Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-07-29

Jadrino, whose scrurles he with some diff
fculty oyercame he then went to invite
witnesses among the neighboring landown-
ers. He first uuburdened himself to Dra-
win, retired cornet of about forty, who
willingly consented. "This Incident he
said, reminded him Of times loug gone
BY, and of his regimental sprees!" He
pressed Vladimir to stay and dine, hav-
ing first convinced him that he would
meet with no difficulty in the choice of the
two other witnesses. Aud he was right,
fer scarcely was dinner over when there
appeared Schmidt, the land-surveyor, who
wore moustachs and spurs and youth
of sixteen, the son Of Captain Of Police,
who had quite recently joined the Uhlans.
They net only accepted Vladimir's invita-
tiou, but went so far as to assure him OF
their readiness to lay down their lives in
his cause. Vladimir embraced them with
rapture and started off to prepare.
Twilight was already setting in. Elad-
imir despatched his troika to Nenaradovo,
in charge of his trusty Tereshka, with
strict and detailed instructions, and Or
dered the small oue-horse sledge to be got
ready for himself, and he left for Jadrino.
He knew the road ard it was but TWEEN.
ty minutes drive.
Vladimir had scarcely cleared the pad
dock, aud found himself in the open coun-
try, when the wind rose and binding
storm set in. In an instant the road be-
came undlscernible the country around
had disappeared in thick, yellowish mist,
across which tho white snow flakes were
chasing each other, The sky and earth
had melted into one ; Vladimir found that
he had strayed into the fields, but he en-
deavored, but in vain, to regain the road ;
bis horse went at random. and now was
lifting him over the drifte1 snow, then
sinking him in ditch; the sledge was
continually upsetting; his only care was
not to swerve from the right direction
But he fancied that half an hour and ev.
en- longer had elapsed, and the Jadripo
wood was not yet reached. Ten minutes
passed away, and still no wood was to be
seen. He was how drifting across fields
intersected by deep ditcles. The snow
storm was not abating, and the sky did
not look any clearer. Vladimir's horse
was beginning to show sigus of fatigue,
ahG he himself was drenched in perspira-
tion notwithstanding bis being continually
up to his waist in snow.
Convinced at last that he had taken a
wrong direction. he stopped and began to
reflect and consider his position, when he
felt persuaded that he should have turned
to the right. He now did SO. His horse
could scarcely move, but he pressed on
and on. However, the fields seemed new.
er to end, and Vladimir became seriously
alarmed. At last dark spot loomed in
the distance. He turned in its direction,
and discovered it to be wood. "Thank
God," thought he, "it is all right now"
Vladimir kept close by its edge, hoping
either to come upon the well known tracks
or to make the circuit of the forest Jad-
rino lay lust behind it. The track soon
appeared, and ho plunged into the gloom
of the now leahess trees. Here he was
sheltered from the wind; the road was
easy, the horse stepped out, and Vladi-
Mrs anxiety abated.
But he still travelled Oh and on, and
Jadrino was nowhere TO be seem The
track seemed endless. Vladimir now dis
covered with horror that he had penetra-
ted into a strange forest. Despair seized
hold upon him. He struck the horse the
poor animal started off at trot, but soon
relaxed its Face, and in a quarter Of an
hour it toiled on step by step, and all the
unhappy Vladmir's efforts to hurry it on
ward We're fruitless.
By degrees the trees thinned and the
wood was cleared: no Jadrino. 1t must
then have been close on to midnight !!
Tears started to his eyes; he drove reck.
lessly. The storm in the meanwhile abat-
ed the clouds dispersed a broad plain,
white, undulating carpet stretched be-
fore him. The night had cleared up. He
observed that hamlet, consisting ct four
or five tenemeuts, was not far off. He
drove to it. Pulled up at the first cot
tage, be jumped out of the sledge and
raped al the window. Shortly the wood
en- shutter was raised and an old man
pushed his gray beard through.
"What dost thou want 7"
is Jadrino far from here 7"
'.Not far; ten versts, may y
On hearing this vladimir clutched bis
hair, and remained motionless, like man
condemned to death.