Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-11-28
THE YELLED RIDERS.
BY FRANK SHERIDAN.

~ N''N
come accustomed to meeting all sorts
of characters but | remember that
this man engaged my attention and
impressed me strangely. 1t was in
San Francisco gambling den that
saw him for the first time. He, like
myself, was a mere looker-On, killing
time by watching the games in prog
ress, and evincing no desire to take
part in any of them.
/ was struck by his handsome
physique and the massive, leonine
grace of his movements, but more
particularly by his pale, thoughtful
face, with its fine intellectual contour,
its large melancholy eyes, and the
foreign cut of the dark moustache and
pointed beard.
A desire to know the man prompt
ed me to draw him into conversation,
and from that moment we were fast
friends.
In the year that followed we were
almost constantly together. We be-
came partnersin business, joint Owners
of a mine in which we invested a
good deal of money and boundless
hopes, and our friendship grew with
each succeeding week.
Rudolph Movitska was a man of
noble bearing and fine scholarly at
tainments. He spoke English and
several other languages fluently, and
showed by his conversation that he
was remarkably well-read for so
young man-for at that time he was
but thirty-two years of age.
His story interested me. 1t was
several months after our first acquain-
lance before ne became sufficiently
confidential to tell me about himself.
He was the only son of a Polish
Count. He had wooed and won and
clandestinely married a beautiful
young lady, in whose veins coursed
royal blood. Her name was Helena
Olanof. She was divinely lovely and
was raptuously admired by every
body. A young Russian Prince be-
came enamoured of her and it was
decreed that she should become his
wife. 1t was on account of this de
cree that Rudolph and Helena were
married secretly.
"Helena refused to become the
Princes wife," said Rudolph, "but
did not tell him that she was already
married to me. His pride was sorely
wounded by her rejection of his hand,
and he vowed vengeance. 1t did not
take him long to find out that the
girl loved me, and | then became a
target for his insane wrath. He in
vented some sort of preteXt for charg-
ing me with being concerned in a
conspiracy against the government
| knew l would not be permitted to
prove my innocence; L knew that
the bare accusation meant Danish.
ment, if not death, for me. At the
instance of my wife, who tearfully
babe me fly and save my life
for her sake, | turned my back on all
that was dear to me and fled to Paris
firmly believing, of course, that Ow
separation would be but temporary
"While in Paris" continued Mo
Vitska, in husky voice, ~ received
letters that ruined all my future pros
poets, and filled my soul with desola
ton and despair. First there came ;
letter from a friend, telling me tina
my Helena was as false as she wa
fair, and that since my departure sh
was receiving the Princes attention
with apparent pleasure. Then Their
was one from Helena's father, il
which heinformed me that his daugh
ter had told him all that she wa
repentant, and deeply regretted he
rash marriage with me; that she dc
sired above all things to become tn
wife ofa Prince, and begged tina
some means might be devised
sever the tie that bound her to me, s
that she might be free to accept tn
hand of her royal suffer and the
the letter wound up by entreating m
never to divulge the secret of on
marriage, and to stay away fror
Poland. Then came very brief Iii
tie note from Helena herself, assurin
me that all her father had write
was true, and hoping frem the depth
of her heart that l would not retur
to Poland and compromise her.
"Did l return to Poland? No;
have never turned my face towar
my beloved country since that tim,
scarcely know what possessed m
tn come to mprica hut come I dir