The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-05-13
COL. DEM. --- VOL. XXXIV-. -

ginning to totter. The Count soon
heard my name mentioned everywhere;
If the talk was of wild, mad adven.
ture, it was l who had led it; he bs.
came desirous to make my acquaintance,
he sought my friendship: but I, jealous
of my presumed rival, in the character
of a lion, coldly repelled him. lie
took the repulse in good humor, but /,
feeling injured, began TO hate him.
This troubled him little; but his sue.
cess among my comrades, and with the
ladies, set me almost wild. | sought
to fix quarrel on him, but he remained
calm, answering my attacks with still
wittier 6Ons motS, and laughed me
down and, what was worst of all, he
had all the laughers on his side. At
last at ball, which nobleman in our
neighborhood gave to our garrison,
could restrain my hatred no longer
saw him there again, the petted darling
of all the ladies, and especially of the
lady of the house, with whom | con-
sidered myself the favorite. / could
stand it no longer, and during qua
drille l whispered brutal insult in his
ear. This indeed he could not answer
with a witticism, and-he struck me in
the face. Several ladies tainted with
terror: they separated US and We both
left the ballroom.
"Istood at the rendezvous, awaiting
with impatience my detested enemy.
He came lettering up with his seconds,
his sabre dangling from his shoulder,
and carelessly eating cherries. The
seconds loaded the weapons, and stepped
off the distance. 1 had the first shot,
but my heart beat so violently that
felt no longer certain of my aim. l
said that / would forego my advan tage;
and as my antagonist did not oppose it,
lots were drawn and fortune declared for
him. He took short aim, and his
ball perforated my cap here. Now it
was my turn. l eagerly scanned his
face, with hope of seeing symptoms
of fear-in vain! He continued quietly
eating his cherries, and shooting the
stones toward me. This self-possesion
only embittered me the more. What
is the use of killing a man, I thought,
who cares so little about life? A wick
ed thought struck me. L lowered my
pistole and cried; Il fear, Count, that
you are not ready yet to meet God as
you relish your breakfast so wonder
fully, 1 will wait till you have fin
ished.'
"Oh, you do not disturb me in the
least! Do as you please. You have
the right to shoot at me, and you may
fire sooner or later, as you please; it is
to me-
"Did you hear that?" l said turn
ing to the seconds. IF it is Indifferent
to this gentleman whether l fire sooner
or later, then l will not shoot to-day
1.-THE meeting was over. l resigned
from the regiment, and came to this
place. But every day thought of my
revenge; to-day it has come at last"
lie drew a letter from mis- pocket
which he had received in the morning.
81 am informed that certain person
has lately married a young and beau
tiful woman, with whom he is madIy
in love. You suspect who the person
is? This very day will go to him, and
will convince myself whether he can
look death so smilingly in the face as
when he ate the cherries"
With these words, he sprang up and
paced the room with hurried steps, like
/ tiger in his cage. The servant am
nounced that all was ready. Sylvio
pressed my hand and spraug into the
which contained but two
pieces of baggage, his portmanteau and
pistol.case. He drove offat full speed
Years passed on. I heard no nore
Of Sylvio and had nearly forgotten
him. L had long quilted the service,
which brought me no Iaurels or pro-
motion, and was living onmy small
state in the Northwestern depart.
nent. Although l attended TO my
own affairs, which consumed a great
1eal Of my time, still had many idle
hours, when l missed the intercourse
If my former life. But what was most
iifficult to accustom myselfto, was the
loneliness OF the long winter nights.
Up to dinner time, l killed the day
.olerably well! went over the fields,
.alked to my bailihs, inspected the new
&c, but when the the sun
vent down, 1 did not know what
o do with myself The few books
which | had found in the chests
md cupboards had been read through
ong ago. | had heard to weariness
he fables and ghost stories of my old
lousekeeper Kirolowa, and the songs
If the peasants made me sad! and so in
moments of despair, even resorted to
thinking. But that unfortunately gave
ne the h eadac he, and L was also afraid
If becoming a drunkard, the worst fate
If all. l had no near neighbors, so |
lit upon the plan OF dining late and |
,oing early to bed. l thus heightened |
he days, and shortened the long nights. |
Four wersts distant from my estate |
vas situated the castle of Count Bel |
'nskey, unfortunately inhabited at
hat time only by the castellan: the |
COUNTESS had been there but once, for |
month during the first year of her
marriage. In the second spring of my |
edious country life, rumor spread
IL at once that the beautiful Countess
would pass the summer with her hus-
and at the castle, and, in fact, at the
eginning of June they both arrived.
he arrival of rich neighbor in the |
ountry, where every one suffers from
rnui, is an event of vast Importance
world-shaken occurrence. The noble
antilles of the neighborhood, their SER
ants, and the peasants, could speak of
othing else for two months before tho
rival of the Count, and for three
lOnthS after his dpnartura. indeed |