The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-06-14

but by degrees got the thread of tn
narrative, and when he had done l ha,
learned all the particulars of his melan
choly story.
do not give it here just as he told i
me. only recapitulate it as it sgraver
IN my memory.
CHAPTER ".
This is the story of my friend Count
Boris Stachovitch:
One day | found myself at a great
dinner party, sitting beside beautiful
young woman. Her figure vas perfect.
never saw more lovely shoulders, or
such taultless arms and hands, She had
''---;d and null of
| large blue eyes, nn.p->-'
intelligence. Her lips were fresh and
pink. Her eyebrows we're exqulslteiy
penciled, and her long curved eyelashes
added. whenever she looked down, an
especial grace and softness to her fea-
lures. 1 was perfectly bewitched by the
union of SO many charms, and all through
the dinner did nothing but pay atten-
tions to my neighbor. She listened to
me with the most fattering attention;
sometimes she smiled at me as if we had
been old friends; sometimes she looked
as if all l said demanded her most serious
attention. Whatever she did became
her. l found her growing more and
more beautiful. After dinner the lady
of the house invited her to play. She
did not take much pressing, but played
two or three difficult pieces with the
brilliancy and ease ofa professor. Their
she sang. Her voice was power
ful voice, and highly cultivated. Never
in my life had l met so accomplished a
woman. All the party crowded around
her, and paid her compliments. She had
modest thanks for every one. looked
at her with all my eyes. ] could not
bear to look away from her. Suddenly
l saw her walk towards lady of a GER
tain age seated near the piana, to whom
nobody had been paying any attentions
This lady's face did not appear wholly
unknown to me, but 1 could no. remem
Der where 1 had ever seen her. / looked
at her attentiYely She was not ugly
though her face had something about II
singularly disagreeable. She looked
stern, cold, and cruel. She was tall and
thin. She wore a plain dress of some
dark color. Her hands, which were
covered by very shiny black gloves, were
extraordinarily small. Her hair was
thin, but black as jet, and was arranged
very simply. Her skin, which looked
like wax, was withered like the skin ofa
mummy. Her eyes were clear, intelli
gent, watchful of all that passed, and
deep sunk in their orbits. Her lips were
thin and pale.
"Humphl" 1 said to myself, "what an
UNPLEASANT looking creature, She mus
have heart as hafd az Il stoae.P
At that moment she looked up at The
feeling. "Where can i have seen hel
face before?" ! again asked myself.
| Again she looked down, and 1 felt SURF
l had never before seen her.
"Do you know that lady that Mile Olgl
NJ is now speaking to-" said l, ad
dressing an old gentlemana a great frient
of my father's, vino was very intimate il
the house where was visiting.
She is mother to Mile Olga, You
neighbor at dinner. She is Counties
: M"
"Is it possible" cried. that so charm
ing a creature should haye such moth
err" My friend smiled.
II knew the countess before she wa
= married" said he; eve used to call he
: la belle Nathalie. She was ever somuc
l prettier than her daughter Olga An
| besides she was charmingly intelliger
e and-amusing. Every man who saw he
/ fell in love with her. Nobody could n
sist such an enchantress. Moi Gai uoo
Y p1rle, was wildly in love with her. An
your own father too, Boris,-he cam
: near dying of love for Ia belle Nathali
: But she was young person who NEAR
t to get the most she could out of the az
/. vantages. She talked, and she laughe,
e and she danced, and she sang like
siren. Neither your father nor | woul
, do for her. She had set her mind Q
b Count Ma rich man and nothin
e else; and of course she succeeded j
o marrying him. In five years she hs
given him three daughters, and by Il
T time they had been married six veal
she bad sent him into another world
'e her coldness and cruelty. Two of b
t, daughters are married but the younge'
e Olga, is still free. If you will accept
e piece of good advice, my young frien
n let me recommend you to have nothlr
l to do with so dangerous beauty. oil
ut reminds me of her mother when she W
in eighteen. She has the same smile; q
le knows how to cast soft glances just
" her witch of mother could do. Lo
lg at them this moment-both CT them a
Ie, casting down their eyes i'll the same va
es they have the same hands, feet torches
to and mouth. All that is sharp and wit
in cred in the countess is in her daught
fresh and fair. Years will transfol
II your beautiful Olga as they have tral
tn formed my charming Nathalie. In thin
h, years she will be the living image ofh
ke mother. Good night, Boris Don't dres
of Olga. If you must dream, dream
,e, that pretty little girl yonder in a pi
ne dress, who sits quietly and modestly
ed side her mother. The mother is as sw'
and fresh as she is.
,at went apart to think over what b
Just heard. have good eyes, and fr'
the dark corner of the salon in which
ou stood 1 could see Olga as plainly
)h, though 1 had been at her side. 1t
true she was like her mother. The Ii
he meas was not striking at first,but beca
ch, very evident when her face was strip
of its youthful charms. Ahl what CT
ux cruel looks those lovely eyes were ca
ds, BILE of giving,-how hard and stern