Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-04-16

answered with smile.
"What is Pwie?"
GA fire-witch. in the modernized form
a girl who delights in firearms, shells,
petroleum and other horrid engines Of
revolutionary warfare" saying which
she laughed with rather forced gay
ETY..
| Guerdon made no answer, but hoped
that time might work for him. It thus
befell that he remained two months at
E., seeing Ida every day, and he
was just beginning to feel dispirited by
the consciousness that his suit made no
progress when unexpectedly he receiv-
ed a summons to hurry back to Eng
land on account of his elder brothers
illness. AS the younger son of peer,
Charley Guerdon might be said to have
"expectations in case Of his brothers
death: but he loved him too we'll to
think Of that and was on the contrary
sincerely grieved at the news. He
fastened to pack his traps and then said
goodbye to the Koratines. He found
them both in the garden, looking sad,
for he had sent his servant to appraise
them of what had occurred. Ida es-
pecially was pale, and there was Just
the slightest quaver in her voice as she
said "Good-bye, Captain Guerdon; we
are sorry to lose you"
"ButI shall return" he replied. 81
hope my brother will recover, and then
| shall hasten back to E.. You will
still be here, will you not?"
"Perhaps," she answered evasively.
'Well, but you are surely not going
to leave E. just as the summer sea-
son is beginning. Let me 60 away with
the hope that we shall meet again."
Perhaps" she reioined anew. Then,
as if TO take the chill of despondenc.-
out of her words, she piucked branch
OF tree and handed it to the English
man. "Take that to your brother, and
let it carry health to him." she said. II
have the superstition of flowers, SO you
see am not quite Nihilist."
Guerdon took her hands, and at an
approving sign from her brother, drew
her to him and kissed her on the brow.
1t wasa chaste kiss, and hope was re-
kindled in his heart as he gave it.
The illness of Charley Guerdons
brother turned out TO be serious affair.
1t lasted more than six weeks, and dur
ing that time Charley was unremitting
in his attendance at his bedside. In
such spare moments as he could snatch
he wrote several times to the Koratines,
and once he received an answer from
the count with postscript in Ida's
hand; but after that he got no more re-
plies. Charley had never been news
paper reader, aDd the world might have
Ill Il, l. l.
thing about it. He sometimes glanced
at the Field or at one of the military
periodicals to look for army promo
tions, but into the Times he never dip
ped, and thus he was kept from learn
ing the grim reason which prevented
his Russian friends from writing to him.
He was not fated to ascertain it for a
long while, for when Lord Guerdon be-
came convalescent his doctors ordered
him off on a yachting cruise and Char
ley accompanied him. Charley spent
two full months sailing over the seas
and receiving no news, till at length
they put in at Cadiz and landed. 1t
was ia this city that Lord Guerdon, pc
ruslng baton of London papers one
morning, while his brother sat at the
open window looking out listless,y over
the waters Of the harbOr, exclaimed:
l say, Charley, didn't you tell me you
had a friend called Count Koratine?"
eyes. What of him?" answered
Charley: turning round with sudden
flush.
"Why, your friend is going to be be-
headed for an attempt to murder. Read
that"
Charley rose, doubling whether he
was awake. He took the newspaper,
and with Keeling senses read the &C,
count of an attempted political assassi
nation about which all Europe had
been talking for the last three months.
An exalted personage-one of the half
dozen who hold the destinies of Europe
in his hands-had come to g., and
had been shot at by Count Koratlne.
Arrested on the spot, along with his
sister, the Count was now proved to be
the head of widespread Nihilist and
Socialist conspiracy. His bullet had
missed its aim, but as it had killed
person who sat beside his intended VIC
tim, he was to be tried for his head. and
the Countess Ida too.
II must leave for Germany this day."
faltered Charley Guerdon, as the paper
fell from his hand. He was so hoarse
that he could hardly articulate.
His brother gazed at him with con-
sternation. 'Great heavens!" he said;
''you don't mean to say this girl is any
thing to you, Charley?"
''She is everything to me-" was the
younger brothers answer. Two hours
later Guerdon had left for Cadiz
The trial of the Koratines had taken
place at D, and Ida had been &C
quilted, but the Count was sentenced to
death. Guerdon heard this as he Jour
neyed, and he reached Don the eve
Of the day appointed for the Counts ex-
ecution. His first step was to repair to
the central police Office and inquire
where the Countess Ida lived. He was
informed that she was lodging in
small house near the prison, with two
servants, but that she was under orders
IL Il