Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-02-18
A Good Story.
Translate d from an unpublished Ger
man manuscript my Aigschneider. ]
CONCLUDED.

It /, this man must at once he taken to
wilma. charge you in the name OF
our father, the Emperor"
In less than ten minutes the unfOr-
tunate man, who was breathing heavi-
~ in perfect stupor, was packed in
warm bedding in sleigh and swiftly
driven towards wilma. In less than
two hours the sleigh drew up at Jose
pbea's house. The bundle of bedding,
with the human being in it, was car
Tied inside, and the priest taking Jose
phea apart said: +" This in one of your
men; they mistook him for French
man: he is dying. but may have i'm
portRnt recrpts about him."
Enough said Josephea, rather
troubled. Leave him here, Take
20 roubles for bringing him, and spend
them on your men,"
When the house was cleared jose
phea. with the help of his servants,
Invested the poor man of his rags and
put him TO bed, but he had the utmost
difficulty to recognize the French Off.
GER, and had It not been for the hlir
chain of Katinka's on the medal he
would certainly not have believed that
the right man had been brought to
him. No people are kinder, none
more hoSpitable than Jews when they
have debt of gratitude to pay. A
doctor was called; the invalid was
bathed in warm water, rubbed with
spirits, stimulants poured down his
throat; but, although his pulse and
respiration began to improve, he re-
manned in profound stupor. Katin-
ka was no longer an inmate of Jose
pheR's house; her father had returned
badly wounded, wilma was, of course
in the hands of the russians Katin-
ka was nursing her father, whose
wounds confined him to his bed.
Josephea despatched his daughter
Miriam to Katinka informing her of
the strange arrival, and that noble
maiden lost no time i'm presenting her
self in the sick-chamber.
E" Yes, it is he indeed" she said,
wrinCinV her hands. 20, beloved
one, thou hast indeed come back to
find her whose heart thou did'st carry
with thee !" And, kneeling down,
she said: 1 solemnly swear, il it is
the will of heaven To restore thee to
health. / will not forsake thee until i
have brought thee back to thy friends,
far, far away"
Tie tender care of the JOsephen
family, the loving attention of katln-
ka, the skill of physicians told pretty
quickly on the almost dying French
man, aud he soon fell into a cOnval-
scent state. But to the great grief OF
his host and Katinka, he reveals un-
mistakable signs of complete ALBERTA
ton of mind. He recognized no one,
he spoke but few words aud those in
cohereutly: he ate mechanically III
short he was human being without
reason; and the stronger he grew in
health the less sign of returning reas-
on he showed. JUsephea, who did
not do things by halves, gave out that
this inmate of his house was German
who hac been a follower OF the French
army and in the Russian secret SER
vice, and had rendered important SER
vice to Russia. The sympathy of the
whole town was therefore with the
poor demented creature.
The worst of the business was that
neither Josephea or Katinka knew his
name nor even the corps he belonged
TO. All they knew was that he could
speak German well, was hussar. and
Katinka remembered distinctly that
he said dear Rheims, could | see
thee once more" This was the only
clue they had.
Summer came on. The war was
now carried on in Germany. General
Robanoff sank under his wounds and
he left Katinka a considerable fortune,
making Josephia the guardian. The
noble girl left her fathers mansion,
with all its comforts and splendor,
and took up Ter abode in Josephea's
house. devoting herself entirely to the
care of the unfortunate Frenchman.
They called him Demetrius, as that
was indeed his saving saint, for the
medal he bore was called so. The lu-
matte FTenchmRn was as docile as q
child, and seemed somehow to be
more attached--if man without
mind can be attachcd-to Katinka
than 10 any one else. Years passed
or and peace was restored. Inquiries
were made through the French Consul
and Ambassador; but, as the clue was
so slender, no result was reached. Six
years had elapsed, had the French
man was still an inmate in Josephea's
house. Katinka had devoted her life
TO him. She refused splendid offers of
marriage and had but one thought,
and that was to restore him to his
family. AS she shrewdly reasoned
that i'm the society of his parents. if he
still had any, and surrounded by the |
scenes of early childhood. he might |
still regain his mind, she resolved to
travel with him to the German lakes |
where so many Frenchmen congre- |
gate. Perhaps she would find some |
one that knew him, and, if she failed |
IN This, she would slowly travel |
through AlSace and Lorraine into |
+ rance, and pursue her search Jose |
phea tried TO dissuade her; but she /
was now her own mistress and resoiv-
ed TO carry out her plan at all hazards. |
On the eve of leaving wilma with her |
charge. Josephea said, Katinka. on
the night when Demetrius was brought
here, [ took this ring from his finger
take it with you, it may lead to a
clue"
Katinka took the ring and placed it |
most conspicuously on Demetrius'
inger.
They travelled through Germany,
risited every bath, but could find no
,lue. tt was late i'm the autumn of
SIS when Katinka's and her charge
'nleIcu AlSdCe, 41SE piatt was W stay
n large towns and make most search
ng inquiries. She loitered in Stras-
,urg, then in Metz, and there she was
old that on Christmas Day large
Of people from all the
came to Rheims, and
hat at such time, if her charge was
eally from that vicinity, she naigt get
ONE clue. As she was Well Supplied
With money she hired comfortable
and made easy stages. On
he twenty-fourth day of December,
SIS, she set out on her road to Rheims.
The day was cold but fine, but about