The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-02-02
MORE THAN CONQUEROR

MORE THAN CONQUEROR.
Winter in Russia is more emphatic
than with MS. There is a steely glitter
in the ice, q barhed arrow in the hail.
Eternal glaciers lie upon the hillside;
at least it seems as If blossom and leaf
and fresh green grass were gone for
ever. The sky sparkling, blue and
cold as turquoise stone, has only snow
drifts of clouds floating here and there,
illumined by golden light called sun
shine, but totally different from the
life giving radiance we hail with delight.
Beneath such sun we would imagine
only snowiowers could bloom.
Yet young man loiters along the
frozen road IS il summer zephyrs were
waiting the subtle odors of fields Of
yiolets and roses to his senses. He
is not nuffiad in costly furs, yet there is
something within that makes life warm
end ecstatic and full of rosy bloom, de-
snite the desolate fields about him,
where the srow lies pure and cold as 6
quarry Of Carrara marble. He is a
dreamer aud lie is i'll love, so the pres
ent does not exist for him. Il is
nothing that be has never spoken to
the lacy ct Lis dreams; that she is set
iar above Lin: that bis love is like
''gho desire Of the moth for the star;
OF lie day for the morrow"
Tt il cn0ngh that he sees her every
dav--ard he liv,s upon that-tbouQh
har sky-blue eyes have never rested upon
his face. BY apd-hye he will want. t.m ore
thnu p glance, and the torment of love
will begin.
tn the distance be can see glimpse
OF the lordly structure that is her
home. and in his mind he contrasts it
with his own humble abode. But be is
soldier of frtune, and who can say
what the future may have in store for
himp Russia offers prizes to intellect
and zeal, whv should he not gain one
and make a name for himself; or, oh,
ecstatic thought, for her-for Vcia !
That is her name--it sings itself to
mystic music in Lis dreams it is writ
ten on his soul.
Yet he has only seen her whirlipg by
him day after day in a sleigh fashioned
like a white swan. Sometimes she
drives herself, and he has been devising
means to say some word TO her, to
make her look at him once and speak to
him. All if she is only alone to-day.
Il is coming now. He stops with sud
den fash of fire kindling his blood. a
slim, gi:lish figure, in dark, wine col
ored velvet skirt trimmed with sables.
Her golden curls are streaming in the
wind; her blue eyes are full of the sun
shine of youth, that light that is
clouded so soon; her lips are scarlet as
pomegranata blossom; on her cheeks
she keen wind has brought vivid roses
Nicole loses Lis head at the sight
He does not note the thin, gray-haired
old man at her side, half-buried in his
furs, and shrinking from the icy blast.
This mans face is cold and hard as il
caIven from stone; lis lips are stern
and compressed; no kindly light warns
bis pale eyes. A man with an iron will,
you would say--no prayers or tears
would avail with such one. NicoIe,
blinded by the splendid vision of the
girl, supreme in her young beauty, sud
denly stepped forward and took off his
hat.
An idea had come to him-a frenzy
TO hear her voice. She had heart Of
heavenly pity, he knew, aud so he
would come as mendicant. He felt
indeed like one who was willing to
kneel before her, if he could win one
smile.
But he merely held his hat as one
that asks for alms-and he looked poor
enough-like poor scholar whose in
tellect is his only wealth, and who
finds it is worth nothing in exchange
for bread and butter,
The girl had no time to act. In q
second her father had noted the move.
ment On the part of the young man, and
at the same instant the lash of the whip
was laid across his face like living line
of fire. The Count Semiloff had stopped
long enough for that and to hurl half
dozen oaths at the young mans head
then the sleigh dashed on like the wind
Eico1e staggered back. He grew colo
and sick from head to foot-cold as s
stone, and with no life in him, save
where the scarlet line on his face
throbbed and beat like a wound. Fl,
slowly steadied himself at last, but hi
was deadly pale, save for the crimson
band, and he shook from head to foo
as if with the palsy. "Curse the aris
tecrat r. he gasped; one day we vii
be quits for this. If 1 lived hundred
lives would never forget this moment
BAIL fool that was to forget for al
instant that 1 am one of the people
that my hand is against such as he an,
his. He has brought me to my sense
With vengeance. That blow ought t
kill my loye-and it will. Hencefort
I live for revenge, and when that da
comes, Count Semiloff, will remin
you OF this"