The Mineral argus., 1884-09-11

-I.I ONA9o Decame steadily slow, 1t
short. PPN
orders.
n Countess Marie gave a final look
at her strange travelling companion.
and then said brusquely to her servant (:
Ivan, thou will now return to the
count; l shall have no more need of
thee"
Stupeied, the man opened his ewes
enormously. He began to stammer
out:
"But-Varine!"
No, thou shalt not come; I have
changed my mind; 1 prefer thou
shouldst remain in Russia. Here.
this Is the money to pay thy way.
GIye me thy cap and cloak, quickly?"
Dumbfounded, the old servant took
of his cap and cloak, obeying without
a word-accustomed as he was to the
sudden whims and irresistible caprice
OF masters. And he went way with
tears in his eyes.
Again the train started, making for
the frontier.
Then the Countess Marie said to her
neighbor:
These things are for you, sir. You
are now my servant, Ivan. l place but
one condition upon what l do-namely,
that you never speak to me, that you do
not utter one single word, neither to
thank me, nor for any other cause
whatsoever"
The stranger bowed without speak
ing.
Soon they stopped again; and uni
form officials entered the train. The
countess showed them her papers, and
pointing to the man seated in the fur
Their end of the car, said:
This IL my servant Ivan, and this is
his passport"
The train moved on.
For the rest of the night they sat
alone together, without speaking.
AT dawn, as they halted at a German
station, the stranger got out. Then,
standing ear the window of the car
door, he said:
Pardon me, madam, for breaking
my promise, but as ] have deprived You
of your servant, it is Just that 1 should
replace him. Do you need anything ?"
OhO AOPAhCd, CO1ulJ
60 and tell my waiting maid to
He did SO, and disappeared.
But later on, when she got out to take
some refreshments, she saw him stand
ing at a distance, watching her. And
arrived at Mention.
The doctor paused at this stage of the
story. After a few moments, he re-
Well, n day, as 1 was receiving eli
in my Office, a fine, tall man came
in, who said to me:
Doctor, L come to ask you for news of
tho Countess Marie Baranow. l lanai
she does not know me-a friend
If her husband"
l replied:
"There is no hope for her, I regret
20 say. She will never return to Rus
And all of a sudden the man burst into
| passion of sobs; then he rose, and stag
yered from the room like a drunken
nan.
The same evening 1 told the Countess
hat a stranger had called ct my office
inquire about her health. She
seemed to be affected, and then told me
whole story just as 1 told it to you.
And she added:
"That man, whom 1 do not know,
follows me everywhere, like my
shadow. 1 meet him every time L
20 out; he looks at me in a strange way,
)ut never speaks"
She paused thoroughly a moment,
md then exclaimed:
"Seel l I'm willing to wager that he
s this moment before the window"
She rose from her reclining chair,
vent to the window, lifted the curtain
side, and there, sur enough was the
nan who had come to my ofice-sit-
ing on a bench of the public prone
lade, with eyes fixed on the windows of
be residence. He observed us, rose,
nd walked away without once turning
o look.
Then 1 became the witness of a very
s%tonishing thing-the mute love of
hose two beings, neither of whom knew
he other. !
He loved her with the devotion of a
escued animal-grateful and devoted
o the death. He came every day to
ee me, with the question, How is
he ?"-comprehending hat 1 had di-
ined his secret. And he used to weep
earthly at seeing her passing by,
hitter and weaker every day.
She would say to me:
II only spoke once to that singular {
nan, and it seems to me as though 1 ]
.ad known him for twenty years"
And Whenever they met she returned
is salute with a grave and tender I
mile. 1 felt that she was happy, all {
Onely as she was, and knowing herself {