Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-06-14
Bells and Bells
BY ELSIE
O. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service


but were still too weary TO lif
their heavy fringe of lashes. She
pulled the cover closer around her
shoulders. Coldi Coldi Really she
must ask Katja to unpack Aunt An.
ma Karlova's %coverlet. That funny
cover of lace and fur and silk that
Aunt Karlova had spent an entire
year In embroldering.
Winteri 1t must be winteri For
suddenly slelghbells were ringing
In the streets. Strangely muffled
and far away they sounded. Per
haps a heavy snow had fallen dur
ing the night. Bellsl Bellsl Bells
An incessant ringing of them -.
an amending procession of them.
Would they never stopi Where
were they all going? Ali But OF
course Strange that she shouldn't
have remembered. Suddenly 1t was
clear Is crystal. How could she
have forgottenl Her wedding day
This was her wedding dayl The
jingling droshkas we're bringing
the wedding guests. From distant
provinces. from the suburbs. from
Moscow Itself, were coming uncles
and aunts and cousins ictor's as
well rs her own; schoolmates.
friends. officers from victor's regI.
ment. officials from the court and
their families. Why. there must be
hundreds of them. thousands of
them, there we're so many bells
And now. as suddenly as they
had started. the bells stopped. The
guests. then, were all assembled
all waiting. And Victor, her ador
able Victor. be too, would be wait.
ing How splendid he would look
In his uniform Of the Imperial
guard, all white and gold, with the
flashing order of st. Stanislaus up
ON his breast. All. but he was won
derfuli Swiftly. swiftly, her
thoughts flew back to the day she
had met him. II was ut the ball of
the Dolgoruky palace: she was
making her first formal appearance
In society. Victor had asked her
to lead the procession with him.
They had passed through an arch
of flags, and instead of returning
to the ballroom. he had carried her
off to the gardens. Under the will
low by the fountain, he had kissed
her, and told her she was the most
divine lovely thing God had Gre
ated. And now here at last, she
and Victor were to be married
never. so Victor had sworn, would
be allow her to part from him.
But suddenly, more guests
seemed to be arrlving-there were
the sleigh-bells again. The wedding
banquet must be already spread In
the great hall. But she. Alexandria
Sophia. the bride, she was not
there. Where was she? Oh, where
was Katjaf Why didn't Katja bring
the wedding dress. that simmer.
ing thing that had been sent from
Parish Where was the veil with
headdress Of pearls that had been
worn by her mother, and her grand
mother, and by countless Orlofski
brides before them? Why this
strange n of impending doom
In Alexandria Sophia's hearth Why
this pain. this anguished forebod-
ng-this heavy, heavy weight
Sleighbellsl Sleighbellsi Would
they stop? Was all of Mos
COW coming to her wedding? And
she, the bride, not ready-not
ready All They were calling her
1t seemed she was hiding some-
where. They were coming for her,
some n was pounding at the door,
shaking It. Dear Godi Some one
was breaking In. Why, she had
been asleep. fast asleepi Her eyes
were still dazed, her mind vague.
Some one stood on the threshold.
Katja? good old Katja with the
wedding dress? But, no, of curse
1t wasn't Katja 1t couldn't
be Katia. The little princess was
wideawake at last rush
Ing with a shudder into the com
plete awareness. A slovenly WON
an in a faded wrapper stood be-
fore her. She was holding out a
thick white cup and talking: "See,
dearie, it's coffee I'm after bring
Ing up to We. | feared as ye'd over
sleep this morning, 1t was sc late
you got In last night, poor lamb.
poor little lamb"
Ali Awakel How terrible to be
awakel To realize the truth To
know that she was only Sophie Or
loft, apprentice at a dressmaking
establishment. that she lived In a
hall room In Mrs. Murphy's board
Ing house on Lenox avenue, that
she had oversight and would be
late to her job. And bitterest of
all, to remember that she is no
longer young, 40 longer beautiful,
that no one in all the world really
cares what happens to her.
Victor2 Katja? Aunt Anna Kar-
Iowa? Where were they? The Dol
goruki palace, court balls. wedding
wells of lace, sllken coverlets?
Gone. gonel Borze Moii Long and
long ago had they all vanished.