The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-06-07
Selerf Sfow.
lFrom Litten's Living Age.I
SECOND SIGHT.
CHAPTER U-CONTINU-
BY E. W. LATIMER.

CHAPTER II-CONTINUED.
"What queer fellow you arel" cried
Drieux, laughing. But, seeing the dark
gloom on the face of his Russian friend
he added seriously, "I care too much for
your friendship, my dear Stachovitch
not to yield this point to you. So now
it is settled. l will never again ask you
TO fight, if you will give over puzzling
me, and tell me why you refuse, as far as
fencing goes, to have anything to do
with me?"
"Do not be angry with me-" replied
Stachovitch, attribute my reluctance to
mere caprice. have a presentlment
that some accident wonld happen to you
if you crossed swords with me. Shake
hands, Drieux. You don't bear me i'll.
will-do your
@0fcourse not. Only you are the very
Iqueerest fellow ever knew
! Stachowtch, who was very found of
me, and who confded to me great
many little things, made no allusion
when we were alone to what had passed
with Drieux. We had indeed for some
time had other things to talk OF. knew
perfectly well what prompted the young
Russian to feel SO much affection for my
society, and why, notwithstanding con-
siderable disparity in our years, ha /
become his bosom friend, whose conyer
sation was indispensable. 1t was because
| was the only person with whom he
could freely talk of Marie de Massieux.
The theory of Stachovitch on the
3snlallness of the world" had recently
received new and striking illustration.
Not long after the murder of the
Madame de Massieux he found out that
his sister, the Comtesse de Villers, who
had married Frenchman, had known
her, and what was more, that De Drieux,
whom Stachoyltch met every day in his
club, and at the fencing gallery, was a
relative of the same family. Since her
mothers death Marie de Massieux had
been living with her aunt, Madame de
Baudry, in the Faubourg ST Honore, in
the same house in which was also the
appartement of the Comtesse de Villers.
These discoveries delighted Sacho
witch. He talked to me about them for
several days, and could not say enough
about the smallness of ''this little, little
world" .--
Frequent the Bois on horseback for
a fortnight" he said, "and you will know
by sight every lady and gentleman who
rides in Paris; go to all the concerts for
month, and you will know every one
who has taste for music. And then
talk to me about its being such great
city 1t is bigger, maybe, than a theatre
Ia little bit bigger, L grant, but not
very much so. If you only set to work
rightly: you can know in a month pretty
much all those who live IN it, and there
won't be ten persons you meet day who
will be perfect strangers to you. One
will have written something you have
read; another will have said something
you have heard: one you will pass every
|evening at certain house on the Boule-
ward des Italiens, another will be paying
attention to some lady of your acquaint
ance. Observe, too, how one always dis
trusts every one who cannot be fastened
by any link on 10 ones previous sur
roIndings. The world is ever so little
Irepeat. Il is hard 10 come upon any
thing that is perfectly unknown"
| Stachovitch, who often went TO see his
sister, one day met Ma1ame de Baudry
and Madamoiselle de Massieux in her
rooms He was introduced to them,
and soon inspired an interest (though a
somewhat sad one) in the mind of the
young lady, when she found out that it
was to him her mothers murderer had
spoken her last words.
"What made you look at him 50 earn
Iestly?7 she asked one day in her aunt's
drawing-room, after having heard him
relate how near he had been to getting
into quarrel with Bechouard Had
lyou any preseltiment that he was a
murderer"
Il had no idea of it. But his face was
: Istrange-wash horrible. Fear and curios.
lity attracted me to look at him. His
leyes were all distorted-dead eyes
white eyes" He shuddered.
white eyes?' repeated the young
girl, Il do not understand you. 1 knew
the wretch. He had grey eyes-wicked
leyes. see them still"
Il Stachovitch made no answer, and tried
to give another turn to the conversation
: Marie, who knew he was generally con
! sidered rather singular character and
|, who also knew from her aunt and
5 Madame de Villers that he was amiable
] and rightminded, did not press the
point, and they talked of other things
A little later in the evening the servant
d ANNOUNCED the Vicomte de Drieux. He
came in, casting no gratifed look on the
: young Russian, bowed to his cousin, and
sat down next to Madame de Baudry, in
whose salon for some weeks past he had
met Stachovitch every evening.
e Stachoyitch, who found the time pass
; rapidly when he was talking with Marie
now perceived that his visit might be
!. getting too long. He took up bis hat
and took his leave. From Madame de
!. !: Baudrys he came to my rooms, where
a for the hundreth time I had listened to
J. the frst chapters of the story of his love
81 Tor Marie de Massieux. heard him, as