Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-09-04

witnesses. The first acquaintance to
whom he applied was an officer on half
pay, who expressed himself quite ready
to serve him. Such an adventure, he
said, carried him back to the days of
his own youth. He determined Vladi-
mir to remain with him, taking upon
himself to procure the other two wit
nesses. There accordingly appeared
at dinner surveyor Schmidt, with his
spurs and moustache, and Ispravnik's s
son, lad of seventeen, who had but
just enlisted with the Uhlans. Both
promised Vladimir their assistance,
and after cordial embrace the happy
lover parted from his three friends to
complete his preparations at home.
Having despatched a trusty servant
with a sleigh for Marie, he got into o
one horse sleigh himself, and took the
road leading to Jadrino. Scarcely bad
/ he set off, when the storm burst forth
With violence, and soon every trace of
/ the way was gone. The entire horizon
was covered with thick, yellow clouds,
discharging not flakes, but masses of
snow; at last it became impossible to
distinguish between earth and sky. In
vain Vladimir beat about for the way;
his horse went on at random, now leap
ing over banks of snow, now sinking
into bitches, and threatening every
moment to overturn the sleigh The
insupportable thought of having lost
| the road had become q certainty. The
forest of JadrInO was nowhere to be
discovered, and after two hours the
| jaded animal seemed ready to drop to
/ the ground. At length kind of dark
| line became visible in the distance.
| Vladimir urged his horse forward, 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
yet penetrated. Vladimir took fresh
! courage however there were no signs
of Jadrino. By degrees the storm
abated and the moon shone brightly.
He finally reached the opposite skirt of
| the forest Still no Jadrino; but
group Of four or five houses met his
view. His knock at the door of the
nearest was answered by an old man.
What do you want?'' he said.
''Where lies Jadrino?" asked Vladi-
mir.
about ten wersts distant
At this reply Vladimir felt as if his
sentence of death was being announced
to him.
"Can you procure me horse to take
me thither?" he asked.
"We have no horses"
| Or at least a guide / will pay any
price"
every well. My son can accompany
/ the gentleman.
After little while, which seemed an
eternity to Vladimir, young fellow
made his appearance, holding thick
staff in his hand, and they took their
way across the snow-covered plain.
"What O'Clock is it 2" asked Vladi-
mir
/ cit is already past midnight"
And in very truth the sun began to
I gild 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 minister's dwelling. What he
there learned will appear from the
sequel.
I At Nemaradoff the night had passed
! quietly. In the morning the master of
the house and his wife arose as usual,
anu DIOC66O6u 10 Uu0 IOOIu,
Gabriel Gabrilovitch in his wooden
jacket and nightcap, Petrowna in her
morning gown. After he had break
tasted, Gabriel sent up one of the girls
to inquire how Marie was, She return
ed with the message that her young
mistress had a sleepless 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
percepible agitation.
"How do you feel this morning,
love " inquired her father
/ Better" was the answer.
The day passed as usual; but, instead
! of the lookad-for improvement, a seri-
Gus change for the worse took place in
Marie's condition. The family physi-
! clan was summoned from the nearest
I town, who found her in state of most
violent fever. For fourteen days she
lay at the point of death.
Nothing transpired of the nocturnal
flight; for the maid took good care to
keep silence on her own account, and
the others who knew OF it never be-
trayed themselves with a syllable, even
when under the influence Of brandy, so
greatly did they dread Gabriel's anger
Marie, however, spoke so incessantly
of Vladimir when delir1ous, that her
N other could not remain in doubt as
to the cause of her illness. Having ad-
vised 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 happiness.
The patient recovered. During her
illness Vladimir had not once shown
his face in the house, and it was re.
! solved to apprise HIM OF his unexpect-
ed good fortune. But to the astonish-
ment of the proud proprietor of Nema-
radOf the cadet declared that he should
never again cross the threshold of his
house, begging them at the same tine
to forget utterly SO wretched a creature
as he, to whom death alone would give
repOse.
| A few days afterward they learned
| that Vladimir had. again returned to
/ the army. 1t was IN the year 1872 No
one uttered his name in Marie's pres
ence, and she herself never made men
tlon OF his name in any way. Two or
three months had elapsed, when one
day she found lis name among the list
OF the officers who had distinguished
themselves IN the battle OF Borodino
ard had been mortally wounded. She
tainted away and had a relapse, from
which she recovered but slowly.
Not long after her father died be-
4ueathlng his whole fortune 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 an
other estate. Suitors thronged round
the wealthy and am1able heiress, but
none OF them received the slightest en-
couragement from her. Often did her
mother press her to choose 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 preser~ ed the books thev
l. I ! L