The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-30

return to her father. He found upon ar
 rival at the messroom of Feodor's regi-
 ment that she ha6 really been carried away by force and not in accord with some preconcerted plan between herself and the young colonel. The rest we have seen.
 | As they entered the. hall which led to
 her room Elise, casting a searching look around and perceiving that no one was in sight, laid her head upon Bertram 8 shoulder and wept. Then raising her face I to his she said: "Bertram, I know that I am not worthy of your noble, generous love; yet in my heart I thank God that possess it." She kissed him on the lips and was gone A knocking at the door was heard. Bertram hastened to open 1t. A yelled lady stood there. Ii fluent French, which it could be perceived how ever, was not her native language, the adiutant resided there.
 Bertram answered that he was quar- tered there, but was now at the quar- ters of the general q will wait she said, flor his return" She took a seat in the hall, and Bertram sat there with her for a time wondering and in silence
 Finally 1t seemed as if the woman could bear the restraint no longer. Sir" said she, you will excuse me asking you St. Petersburg. l seek a man from W hom l have not heard for six months
 He is my affianced husband. I wish to know if he is dead-or only dead to me. He is the Colonel Count Feodor von Brenda"
 The strange lady was indeed the Countess Sandomir whose union with Feodor had been already blessed by the Empress. When Feodor had first met her she was the wife of an aged nobleman nearly twice her age whom her parents had forced to marry for wealth. Feodor soon won her heart. The husband obtained evidence of their guilty love and challenged the young colonel. favorite of the dissolute Emp ress. They fought and the Count was killed Feodor, In spite of this bloody tie which bound them, would then have cast off the Countess. But she fled court and the Empress comma nded Feo- dor to marry her They plighted their roth and were about to be married, when the breaking out of the war put a stop for a while to thoughts of mat rmony.
 Feodor rushed to the front and met Elise Gotzkowsky. She was to him a strange, pure being-a dove, as he had said, with an olive branch for him out of the deluge of sin. He wrote no more to the Countess Sandemir. But she, heartbroken, disgraced. forsal.en, had followed him at length to Berlin The con nfldence between Bertram and the Countess became complete. The next night when Feodor came by arrange ment to carry off Elise in a travelling carriage he found the woman who an swered his signal and drove away with him from the house of the merchant was not Elise, but his affianced bride Bertram had arranged that and had disclosed the whole matter to Elise, who was, of course, heartbroken But she resolved never to see Feodor more.
 And now came days of trouble and tumult. The rapid approach of the King of Prussia with a victorious army com pelled the allies to hastily evacuate Berlin. But the Russians before leav- ing had made the city pledge itself for large indemnity. and the Russian commander had refused to accept the bond until it had been guaranteed by Gotzkowsky Elise and her father were more near and dear to each other now. The Great Frederick was victorious in T. and was succeeded by the Empress Catherine. Elise buried her lost love In her heart. To Bertram she was a sister, all tenderness and kindness, but as yet she felt for him none of that love she had felt for the young Rus sian colonel
 {, Four years passed and the rich mer-