The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-04-18

times alter dinner the Koratines would
invite their I" English enemy" As they
called him for fun, 70 come 70 their
apartments TO take a cup Of Caravan
tea; and then, at his request, they
would sing him some Of the ballads Of
their country. Koratine played on the
sstd, or Hungarian guitar, liza on the
piano; and the Counts well-trained
baritone voice blending with his sis.
tors pure soprano made rare melody.
She was deadly pistol shot, and practic-
Cd every day with her brother at q target
which had been set up in IN alley Of
the hotel garden for their convenience
by the landlord. The rapidity with
which the brother and sister loaded,
the cool quickness of their aim, their
unerring precision Of making patterns
of crosses or lines on the cards at
! which they fired. filed the Englishman
with surprise the first time he witnessed
their performance.
I" say, Miss Ida" he remarked, sit
won't do for me to quarrel with you.
You would very soon call me out and
pink me-"
s'Oh, we are not practicing for duels,"
laughed Ida. "We have c0lrcs in our
country, and girl should know to pro-
tect herself"
The peculiar way in which Ida en-
phasized the word - wolves" and the
light that kindled for moment in her
eyes as she spoke, ought to have arrested
GuerdoG's attention, but they did not
He had noticed, however. that the Kora-
tines appeared TO have mystery in their
lives; they avoided all illusions to the
motives which had induced Count Kora-
tine TO leave the army, and thew ex-
pressed radical or Nihilst opinions
rather curious to hear from persons Of
their station. Ida seemed TO be much
more OF revolutionist than her brother
She often questioned the Englishman
about his country's free Institutions and
listened with wistful eagerness to his
confused explanations, for constitutional
law was not much studied in the Eight
eenth Lanocrs, and Charley Guerdon
was puzzled to define in what his birth.
right Of liberty consisted. Now and
then Ida betrayed too unguardedly her
love for political conversations and then
her brother would interfere with joke
and caress, which always checked her,
for every word Of his was law in her
eyes. Guerdon had been struck and
touched from the outset BY the whole
hearted affection which the brother and
sister bore to each other. They were
orphans, and K0ratine's love for Ida
had much in it Of paternal fondness;
but Ida looked up TO her brother as a
hero, an infallible being. ademigod, and
her mere manner Of clinging to his arm
when they walked, Of Frightening when
he spoke TO her, OF putting ND her fore /
head to be kissed when she wished him
goodnight, revealed the extent Of her
devotion. Now it naturally occurred to
Charley Gucrdon that SO excellent sis
ter as Ida koratine ought to make per-
feet wife, SO that when be had known
and loved her ubout . month he began
70 hint timidly at . proposal, but she
always parried these advances merriy
- though he were joking. II he sllked
she smiled at him with irresistible arch 4
ness and sung him ballad about MIS-
cradle Russian peasant who had fallen
in love with Lorelei, or water-witch.
who persisted in asking him at the end \
o. every stanza whether he could change
his nature and live under water with
her.
"Well, but you are not a Lorelei. K
Miss Ida" Guerdon exclaimed impati.
emily when he had heard this song twice.
Perhaps am Pyrie, though" she
answered with smile.
"What is Pyriss''
"A fire witch, in the modernized form,
girl who delights in firearms, shells,
petroleum ana other horrid engines Of
revolutionary warfare saying which
she laughed with rather forced gayetv.
Guerdon made no answer, but hoped
that time might work for him. II 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 received
a summons To hurry back to England
on account Of his elder brothers. illness.
As the younger son Of q peer, Charley
Gnerdon might be said to have eek.
pectations" in case OF his brothers
death; bit he loved him too well TO
think Of that, and was on the contrary
sincerely grieved atthe news. He hast
ened TO pack his traps and then said
eood-by 70 the Koratines He found
them both in the garden, looking sad, N
for ne had sent his servant to apprise
them Of what had occurred. Ida
was pale, and there was lust
the slightest quaver in her voice as she
said, "Good by, Captain Guerdon we
are sorry to lose you.''
"but shall RETURN be replied. III
hope nv brother will recover and than
! shall hasten back to E. You will
still be here, will YOU notPr
Perhaps" she answered eyasively.
well, but you are surely not going
70 leave E just as the summer season .