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Show A RUSSIAN ROMANCE. It baa often been said that the inventions in-ventions of the liveliest imagination of romance writers are always surpassed sur-passed by tlm reality. The following is a new and curious proof of this saying. An officer of the engineer corps, who has juat arrived hero (OdeiBa) from Kichenefl", the headquarters head-quarters of the Ruisian army of tbe south, relates iu his own ianguago this curious little story: There is nothing talked of down thero at Kichenett'but of a moat romantic ro-mantic incident. Two years ago, at a in naked ball in St. Petersburg, a black domino accosted Prince D , an ollicer of the Ataminsid regiment of Cossacks, in these torms: "I love you prince; will you love me?" " Why not But, first, I should like to see what that soinhro domino covers." "Not so fast, con.-ont, nt first, to ans.vcr my questions." "What! , love you without knowing whether you are pretty or ugly, voting or old?" "Ye-e." Prince D bioke out into a loud laugh, which was not vory proper, au he himself confessed, and, between tho two peal of laughter, he replied: re-plied: "Well, yes. I will love you; will you lay aside that rag, now?" He sought to unmask the unknown; but she recoiled, saying, "Now lesi than ever. I have your promise; 1 retire, and in two years you will see mc?" "Two yearn?" "Yes; in two years I will be your wile." "My wife in two years?" "Certainly." "Am I afliauced, then? Is it a demon or an angel?" And ho broke out into a new laugh, for ho took the adventure fer a joke. The unknown answered: "To a woman who love.-yuu love.-yuu rich, beautiful, powerful .md sixteen years of age." "My dear journalist," inif rrnpU'd the engineer officer, "you sen things ire in Russia as in France." Prince- D exclaimed, "Alas! why wait two years? We shall ho old or dead by that time. To years! two centuries!" "Yes, two years, during which you will prove to me your love." "How?" "In being faith ful, absolutely faithful to mo!" "At least I shall see you, I shall know know who you are, and whore you live?" "No! Pardon! . Pardon! I will write to you every Sunday, and yoj can answer me." "And how can I send you my letters?" "By giving them to tho person who will bring you mine. Two year! Adieu! Here is my hand in pledge ol my faith. Do not forget, prince, your promise!" He took tho little nrollercd hand, and was Ralon;Bhcd. It seemed that she was pretty. At the sight of tbis simple hand he grew mad with love, and determined to remain re-main faithful lo hia unknown. More than twenty months bad elapsed since this meeting, and the two years bcj;an to rise on the horizon when tho army of the south was formed. Prince D had a command in it. He wrote to the lady of his thoughts: "I leave; wiio W-noiva if T .hall tivor r.lnr,.? Tin. event was not anticipated. Will you remain insensiblo to my sorrow, and will you refuse me the favor of be-Btowing be-Btowing a kijs on your chaste brow?" She replied: "I said two years. The terra expires. I will go to rejoin you. wero it even in another world for 1 love you so that I would renounce re-nounce my own life if God should take yours." He set out. At Kichenefl' he was introduced to Princes K , a young lady of eighteen, a beauty, a pearl, a master-piece of nature, recently re-cently from St. Petersburg. After some days he remarked that the youn'j princossdid not look upon him with indiflerence. Their intimacy increased. One fine evening, or one flue morning she said to him: "Prince; I lovo you; lam rich; marry me." The unfortunate prince was con founded; then summoning up his courage, he frankly told her his situation. situa-tion. "Ob!" exclaimed the princess. "I know her very well; she is an intrigu- , ante; Bho doesn't love you." "You must deceive yourself; a person cannot can-not write as she doei to me without loving." "I assure you she is merely acting. You do not know her or rather you know her face, but not her heart. I am the very opposite; a heart like mino cannot assume a part it does not feel." Tbe little ' princess made no impression; several times she returned to tho attack, but always iu vain. At last, the two years expired on the 12th of February. Febru-ary. .The 10th, Prince D received the following telegram: "To-morrow evening I will be at Kichenefl, the first day after you will seo me, and I will be your wife when you please. Tho sooner the better. "The Unknown." It was thus that she had signed her letters to that date. Oj the 12th Prince D was requested to repair at noon to a property in the environs of the town which was indicated to him. Ho flew thither. Ho was introduced in-troduced into a large saloon, where ho waited five mortal minutes. She appeared at last. "Here I am!" she said. "Heaven! thePrincess K !" It was, in fact Bhe. She had left St. Petersburg at the same time with the prince, and had fixed herself at Kichenefl", Kich-enefl", whence she sent to a confidante the letters which tbe lover was to continue con-tinue to receive from the capital. Thanks to this subterfuge, she had been able to have herself presented to the priuce, and to easily play a double part. As to the denouement, you can divine it. The Princess K on tho morrow became the wife of Prince D . It was the 13th, and the friends wished to postpone it to the 14th. "Not at all," aaid the princess. "It is two years that we havo been waiting for that 13th." The grand duke could not assist at the ceremony, but he sent rich presents pres-ents to the bridal pair. I assure you that at this moment at Kichenefl' they busy themselves but very little about tbe Turks or the Christians; tho whole talk ia only the Prince and Princess D . |