The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-09-05

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sentence Of deathwere being announc-
Cd 70 him.
''Can you get me a horse to take rae
hither"' he asked.
/. 1--WE nave no horses
: cor at least a guide. ] will pay any
price,"
VERY well. Ny son can accompa-
ny the gentleman"
B After little while, which seemed
an eternity to Vladimir, a young fel-
low made his appearance, holding a
thick stsff in his hand, and they took
their way across the snOw-cOvered
plain
"What O'Clock is it?'' asked Vladi-
mir.
''It is already past midnight"
) And in very truth the sun began to
: gid the East, when they finally ar
! rived at Jadrino. The church door
was locked. Vladimir paid and dis
missed his guide, and then instantly
fastened to the minister's dwelling
What he there learned will appear
from the sequel.
At Nemaradof the night had pass
ed quietly. In the morning the mas
ter of the house and his wife arose as
, usual, and proceeded to the dining
room, Gabriel GabrilOvitch in his
woolen jacket and nightcap, Petrown-
ma in her morning gown. After they
had breakfasted, Gabriel sent up one
of the girls to inquire how Marie was.
She returned with the message that
her young mistress had had sleep
less night, but that she was feeling
better now, and would come down
presently. Marie soon after entered
the room, looking exceedingly pale,
yet without the least perceptible agi-
tation.
''How do you feel this morning,
lOve?" inquired her father
''Better,h was the answer.
The day passed by as usual; but
instead Of the lOoked-for improve
ment, serious change for the worse
i took place in Marie's condition. The
family physician was summoned
from the nearest town, who found her
in state of most violent fever. For
fourteen days she lay at the point Of
death.
Nothing transpired of the noeturn-
al flight, for the maid took good care
to keep silence on her own account,
and the others who knew of it never
betrayed themselves with a syllable,
even when under the influence of
brandy, so greatly did they dread Ga
briel's anger.
Marie, however, SPOKE so incessant-
| ly of Vladimir when deliriOus, that
| her mother could not remain in doubt
as to the cause of her illness. Hav-
ing advised with a few friends, her
parents resolved to let Marie marry
the young soldier, seeing that one
cannot escape ones fate, and, besides,
that riches do not always lead to hap
iness.
The patient recovered. During her
| illness Vladimir had not showed his
face in the house, and it was resolved
to apprise him of his unexpected good
| fortune. But to the establishment of
| the proprietor of NemaradOf, the cad
ct declared that he should never
again cross the threshold of his house,
begging them OF the same time to
forget utterly so wretched a creature
as be, to whom death alone would
give repose.
a few days afterward, they learned
that Vladimir had again returned to
the army. No one uttered his name
in AIarie's presence, and she herself
lever made mention of him in any
way. Two or three months had elaps-
ed, when one day she found his name |
among the list of the officers who had
distinguished themselves at the bat |
of BOrOdiIO, and had been mOrtally |
wounded. She tainted away and had |
relapse, from which she recovered |
but slowly.
Not long after her father died, be- /
queathing his whole property to her. |
But riches were not able to comfort |
her; she wept with her mother and |
promised never to leave her.
They sold Nemaradof, and removed |
to another estate. SuitOTs thronged |
round the wealthy aud amiable heir !
ess but none of them received the |
slightest encouragement from her. |
Often did her mother press her to |
choose a husband-she would merely |
shake her head in silence. Vladimir |
was no more; he died at Moscow ON |
the evening before the entrance OF
the French, Marie seemed to hold |
his memory sacred she carefully pre-
served the books they had read to- !
gether, his sketches, the letters he |
had written to her-in brief, every
thing that could serve to keep aliYe |
the remembrance Of the illfated /
youth.
About this time the war, fraught /
with such glory to the allies of whom |
Russia was also one, came to an end. |
The victorious regiments returned /
home, and large crowds of people |
flOcked together to greet them. Off
GERS who had gone forth as beardless
youths, came back with the grave |
faces of warriors, their breasts cover |
ed with badges.
a lieutenant of hussars, Wurnin |
by name, with an Interestingly pale !
face, and decorated with the cross of |
st. George, having obtained leave of
absence for several months, took up |
his residence upon his estate, which |
adioined Marie's present abode. The |
young girl received him with far
more favor that she had hitherto |
shown to any of her visitors. They |
resembled each other in many re-
spects both were handsome, intelli- |
gent, taciturn and reserved. There |
was some thing mysterious about |
Wurnin, which reused the curiosity
and interest of Marie. His affection
for her was soon unmistakablei he
showed her every conceivable atten-
ton; tut why did he never speak Of
love, though his dark ardent eyes
would rest upon hers half dreamily,
half with an expression that seemed
to announce an early and positive de-
claration Already the neighbOrs
| spoke of their marriage as a settled
matter, and mother Petrowna was
more than happy at the thought Of
her daughters finding worthy hus-
band at last.
One morning, when the latter was
sitting in the parlor, Wurnin enter
ed and asked for Marie.
''She is in the garden" answered
her mother. "You will find my
daughter there if you would like to
see her."
The young officer hastily walked
out into the garden.
Petrowna crossed herself murmur-
ing: "God be praised! To-day, l
| trust his visit will have some result"
Wurnin found his beloved, clad in
white, sitting under a tree by the side
Of the pond, book upon her lap. Ike
a heroine of romance. The usual sal
| uLdLlOl5 OhElf w VI AAAAT "AO -
strangely agitated, told her how he
had long yearned to pour out his
heart before her, and begged that she
would listen to him few moments.
She closed her book, and nodded in
/ token of assent.
81 love you," said Wurnin, 81 love
you passiOnately."
Marie cast down her eyes.
'I have been imprudent enough to
see you, to hear yOu-daily. 1t is now
! too late to escape my fate. The
thought of your lovely face, of your
! sweet voice, will hencefOrth cOnsi-
/ tute the joy and the anguish of my
existence. But [ have a duty to per-
form towards you; l must reveal you
a secret, which has placed an insur-
mountable barrier between us"
"That barrier" murmured Marie,
E.avisted aINVavs-T could never have