Year: 1871

Setuueu W lOllOW Ii tuc Spdcc- VAGUE puiu-
toms fitting before his Imagination. Re-
addressed to him, and when he was asked
to respond to a toast which one of the
royal Princes had proposed in his honor, he
seemed to awake from profound dream
which had entirely withdrawn him from
his surroundings.


Suddenly, as if by a mighty effort cf his
will, he turned to his fair neighbor, and
whispered so as only to be understood by
her


So l shall leave Berlin tomorrow"


He paused abruptly and looked at the
Princess as if he was waiting for an an
swer which expressed sorrow aud gli-f on
her part. But the Princess was fully as
proud as the Grand Duke, and overcoming
the violent throbbing of her heart, she
said politely to him:


"We are very sorry to see your Imperial
Highness leave US so soon. Would it not
have been possible for you to defer your
departure?


"You will all be very sorry p muttered
the Grand Duke, not entirely satisfied with
the vagueness of sorrow which these
words of the Princess implied. "But you
in particular, madame?" he added, after
some hesitation. "For it will depend on
you alone whether l shall stay here or
depart"


"Ah" replied Charlotte, with her sweet
est smile, land what have to do to keep
your Imperial Highness herer'


You must permit me to address my ad-
miration and homage to you"


-" Is that all"


And you must encourage me to please
you"


THAT is much more difficult" said the
Princess, with deep blush, but at the
same time her eyes beamed forth so much
affection and delight that the Prince could
see at glance that his fondest hopes had
been realized beforehand.


During my short stay in Berlin" the
Grand Duke continued in the same tone
of voice, 81 have taken pains to study
your character and your affections, and
this study has satisfied me that you would
render me very happy, while on the other
hand have some qualities which would
secure your own happiness"


The princess was overcome by emotion,
and in her confusion did not know what
to answer. At last she said. but here,
in the presence of the whole court, at
the public table, you put such question
to me?'


"Oh." replied the Prince" you need not
make any verbal reply. 1t will be suf1i-
cieDt for you to give me some pledge OF
your affection. see there on your hand
a small ring whose possession would make
me very happy. Give it to me-"


"What do you think of? Here in the
presence of hundred spectators?"


All, it can be easily done without be-
ing seen by anybody. Now we are chat.
ting so quietly together that there is not
hn acfc in hn looc az
what we are speaking about. Press the
ring into morsel of bread and leave it on
the table; 1 will take the talisman, and
nobody will notice it."


"This ring is really talisman."


81 expected so. May hope to hear its
history"


why not? My first governess was q
Swiss lady by the name Of Wildermatt
Once she went to Switzerland in order to
enter upon an inheritance which had been
bequeathed to her by a distant relative.
When she came back to Berlin, a few
weeks afterward, she showed me quite a
collection of pretty and costly jewelry,
which formed part of the Inheritance
This is a curious old ring said l to her,
as put this old-fashioned little ring on
my finger. Does it not look queer and
cunning? Perhaps it is an old relic or tai
isman, and may have been worn centuries
ago by pious lady who had received it
from her knight, starting for the Holy
Land tried to take the ring from my
finger again, but could not get it off; for
I was little 1eshier then than now" said
Charlotte smilingly.


My governess insisted on my keeping
the ring as souvenir. l accepted her
present, and the ring has been on my
finger ever since. Sometime afterward,
when was contemplating its strange
workmanship, I succeeded in pulling it
from my finger, and was much surprised
at seeing engraved on the inside some
words which, though nearly rubbed out
by the wear of time, were still legible
Now, your Imperial Highness, what dc
it? think when you hear them you
will take some interest in the ring"


"Ah! and pray what were they?"


"The words engraved upon the inside
were, impress of Russia This ring has
undoubtedly been presented by an Empress
of Russia to the relative of Mrs. Wilder
matt, for was told that both this lady and
her mother had formerly belonged to the
household of the Czarina, your august
grandmother.


"This is really remarkable" said the
Grand Duke, thoughtfully. az am quite
superstitious, and I am really inclined tt
regard this ring, if should be happy
enough to receive it from you as a pledge
of your love, as an omen of very auspiciou
significance.


In answer to this second and even mor'
direct appeal to her heart, the Princes
took small piece of bread, played care
lessly with it, and managed to press tn,
ring into the soft crumbs. Then sh,
dropped it playfully on the table quit,
close to the plate of her neighbor. AnC
after this adroit exhibition of skill as al
actress she continued to cat as uncon
cerned as though she had performed tn
most insignificant action of her life.


With the same apparent coolness an
Indifference the Grand Duke picked u
the bread enclosing the ring, took the lat
ter out of its ingenious envelope, and con
cealed it in his breast. for it was too smal
to fit any of his fingers. It was this rim
both the pledge of Charlotte's love an
! the auspicious omen of his own elevatio
| to the imperial dignity-which Nichola
wore on golden chain around his neck
the very last day of his life, and which
if we are not mistaken, has even descende
with him into the vault of his ancestors.
Three years after, in 1917, Princes
Charlotte, then only nineteen years of ag
and in the full splendor of beauty an
happiness, made her entry into St. Peter
burg by the side of her husband, who's
eye had never looked prouder, and who's
Olympian brow had never been more 81
rene than at this happiest moment of b
life. AS The 10 oked down upon the va


multitude who had f1ocked together frol
all parts of the vast Empire to greet til
young Princess with shouts and rejoicing
and then again upon his fair young brid


perhaps the inscription of the ring recu


red to his mind; for, bending his hea


quite close to Charlotte, he Whispers


Now Empress of the hearts, and SON


day, perhaps, Empress of the realm"


At this moment the procession reache


the main entrance of the Winter Palac


where Alexander the First, the Empero


surrounded by brilliant suit of genera


and courtiers, came to meet his beautif


sister-in-law, and conducted her into tt
sumptuous drawing-rooms of the magni


cent palace of the Cars. Who would belle
that eight short years afterward the br