Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1855-08-30


surprise Of every one, and more especially
TO the Cspuchins, will was found, signed
bv the countess, and by four witnesses-all
of them Russian functonsres belonging
to Mozyr-cons,iIuingM Major Foeel the ex-
ecu,or end sole lega,ee of the deceased's
property, subject however, 10 the clause
thu, no legal heir 10 the countess's fortune
should prefer his claim during The space Of
three wears. In the latter case, and should
such heir or heirs presen, incon.eslible
vouchers, setting forth their claims 10 The
coun,ess's estate, Major Fogel would then
be entitled TO the quarter only Of her real
and personsl property. The coun.ess's
riches smounied to Two millions Of rubles.
Scarcely five months had elapsed since
the Countess Sero- K ON oleska's death, hen
The young C"un. Edmond Sero-K omoIeska,
son to a nephew Of the countess arrived in
Mozyr. The young mans claim to the
couniess's property was known 10 every bo-
DIV, nor was Major Fogel more ignoran, on
this head than our ourselves. The major re-
ceived Madame Sero- Komoleska's heir with
every show OF fair dealing, and with even
palernsl kindness he invited him to tske
|
most refined attentions upon him, taking
every care ,ha: he should want for nothing
that could prove agreeable TO him.
"Unfor,unately, on leaving Cracovis,
where be usually resided, the young Coun,
Edmond had neg elected 10 bring the cer,i6
cate of his parents death, fsncyng ,ba. the
deeds setting forth his claims, which he had
brought with him, were more than sufficient
TO prove his identity. Major Fogel adver-
ted TO his deficiency. when the young count
showed him The family documents; adding,
Not but what am fully pursuaded, my
dear sir, ,hs, you are really the legal heir TO
the Countess Sero-KomoIesks, but justice,
you know, requires great formali.ies, TO
which one is obliged to submit
The count readily admitted the wisdom
and the soundness Of the remarks, and q
uusty servant was accordingly dispatched
to Crscovia to fetch The document, wiIhou,
which nothing could be definitely seuled.
"During the interval that must necessari-
ly elapse before the express could return,
the maj or sought every possible means Of
enierisining Coun, Edmond, and was OBJ
Ilged Ia accompany him everywhere. One
dav, when we were going a-shootng, the
major gave me his gun Mind YOU load it
properlv,' said he to me, 'for Count Ed
mond is TO make use Of it,
81 losded j, as usual on such occasions,
yet the gun burst The frs, time he fired, and
the couut was wounded in the cheek and in
the arm. Fortunately The wounds were
bu, slight, and he soon recovered.
"Anolher day The major brought me Q
horse for C"un, Edmnnd's use. The ami
nal seemed 10 be extremely docie, and
Major Fogel had him saddIed wrh his own
saddle, and after showing me that every
portion Of the harness was in proper order,
he desired me TO accompany The count, who
had expressed the wish 10 take ride into
the country. Scarcely, hewever had we
passed the city gates, when the apparently
docle horse began to rear and plunge, the
saddle. girlh gave way, ard the count, though
an accomplished rider, was thrown, and his
arm pu, out Of Joint. II was a wonder he
was not killed, for The road is slrewed with
rocks and sharp pebbles he escaped, how
ever, once more, and after being bled few
times, end keeping his bed for several days,
he recovered his health.
IL fancied all these events to be the re-
suits Of pure fatality. Some persons can
no, change places wilhou, being exposed to
ailments, dangers and iribula'ions of ell
kinds.* Count Edmond, | thought, no
doubt belonged TO ,ba. class of individuals.
But q circumstance, shortly af;er, opened
nv eyes to the real state of The case. The
major, one day, 'ook me aside snd lnIorm-
ed me very mys.eriously that Edmond was
courting julia, and that he had evide nly
formed the design Of seducing my sffisnced
one. This pretended disclosure did not,
However, disturb me ever slightly.
felt ss sure of Edmond's uprigh, feelings
and delicacy as ! was Of Julia's virtue ;
nevertheless, the majors meddlesome soli-
ci,ude awakened sundry suspicious Of sn-
other nature, which ] resolved TO clear np
and ,ha. happened still TO be in the house,
began by examining the gun That had burst
and escertsined that the barrel had been de-
signedly perforated in several places and
likewise found out ,hs. the horse, which
had nearly caused the young counts DEATH
had been sold with this character, viz
That he was extremely doclle in town, but
the moment he reached the open country
he became metllesome, as to be completely
unmanages even IN the hands OF an ex'
perienced groom.
81 would fain have spoken, but my de-
penden. position forbade me mentioning
any thing in the first instance, and that which
, subsequently, was more than mere suspicion
namely, the result Of my Investigations
|, ! should no. have inspired The least conf
*This is prevalent superstition in Russia, which
the authorities would be sorry to discountenance.
as it renders the wretched serfs attached to their
inhospitable SOIL