Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-27

ais tiisre any one heresr the gunmaker ask ID.
bowling his head and shielding his eyes from the
driving snow with one hand.
"YeS,s returned voice from the Stygian
darkness. sin Heavens name let me In, or
"Tfen follow quickly" said Rurtc. .'Here,
give me your hand. There-i,aw come"
The youth found the thickly- Sloved hand
gloved with the softest flr-and having led the
invisible applicant into the han, he closed the
door and then led the way into the Kitchen. AS
soon as the candle was relighted, Rursc turned
and gazed upon the newcomer. He was s.
menk-aad habited something like one OF the
BLACK Monks OF st. Michael He was or medium
height, and possessed 3 rotundity Of person
which was comical to behold. He was fat and
unwfelGy, and waddled about with laRghable
steps. His huge, black robe, which reached
from his chin to his toes, was secured about the
waist with sash OF the same color, ami the
snow, which lay upon his shoulders and back,
away the snow with his own hand, and having
taken his visitors thick fur bonnet, the latter
took seat near the fire.
Before word was spoken, the youthful host
carefully examined his guests features; and the
latter seemed equally DESTROYS Of discovering
what manner Of people he had fallen in with.
The monks face was peculiar one. The fea-
lures were very dark and prominent, and
almost angular in their strongly marked out
lines His brow was very fair In mental devel-
opment, and his eyes were dark and brilliant.
The slight circle OF hair that escaped from
beneath the tight skull-cap which he retained
upon his head was somewhat ttnged with silver,
though his face did not betray such advanced
age as this silyery hair would seem to indicate.
You have been caught in a severe storm,
COED father" said the youth, after h s guest
had somewhat recovered from the effects o. the
cold.
"Aye--that haye 1, my son." the monk re-
turned, in deep, runbng tone. 81 left the
kremlin this morning, little thinking OF such
change, This storm has commenced since |
started on my return. About half a mile from
here my horse got foundered in the snow, and
left him with an honest peasant. and then
started to make the rest Of my way on foot;
but reckoned wildly. The driving storm
blinded me- and the piling drifts swallowed me
well adapted to such work. Ha, ha ha! But 1
saw your light, and determined to seek shelter
here for the night. By ST. Michael, but this is .
most severe storm! yet you are comfortable
here"
"Aye, father, we try to be comfortable" said
Ruric my mother could hardly survive a
winter In some of the dwellings which stand
heTeabOutS-
The monk made no answer to this save sort
OF commentary nod; and shortly afterwards the
do you belong here in the CITY," good
father"
"Aye-at present d." the monk replied.
And then, with smile, he added: "I suppose
you would like to know whom you have thus
received? My name is Vladimir, and my home
Is wherever may chance to be on Gods heri-
tage. AT present am residing here, in Mos
frank?"
Ruric smiled, but he made no direct reply
monk to enter with much eagerness into con-
versation. At length the guest asked If he
could be accommodated with some sleeping
place, and being answered In the affirmative,
the youth lighted another candle and con-
Quoted him to chamber, which was located
directly over the kitchen, and which was very
well warmed by means of several iron tubes
| that connected with the furnace below.
Mother" said Ruric, as soon as he had re-
turned to the kitchen, "who is that MANI"
SHOW should know"
"But have you never seen him before ?" Ruric
| asked, in an earnest, eager tone
II cannot tell, my son. His face most surely
calls up some strange emotions In my mind,
but think never saw him before"
'And yet he seems familiar to me" the son
resumed. "Those eyes surely have seen be-
| fore, but to save my soul cannot remember
when or where"
And so Ruric pondered and pondered. but to
| no avail After he had retired to his bed he lay
awake and thought Of the strange face; and all
through the night his dreams were but startling
| visions OF the Black Monk.