The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-11-30

putting them into uniforms Of Prusslan
design and subjecting them to an IRON
Prussian discipline with its dreao1ul
floggings.
GATHERINGS estrangement from him
had long since become so complete tnat
he had no suspicion that she was again
about to become mother, a fact which
only by agonies of tight lacing did she
succeed in concealing in public. So well
did she contrive that, when she was
delivered Of a son, not even her 1ntl-
mate Princess Dashkoff suspected 1t.
any more than she suspected the extent
of GATHERINGS relations with Orloff.
And yet between the stolid guardsman
and the Princess there was already
sort Of collaboration.
The Princess labored in court circles
for revolution that should dethrone
Peter in favor of the Tsarevitch Paul,
now 8 years old, with Catherine as re-
gent. Orloff, laboring similarly with
his brothers among the already dissatls-
fled Guards, took no account OF the
TSarevitch.
Catherine listened to them, pondered
and postponed. Thus until June OF the
year 1852, when at the banquet to cele-
brate the treaty Of peace with Prussia,
Peter stung her by an intolerable pub
lie insult.
When the Emperor, at the head OF
the great table, gave the toast to the
Imperial family, Catherine alone re-
manned seated. Because his befuddled
wits could not realize the propriety of
this in member of that same Imperial
family, he coarsely apostrophized her
as an imbecile before the 400 guests
who made up that brave company
She bore it with a smile on her lips
and hell in her heart.
And there was more to follow. When
the Emepror rose from the table, he
was heard to order Bariatinsky to place
the Empress under arrest, and only the
firm intervention Of Prince George of
Holstein averted so scandalous a con-
clusion to the feast.
Nor was even that the end, as she
learned later from Orloff when, with
the Princess Dashkoff, he sought her
in her apartment.
Twill you strike whilst you are free?
You have barely escaped tonight. Eliza
beth Vorontsoff will see that you don't
escape again. She is determined to be
Empress"
While Catherine hesitated to believe
so much, the stolid Gregory added what
was necessary.
"Who is the father of the Tsare-
vitch?" he asked, much as he might
have asked who was her dressmaker.
While the Princess recoiled in horror,
Catherine merely laughed.
II have thought that it might be the
Emperor
Orloff explained himself. IF that is
so, then his Imperial Majesty is a liar
as well as an idiot. He swore just now
to Prince George that before he packs
you off to cloister and sends the Tsar-
evitch to rot in Loenigsberg, he'll have
you paraded through the streets with a
placard on your breast, Mother of the
Bastard"
She laughed no longer. She was on
her feet, white and tense, her breath
coming in sobs.
us that his mind? And not only my
self but my son to feel his cruelty. I
have been too patient. We must cut the
cable"
She flung her arms in a gesture
! friends"
The Princess thanked heaven. The
Orloffs had no misgivings, having no
imagination, and fortunately the En-
peror was not prompt to execute his
threat. Banquets and fireworks occu-
pied his next two days, and on the
third, the Oath of June, he went off
with the Verontsoff to Oranienbaum,
ordering Catherine meanwhile to Pc
terhof.
He might have fulfilled his evil in
tentions concerning her before her
| friends could mature their ludicrous
conspiracy if chance betrayal of their
activities had not cut the ground from
under their feet.
! Gregory at the time was paymaster
Of the Guards. The office supplied an
opportunity. He plunged his hands ra-
ther deeply into the regimental cash.
box for the means to corrupt the men
Of the officers, in the main, he had
made sure already.
| When discovery overlook them, any
but the Orloffs would have decamped
at once, accounting themselves lost.
Instead, in their rashness, they struck
the iron, although it was still cold
The burly Alexis drove away in the
dawn to Peterhof. Thrusting aside at
PENDANTS, he marched without cere-
mony into her Majesty's bedroom, and
tore apart the curtains of her massive
gilden bed.
cts time to get up We shall have
to proclaim you at once"
That is all that he thought it neces-
sary to say. He was no more loquacious
than his brother.
She sat up, startled, drawing film
sy night-rail over her lovely breast.
proclaimed? At once? But :"
He interrupted her. He remembered
something. "Passek has betrayed him
self. He's been arrested. There is no
| time to lose. We must CO."
He displayed no more excitement
than if he had been summoning her to
breakfast.