the grOund-or rather the ice-and skated by him self, for no one seemed to know h'm. He was generally to he found son4e- where near the Princess Margaret and as the gloom dCepened kept continual " in her. wake. While she was skat- ing with prominent court official q | bit of something white futtered from her nun The officer who was but a few yards behind her stopped ard picked it up Immediately after this he left the ice.
 That night $, II o'clock carriage emerged from the court of the palace It was driven to a railway station and a lady closely yelled stepped out and entered tine station She had been there but q few minutes, pacing lmpa tiently back ;rd forth. when the of Ger of artillery who had Skatcd that afternoon on iAe Neva entered. Alp proaching the lady, he courteously lift ed his hat auG handed her a note.
 Pardon me. nadamc. l should have returned sooner this which you drop ped while Skat'rg today
 You must have read it or you would not have known where to find me at this hour"
 "I-I-knew you to be the betrothed of my imp6riai'-
 Are you cre of the czarowitzs spies:"
 By DO mesms. but consider it my duty to
 "To what"
 q would confront your lover, Count DemidOrf."
 And what Interest have you In Count pemidor?:"
 "I wish to iuSult him and settle this affair by the Cole."
 "I do not see how it can concern you"
 "It concerns my imperial master deeply"
 The czarOwit2:"
 Yes. In his name I demand to know if it is Count Demidorf you are to meet here tonight"
 II do not care to tell you whom I er- pect to meet here" Nevertheless shall learn, for l shall wait for him.
 For what purpose:'
 The count is q gentleman. l shall challenge him to fight under the code. He will meet me And kill the cZarOwitz"'
 You know me-"
 q knew you from the moment you entered"
 "I shall assume all responsibility. The count will meet me as my peer"
 And why should your imperial high ness take this trouble, thus risk Sour ife?"
 For revenge upon the man who has supplanted me with the woman l love-"
 The princess bent her head and was silent. When she looked up she saw figure approaching.
 If your imperial highness will turn you will see he person am to meet
 A woman"
 "A woman. I had concluded to go with her to my own country"
 And now"
 Again she bent her head. T never | intended to marry without love- she said. No sovereign is powerful enough to compel me to do that
 There was brief silence, at the end of which the czarowitz asked in voice full of suppressed emotion, Then you i will not marryE Only the man l love"
 And he is:" He bent toward her eagerly.
 "The man who would fight for me-
 The princess turned aside as she spoke the words Hn low voice, and the c2arowltz started. In another moment he beckOned to the woman standing aloof who advanced and join ed them. The princess introduced her aunt, the Duchess of N, to his imperial