Sharp County record., 1881-03-03

her debt, and then began to play. She
staked large sum Oh her first card
she won; she doubled it on the next
she won; the third time again she
doubled it-again she Won"
"Pshaw!-pure luck!" cried one OF
the officers.
"A fable" said Hermann.
"But," said Naroumoff, m you have
grandmother who possesses such Sc
crets, my dear fellow, why don't you
induce her to confde in you?"
"That is the deuce of it" replied
TomSki. "She had three sons besides
my Acknowledgements gamblers all of
them. Not one ever succeeded in gain
ing the privilege they so ardently de-
sired. But you remember my uncle,
Count Ivan Ilitch?-he was favorite
Of the old lady. Well, one day he lost
to Zaritch three hundred thousand rOu-
bles He was reduced to beggary. The
old Countess took pity upon him, and,
after exacting a pledge upon his honor
that he would never play again, she
told him the mystic series of cards. He
sought Zaritch and demanded his re-
venge. His first bet was fifty thousand
roubles; his second-but it is five
o'clock, gentlemen, and time to break
up. You all know how it ended; he
ruined his opponent, who blew out his
brains. My uncle never played again.
The old Countess Fedotovna was seat
ed in her room before the mirror, Her
maids surrounded her, holding rouge,
powder and patches. The ancient belle
had no longer any pretensiOnS to beau
ty, but she retained the habits Of her
youth. Her companion was engaged
in fancy work.
GRANDMOTHER" said a young officer,
as he entered the room, "Ihave a favor
to ask" and he stopped and kissed her
withered hand.
"What is it, Paul?"
81 want to present one ofmy brother
officers, and to beg an invitation for
him to your next ball"
Bring him to the ball and present
him there. Were you at the Princess
last night"
eyes; splendid entertainments we
danced until five o'clock. What a
charming creature is the Countess
Eletzki!"
40, my dear Paul, you are easily
pleased. You should have seen her
grandmother, the Princess PetroVna!
She must be very old now."
1.-The Princess Petrovna!' cried
Tomski, unwittingly; "why, she has
been dead these seven yearsp
He checked himself Immediately.
Lisabeta, the companion, was making
signs to him. He had forgotten that it
was forbidden to speak of the death Of
any of the Countess aged friends.
"Deadr' said she; "well, well! l
did not know it. We were ladies of
honor together when we were girls. l
remember the first time we waited up
on the Empress" and the old lady
sighed as she thought of her vanished
youth and beauty. Then, her mood
changing, Paul." she said, "talk with
Lisabeta while am dressing. Tisanka,
where is my snuff-box? Help me to get
up, Lisabeta," and the old Countess
passed behind the screen.
"Who is this officer you wish to pre-
sent to the Countess?" asked Lisabeta
Ivanovna. 'Is he in the engineers%
"No, in the hussars. His name is
Naroumof. But why do you askP"
The companion smiled, but did not
answer.
"Wen, 1 must be off. Goodbye,
grandmother, Good-by Lisabeta. Why
did you ask if he was in the engineers"
And smiling knowingly, the young Off
Ger withdrew.
Lisabeta Ivanovna sighed and re-
commenced her work.
The young girls life was an unhappy
one. TO eat another's bread is always
bitter, but who could paint the mlseries
of a companion to a lady of qualityP
When she made the tea, the Count
ess abused her because the servants
stole sugar. When she read to her, the
Countess held her responsible for the
authors dullness. When she went out
with her the Countess scolded her if the
weather was bad. Often she would re-
tire, after day of misery, to her little
room and weep bitterly over the af-
fronts she had endured.
One morning a few days before the
scene Just related, she was seated at
her window working, when she per-
ceived handsome young officer gazing
at her from the street. She averted
her gaze and applied herself with re-
doubled assiduity to her work. After q
few moments she looked up, and he
was still there. For some time he con-
tinued to gaze at her window and dis
appeared. The next day he was there
again. The day after, as she and the
Countess were about getting into the
carriage, she saw him standing, muf-
fled in large fur cloak, watching her.
His bright eyes followed her every
movement. Lisabeta smiled, despite
herself. From that moment a corre-
spondence of glances was begun.
Hermann (for the reader will have
guessed that it was he) had small for
tune, but, for an officer, was poor. In
order to preserve himself from debt, he
had resolutoly determined never to
play, and lived within his income. He
was very ambitious, and very taciturn.