South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-20

something like
three years has
Princess h",--I"lh' occupied the at
/ tention of the whole world, in his
capacity of leader of the Russian
/ troops who had to bear the first
/ brunt of the war ruthlessly begun
| by Germany.
| Nicholas Nicnolaiewitsch in his
youth had been a dashing officer,
who by his splendid riding and
magnificent personality, had made
4 for himself a reputation such as no
/ other member of the imperial fam
/ lily had ever acquired before him.
/ But with it all he had never been
popular. He was exceedingly rough
7 in his manners, and in his Ian
guage and never cared how much
any Of his words might hurt those
TO whom they were addressed.
Women detested him. perhaps be-
cause he had never thought it worth
| his while TO tell them any of the
pretty things they liked to hear.
and sometimes people wondered
how it could come about. that liv-
ing in society where fiirtations
were the order of the day. as was
the case in St. Petersburg some 80
years ago, he had never been ac-
Cused of any but on the contrary
had made for himself the reputa-
ton Of a woman hater.
Grand Duke Was Shy.
The truth was that he grand duke
at ri ChN
that he had never been able to con-
quer this feeling. Women appealed
10 him, but he lacked the courage
TO approach them, and had only
nonored with his attention actresses,
and ladies easy of access. whilst at
heart yearning for something better
and choicer, but not knowing how
to reach spheres which seemed to
him 10 be inaccessible.
one afternoon the grand duke
was walking on the quays border
ing the Newa when he saw a sledge
rush by, the horses of which had
bolted thrown out their coachman.
and i'm which a lady alone was wild
ly clinging 10 the reins. which she
had seized, and trying in vain 10
quiet the runaway steeds. The
grand duke threw himself in front
Of the infuriated beasts, and being
an unusually powerful man. sue
ceeded in stopping them. and get
ting the occupant out of the vehicle.
She turned out TO be a very pretty
woman, who. of course, was pro-
fuse in her expressions of gratitude.
Nicholas Nicholaiewitsch. always
chivalrous. called a cab. and put
ting her i'm it, drove her TO her
house. where ne left her, promising
to call soon, and inquire after her
health.
The lady was a Madame Boure-
nine. the wife of a very rich old
merchant, well known in financial
circles, but not at all received among
the smart or aristocratic sets of So
ciety. She did not know at first who
was her rescuer. but when the grand
I duke came as he had promised, to
I see whether she had not been hurt,
and sent her previous TO that some
/ of the most magnificent flowers she
I had ever received. she showed her
d
graces Of which she was capable to
make a favorable impression upon
Y him Nicholas Sicholaiewitsch was
subjugated. and very soon got into
the habit of dropping in at Ma
dame Bourenine's in the afternoon.
having at last found in her the lady
! Of his dreams.
The Husband i'm the Case.
Alas. there was a husband to be
considered i'm the case, and old Mr..
! Bourenine did not at all look with
I favorable eyes on the daily visits OF
the grand duke. One afternoon, he
simply turned his wife out of the
/ house, and declared that he was go
I ing 10 apply for a divorce, and that
as soon as possible.
Madame Bourenine. who had
never thought that her friendship
/ for Nicholas could assume the pro-
portions her indignant husband took
/ for granted it had, did not know
4 what 20 do. the more 50 that she hal
no money of her own and found
herself absolutely helpless 10 defend
+ herself She sought refuge in a
J small boarding establishment and
hoped that she would be forgotten
there. When the grand duke came
10 her former house the next day,
+ he was told simply that the lady had
gone away. but given no Indication
as 10 where. Mr.. BOurenine, who
d had received him. having done SO
in the curtest OF manners. declared
\ % him that he was not a man with
7 whose honor one could trihe. IL
. was useless for the grand duke 10
/ declare that he had never done so.
and he could only retire fun OF
anxiety as 10 the fate of the lady
I whom. without wishing 10 do SO. he
/ had 50 deeply wronged.
/ or course. ne tried 10 ind out
I where she had gone and this proved
a relatively easy matter for him.
/ When ne had discovered the retreat
/ OF Madame Bourenine he did the