The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-03-07
THE DAUGHTER OF AN
EMPRESS
(Continued from page twelNe.)

an ElnpreSs. and then, =.
claring that she would assert hsi 80
to the crOWn, Elizabeth at Est -
herself in q position when, thes p
susded her. must end in one - ~
ways-she must strike for the lnioi
or suffer herself and her lrlefiuS -
be overwhelmed in common rum -
throne of-the scaffoid. they toiu
awaited her. Tn lntrlsue3 .;S
habalf were Well known to the Mlhior
tare Of the Regent and the SWORD q
destruction might fan upon her at any
moment zoo,
This was partly true. But the fact
was that the Princess Anna SO scorhe"
Elizabeth that she ridlculcd tne DC
commits of the activities of her fTlenos
which her Ministers brought her and
refused to have any steps taken 20
aDDrahend the cOnScplratorS. Ana
then one night, they scared ~Ifllzapetn
into acting. once aroused, once II
: action. and she was no longer the
nsolent and sensual voluptuary WFnch
Russia had before known, but a true
daughter OF Peter the Great. AT night
accompanied only by her three friends
-Lestocq. Woronzow and Grunsteln-
she went to the barracks OF a regl-
ment whose officers had already been
tempered with, and h~arangued the
troops. who enthusiastically declared
for her.
Alexis attempted to follow her from
palace upon the dangerous enterprise.
But she said to him: mo, you must
not go. II l am to have courage TO
act and speak l must know hat you
are not mingled In the strife-I must
not tremble for your life" Alexis
impIored and begged in vain. She
ould not move until he had prom
Used to remain where he was until n
sent d messenger for him.
AT the head Of the regiment which
her French-supplied gold, her per
sonal charms and the intrigues or her
ance to the Regent, Elizabeth went to
the imperial palace. Taken entirely
by surprise the guards at the palace
offered only a faint resistance, and
at the high words and majestic looks
of Elizabeth, who babe them kneel
and salute their empress, they ended
by acclaiming her n joining her side.
The Regent Anna, her husband and
the infant Ivan were seized in their
beds ana placed in captivity. In two
hours after Elizabeth had left her
palace a messenger came to tell Alexis,
the beautiful singer. that the Empress
Elizabeth commanded his attendance
in the palace of the Cars.
Thus did Elizabeth of Russia come
to the throne of her father, and she
gave to her empire twenty years which
are glorious in their annals of sue
cessful foreign wars and domestic
progress. Successful as was her
reign. she was yet upon the throne a
~sceptered barbarian. cruel, dissolute.
coarse, q true daughter of Peter.
Alexis. Of course, was raised by. her to
the highest honOrS. To him she re-
NAMED Steadfast to the end, and him
h secretly married. At one time her
lovers Wen ~Strayinp after
t~he8beautiful Eleonore Lapuschkin-
ap1 tho INn, ~ h,I H.. I,Sxr floc~oS
to death. Zab stood grimly look
ing on at the execution. and the un-
happy Ona raising her hands to
Heaven. prayed that the Empress
might have a daughter and hat that
daughter might suffer what she-was
suffering now. 1t was an imprecation
rather than a praye and ever after
it haunted Elizabeth.
So when a daughter was born &c
her and Alexis she established her
with a nurse and a few confidential
attendants in a villa outside the city
a villa to which no one was admitted
but upon the order of the mpre
and a villa often visited by herself
and Alexis. On these visits they were
generally accompanied by the Coun,
Paul Rasczinsky, one of the few who
knew the secret Of the child Natalie's
existence. Thus by keeping the fac
of her daughters existence a Secre,
1iiu H. bll1SihS Itl up III SSC1CSlOl
she hoped to avoid the curse which
Leonore L~apuschkin had called dowr
upon her head.
Come Alexis" said the Empires.
one day. we will go to the villa ane
take dinner there. Say to the major
damo that we have gone to Peterhof
!. Then no one will be surprised that w,
make a short stop at my little villa
in passing. Or rather thew will know
nothing about it. Rasczinsky may pre-
cede and us" When Eliz
abeth told the Count to go on aheat
and announce her coming. he replied
Your Majesty forgets that in orde,
to penetrate into this enchanted casti,
your written command is required.
True answered the Empress, and
Selling "a pen and DaDer. she wrote
The Count Rasczinsky- may be ad
mitted,' signing it and aftixing he
seal. "You may retain this paper,
she sair, lit is good for all time.