The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-06-15

eyelidS futtered, but were still too
weary to lift their heavy fringe of
lashes. She pulled the cover closer
around her shoulders. Cold Cold
Really she must ask katja to unpack
Aunt Anna Karloya's coyerlet. That
funny cover of lace and fur and silk
that Aunt Karlova had spent an en-
tire year In embrodering
Winter! 1t must be winter For
suddenly sleighbells were ringing In
the streets. Strangely muffled and
far away they sounded. Perhaps
heavy snow had fallen during the
night Bells Bells Bells! An In
cessant ringing of them an
amending procession of them. Would
they never STOP Where were they all
going? All But of counsel Strange
that she shouldn't have remembered.
Suddenly it was clear as crystal. How
could she have forgottenl Her we'd
ding day! This was her wedding day
The jingling droshkas were bringing
the wedding guests. From distant
provinces, from the suburbs, from
Moscow itself, were coming uncles and
aunts and cousins-Victor's us well as
her own; schoolmates, friends, officers
from Victor's regiment, officials from
the court and their families. Why,
there must be hundreds Of them, thou
sands of them. there were so many
belsl And all coming to celebrate
her wedding, hers and Victor's. Yet
strange weight lay on Alexandria
Sophia She felt she was not NOV
ing-that she was poWerless to move.
And now, us suddenly as they had
started. the bells stopped. The guests,
then, were all assembled-all waiting.
And Victor, her adorable Victor, he
too. would be waiting! How splendid
he would look in his uniform of the
Imperial guard. all white and gold,
with the flashing order of st. STAN
islaus upon his breast. ALI, but he
vas wonderful Swiftly, swiftly, her
thoughts flew back to the day she had
met him. 1t was at the hall ut the
Dolgoruk palace, she was making
her first formal appearance In society.
Victor had asked her to lead the pro-
cession with him. They had passed
through an arch of flags, and instead
OF returning to the ballroom, be had
carried her off to the gardens. Uu
der the willow by the fountain, he had
kissed her. andEtofd= she-Was the
most diyinely lovely thing God had
created. And now here at Inst, she and
/ Victor were to be married-never, SO
Victor had sworn, would he allow her
to part from him.
But suddenly. more guests seemed
| to be arriving-there were The sleigh
bells again The wedding banquet
must be already spread in the great
| hnN But she, Alexandria Sophia, the
| bride, she was not there Where was
sne7 oh, where was Katja7 Why
didn't katja bring the wedding dress,
| that shimmering thing that had been
/ sent from Paris? Where was the veil
with headdress of pearls that had
been worn by her mother. and her
grandmother, and by countless Orlof-
ski brides before them? Why this
strange sense of impending doom in
Alexandria Sophia's heart Why this
pain, this anguished foreboding
| heavy, heavy weight
SleIghbells Sleighbells Would they
never stop? Was all Of Moscow cons
Ing to her wedding? And she, the
bride, not ready-not readyl Ali
They were calling her-it seemed she
was hiding somewhere. They were
coming for her, some one was pound
Ing at the door, shaking 1t Dear
God Some one was breaking In.
Why, she had been asleep, fast asleep
Her eyes were still dazed, her mind
vague.
r Some one stood on the threshold.
Katja? good old Katja with the we'd
ding dress? But, no, of course 1t
wasn't Katja 1t couldn't DO
Katja. The little princess was wide
awake at last -. rushing with
shudder into the complete awareness
A slovenly woman In faded wrapper
stood before her. She was holding out
thick white cup and talking: "See,
dearle, It's coffee I'm after bringing
UP to We. | feared as ye'd oversleep
this morning, 1t was so late you got
In last night, poor lamb, poor little
lamb"
/
All! Awake! How terrible to be
awakei To realize the TRUTH To
know that she was only Sophie Orloff,
apprentice at dressmaking establish
ment, that she lived In a hall room
In Mrs. Murphy's boarding house on
Lenox avenue, that she had oversight
and would be late to her job. And Bit
terest Of all, to remember that she Is
no longer young. no longer beautiful,
that no one In all the world really
cares what happens to her.
Victor? Katja? Aunt Anna Kar-
Iowa? Where were they? The Dolgo-
!. rukl palace, court balls, wedding wells
OF lace. silken coverlets7 Gone. gone
Bore Mol Long and long ago had
they all vanished. War; revolution,
Red fury had annlhilated these dear
neonle-these once familiar things