Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-01-03

and the people ruSneO III cIOWu' W
greet them. The officers, who had set
out as mere striplings. came back
with stern martial cOuntenanceS, their
brave breasts covered with orders.
Time of ineffaceable glory! How the
heart of the Russian theE bounded at
the name of his country.
A Colonel of huSSarS. named Your
min. wearing in his button-hole the
cross of st. George. and on his face an
interesting paleness. came to spend
few months leave of absence on his es-
tate. which joined that where Mari was
residing. The young girl received him
with far more show Of favor than she
had hitherto bestowed on any OF her
visitors. They resembled each other IN
many particulars; both were handsome,
pleasing. intellectual, silent and re-
served. There was species OF mystery
i'm the demeanor of Vourmin which
pioued the curiosity and excited the in
terest of the heiress. He evidently adj
mired her, paid her every possible at
ten.iOn-why did he never speak OF
love- He had acquired the habit OF
fixing his bright dark eyes on hers, half
in reverie and half with an expression
that seemed to declare the approach OF
decisive explanation. Already the
neighbors spoke of the marriage as a
decided business: and Petrowna rejOiced
at the thought that her daughter would
at length have husband worthy OF
her.
One morning, when the good lady was
seated in her drawing room, VOurmin
entered and inquired for Mari.
.'She is in the garden" replied
Petrowna. "You will find her there if
you wish to see her.
The Colonel went out hastily, and
Petrowna, making the sign of the cross,
murmured to herself: 'God be praised!
l hope everything will be arranged to-
day.
Vourmin found his lady love dressed
in white, seated beneath tree, close by
lake, with book on her knee, like
any heroine of romance. After the in
terchange of few commonplace sent
ences, Vourmin, with considerable agi-
tation, told her that for long time he
had been DESTROYS of opening his mind
to her, and now prayed her to listen to
him for few moments. She closed Ter
book and cast down her eyes in Il token
of assent.
Il love you.'' exclaimed Vourmin-
Il love you ardently.
Mari bent down her head little
more.
q have committed the imprudence
of seeing You. of listening to you, every
day. Mari recollected the first
letter of st. PreuX). The memory of
Your sweet face and gentle voice will
form henceforward the Joy and torture
of my existencc; but l have duty to
fulfill toward you / must reveal to you
strange secret, which places between
us an insurmountablc barrier"
THAT barrier" murmured Mari,
" has always existed. l could never
become your wife"
81 know" replied Vourmin, in a low
voice, "that you have loved; but death,
and three years of mourning-dearest
Mari, do not take away from me my
last consolation; do not deprive me Of
the happiness of thinking that you might
have been mine, if not
Hush!" cried Mari. "Cease, l con-
jure you; you pierce me through the
heart"
'.Yes, have the consoling thought
that you would have been mine. But
am the most unfortunate of men--I am
married.
Mari raised her eyes with look of
amaZement.
Il am married. resumed the Colonel,
married these four years, and neither
know mh0 my wife is nor acherc she is,
nor whether shall ever meet her.
"What can You mean? What is the
mystery? But go on. l beg Of you; l
will tell you afterwards
''Here, them" SAID the Colonel, care
the facts. In the year 1872 was going
to wilma to join my regiment. l ar
rived late one evening at a station. and
had Just given orders to have the horses
Immediately harnessed, when Suddenly
there arose a violent snnr-storm. The
master of the house and the position
both strongly advised me to defer my
journey; bat, tempest or no tempest,
was resolved to push on. The position
took it into his head that he could
shorten the way by crossing river
whose banks he knew very well. How
ever. he missed the right ford, and
brought me to place which was totally
strange to him. The storm continued
to rage, but at length we deserted a
distant light. l fastened towards it
and found myself outside church.
whence the light proceeded. The door
was open: Sledges were waiting inside,
and several persons were standing in
the porch. One of them called to me-
This way. this way!' got out of my
sledge and entered the church. One of
the people in the porch said:
lin the name of Heaven, what has
delayed you? The bride has tainted,
and we were all on the point of return
ing home.''
"Half bewildered and half amused,
resolved to follow up the adventure
Indeed was allowed 70 time to DELHI
erste, for my impatient friends hurried
me intothe interior of the church. which
was family lit up by two or three other
torches. A girl was seated on bench
in the shadow, while another stand
ing beside her, was rubbing her tenn
pies
AT length, said the latter: God be
praised that you are come! My mistress
was near dying
AN old priest approached and said:
Shall we legin?'
"'Oh. begin by all means, my rev.
erend father!' replied l, giddily.
"They assisted the young girl to rise;
she seemed very pretty. Through a
levity quite objectionable, and, as. it
now seems to me, Uncomfortable, adj
vanced beside her to the altar. Her
servant and the three men who were
nreSl MT were SO much Occunied ahNt