The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1876-07-26
HARD PRESSED.
AwoLF STORY.

Stop, gospodin, stop! In the
name Of the blessed Panagia, rein up
mud hear ne. You will be glad to
have hearkgned, English lord.
The crisp, shining snow cracked be-
meath the hurrying feet of the speaker,
"a, painting and breathless, he came
bursting through the brushwood, and
emerged from the pine eopse into the
road, not q pistol shot from the two
pillars OF the red granite brought
from the ural that decorated the ex-
tremity Of the avenpe leading 10 the
country house hard by. With some
difficulty the driver Of the slcdge--a
tall, manly young fellow, whose fair
hair and ruddy cheeks contrasted for
ebly with the swarthy sallUwness and
black elf locks of the Russian mouiik
who had thus suddenly aecosted him
-brought the fiery horses to a check.
Why, Isaac, my good friend, ho
sld, smiling, g what news have you
f5r ne that brooks no delay III the
taf1fHe
T" Excelluncy," said the man, with a
vehement earncstness which made it,
@lf felt, i" ! am here to-day TO pay II
debit We Russians have memory
tenacious Of kindness. and the poor
vegabond, Isaac Paulovitch, has not
i0rgotten that but for your intcrces-
sion he would have tasted before this of
the black bread and the knotted thong
10 JOtomir jail I've run to-day nine
teen versts through the snow, to warn
you that the foreigner and the gentle
man who travels the VHsilkoH road
This night carries his life in his hand.
knew you TO be on n visit 10 the
bHron's yonder. He's in no danger,
Int woe to every castle from the ferry
to Boguslaw and Skudra, fop they will
be, one and all, in light flame before
moonrise !"
''There Is rising then, among the
serB2' asked the young Engliyhman,
eagerly.
"Fhero Is, answered the man called
lsaaC, with a nod. "The people of
twenty villages have sworn the great
oath Oh the gospel to root out these
Subieskis and Jagellons, and the rest
Of the unbaptized Polish counts and
princes and wiring the withers Of the
poor"
do you mean Count Nicholas
Galitzin, Of Czerngorod2" asked the
young man, growing pale as he spoke.
"ifhat do l." replied mohiik. "a
heavy account he'll have TO settle, the
proud"
But before the sentence wns finished
the young Englishman had slackoned
the reins of his steeds, and, TO the in
eiiable surprise Of the querulous Isaac,
the whole equippage rapidly dhap-
reared along the road leading TO the
very district to which this warning had
reference.
IN the course of three years resi-
denoe In Southern Russia, Edgar
Marston, who was manager of the
land bank 1T Vasilkof--a post of trust
10 which ho had been appointed
through the influence of relatives
and gained thorough insight into the
condition Of the province in which he
lived, and knew the bitter hate which
the Ruthrnian peasants entertained
toward the land owners, most Of whom
were Polish mobiles who had won their
estates when Poland was d widespread
ing kingdom. He knew, too, that
Gnlnt Galitzu was personally obnox-
iuus 10 his late vassals for q hundred
arbitrary ucts and petty exactions, and
NJ tremhled lest he should not reach
the lonely mnnor house In time to give
Warming 10 its inmates of their APP
preaching peril.
9Aud Annette Is there !" said the
voting man to himself, half uncon-
sc'orsly, as he encouraged the mettled
horses to do their best. Yes, that was
Che secret ofEdgar Marston's eagerness
70 give timely noticeol the coming storm
to those beneath the roof of the Gait
~ castle. He had fallen deeply in
love with the counts young and pretty
daughter the Countess Annette, as
nv WIS called, III compliance with that
oourtly Russian rule which bestow,
titles on ell the members of nm aristo
cratic family and he knew that hi
love Was reciprocntad. He had. iii
decd, been formerly on terms of init
maey with Couat Galitzins household
although, ON proposing himself as |
saItor for Anniette's hand, he has
hpen met by very decided refusal.
This short winters dny was nearl,