Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-09-26


the priest would await them.
! Having made her preparations, and
written long apologetical letter to her
| parents, Marie retired hetimes to her
| room. She had been complaining all day
of headache, and this was certainly no
mere pretext, for the nervous excitement
had in truth indisposed her Her father
and mother nursed her tenderly, asking
her again and again: How do you feel
now, Marie? Are you no better;' This
loving soIicitude cut the girl to the heart
and with the approach Of evening, her
excitement increased At supper she ate
nothing, but rose betimes and bade her
| parents goodnight. The latter kissed
and blessed her as was their wont, while
Marie could scarcely suppress her sobs.
! Having reached her room she threw her
self into a chair aud wept aloud. Her
! maid finally succeeded in comforting and
| cheering her up.
Later in the evening snow storm
arose. The wind howled about the house,
causing the windows to, rattle The in
mates had hardly gone to rest, when the
young girl, wrapping herself in her
clothes and furs, and followed by the ser
want with portmanteau, left the pater
nal roof. A sleigh drawn by three horses
| received them, and away they went at Il
| furious speed.
! Vladimir had also been active through
| out the day. In the morning he had call
! ed upon the minister at Jadrino to ar.
range for the ceremony, and then he went
| to looi. "p the REQUIRED witnesses. The
! first acquaintance to whom he applied
was an officer on half-pay, who expressed
| Ii,,1un1F ,,,,ita tf, him, Sl9h
| an adventure, he said, carried him back
| to the days of his own youth. He deter
mined Vladimir to remain with him, tax
| ing upon himself to procure the other two
witnesses. There accordingly appeared
at dinner surveyor Schmidt, with his
spurs and moustache, and lspraynik's son,
| a lad of seventeen, who had but just en-
| listed with the Uhans Both promised
| Vladimir their assistance, and after a cor
dial embrace the happy lover parted from
| his three friends to complete his prepare
| tons at home.
Having dispatched a trusty servant
with sleigh for Marie he got into one
horse sleigh himself, and took the road
| leading to JadrinO. Scarcely had he set
! off, when the storm burst forth with VIC
| lencc, and soon every trace of the way
was gone The entire horizon was cover,
ed with thick, yellow clouds, discharging
| not flakes, but masses Of snow; at last 1t
| became impossible to distinguish between
earth and sky. In vain Vladimir beat
about for the way; his hsrse went
on at random, now leaping over
banks of snow, now sinking into
bitches, and threatening every moment
TO 0yerturn the sleigh, The insupporta-
bic thought Of having lost the road had
became a certainty The forest OF Iadri-
no WAS nowhere to be discovered, and
after two hours the iaded animal seemed
ready to drop to the ground, At length
a kind of dark line became visible in the
distance, Vladimir urged his horse for
ward, and reached the skirt Of forest
He now hoped to reach his destination
soon, as it was easier to pursue his way
in the forest, into which the snow had
not vet penetrated. Vladimir took fresh
courage; however there were no signs of
Jndrino. BY degrees the storm abated,
and the moon shone brightly He final
ly reached the opposite skirt Of the forest.
sun no Jadrino; but group Of four or
five houses met his view, His knock al
the door of the nearest was answered by
an old man.
"What do you want ~ he said
"Where lies Jadrino ?" asked Nladi-
mir
about ten wersts distant
At this reply Nladimir felt as if his
sentence of death were being announced
to him.
"Can you get me horse to take me
thither - he asked.
We have no horses.
cor at least a guide | will pay any
price
every well, My son can accompany
the gentleman.
After a little while, which seemed an
eternity to Vladimir, young follow made
his appearance, holding thick staff in
his hand, and they took their way across
the suow-covercd plain,
"What O'Clock is - asked Nladi-
mir.
at is already past midnight
And in very truth the sun began to gid
the East, when they finally arrived at
Jadrino The church door was locked.
Vladimir paid and dismissed his guide,
and then instantly fastened to the minis
ter's dwelling. What he there learned
will appear from the sequel.
At Nemaradof the night had passed
quietly. Ia the morning the master Of the
house and his wife arose as usual, and
proceeded to the dining room, Gabriel
Gabrilovitch in his wooden jacket and
nightcap, Pelrowna in her morning gown,
After they had breaktasted Gabriel sent
up one of the girls to inquire how Marie
was She returned with the message that
her young mistress had had slecpless
night, but that she was feeling better now
and won d come down presently. Marie
soon after entered the room, looking eX,
ceeding pale, yet without the least per.
Ceptihle agitation,
''Ho'y do you feel this morning, lOve?'
inquired her father
" Better was the answer.
The day passed by as usual; but, in,
stead Of the lookedfor improvements d
serious change for the worse took place
in Marie's condition The family phys
clan was summoned from the nearest town,
who fonnd her in a state Of most violent
fever For fourteen days she lay at the
point of death
Nothing transpired Of the nocturnal
flight, for the mud 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 Gabriels anger
Marie, however, spoke 50 necessarily
of Vladimir when dclirious, that her
mother could not remain in doubt as to
the cause OF her Illness, Having advised
with few friends, her parents resolved
TO let Marie marry the young soldier, see
ing that one cannot escape one late,
and besides. that riches do not ways