The Red Cloud chief., 1885-05-15

can not now be far"
thought he; Il will stop here and ask
my way"
An old man. half asleep. answered
the knock.
What do you want,'
"How far is il 10 Jadrinos"
"JadrinO? Not far-a matter of ten
miles"
Poor Vladimir!
Can you let me have a horse? Nine
is half dead"
"A horse! Where would I iiud a
horse?"
Well. a N get . guide here
about?"
""ait-may be my son can show you
the way"
After what seemed to Vladimir an
interm;nable delay. the door opened
and a small boy came out.
"What time is it? inquired Vladimir.
1T will soon be daylight" The
bafied bridegroom was silent.
The cocks were growing and the day
breaking when they reached Jairino.
! The church was closed. After reward
I ing his guide AMI bidding him good
| bye, Vlaiimir Knocked with trembling
hand at the priests house: his troik1
was not in the yard. What did it
mean"
But we will return t. the good
Gabriclowich and see what was going
on in his house. The old people arose
as usual and went down to breakfast:
Gabriel Gabrielowich in his flannel cap
and gown. and Pascowia Pctrowna
ready dressed for the day. In answer
| to q message from GabrielOwich, Marie
! sent word she had had a bad night. but
would be down presently. In a few
minutes the door opened. and u hero
inc entered.
How is the head. daughter''
"Much better, father"
"Perhaps the heat from the furnace
was too great yesterday
perhaps, mamma" said Maria.
Toward evening. though. Mara was
not so well. and the village doctor was
sent for. but before he came high fever
had set in. and the poor girl was delir-
ious. For a whole week she hung be-
tween life and death.
No one in the house so much as sus-
pccted Maria's flight; her letters were
destroyed. and the maid had been DIS
Greet. fearing her masters displeasure.
The priest and witnesses were silent,
and the coachman was not much Of q
talker even when in his cups For Il
wonder, the secret was well kept, al
though known to half q dozen people.
Maria, of course. spoke of nothing else
during her delirium. and the good
mother, who nursed her devOtediy.
made out that her child was dying of
love for Vlalimir. Therefore. ait r duo
consultation with her husband and sew
cral neighbOrs. it was agreed that pow
erty is no crime-One lives with the
man and not with his money-etc.. ETC.:
and such moral maxims are always of
great help when reason does not justify
cOnvalescent. her parents sent for Via
dimOr Nicolaewich. but great was the
Consideration At MenarodOwnO when in
came a letter. written apparently by a
mailman. in which the young fellow de-
clared he would never set foot in their
house, and begged them to forget a
poor wretch whose only hope was in
death. Soon after they heard he had
joined the army. This was in 1872.
They dared not tell Maria. who on her
side never mentioned his name. A re-
lapse of the fever was feared when. a
few months later, she fell into a dead
swoon having accidentally seen his
name in the list Of those who had dis
tinguished themselves and been wound
ed ut BOrOdinO.
But misfOrtunes never come singly:
the good Gabrielowich died. leaving all
his fortune to Maria. Riches. however.
were powcrless to console her; she
mourned his death sincerely. and vowed
never to leave her poor widowed moth
er. They both LEFT McnarodownO. so
fraught with sad associations. and went
to live on another estate situated near
Gousk, There. also. Maria was soon
surrounded and importuned by many
admirers. but discouraged them all. in
spite of her mother advice and express
desire; our heroine. for answer. silently
shook her head. Vladimir was dead
killed at Moscow on the eve of the en-
trance OF the French troops. His men,
ory seemed sacred to Maria, who ten
DERBY treasured all the memeniOes of
her lost love his sketches. letters.
poems, and the books they had read to-
gether: the neighbOrs commented Won
deringly . o such unusual constancy.
and awaited with much interest the COM
ing of the hero who was to triumph
over the melancholy constsncy Of this
new Ar:emisia. |
The war ended gloriously for Russia:
her leglOns returned victorious. aud
were received everywhere with vOcifer-
Gus and joyful asclsrations. Mothers
and sisters. with tears of joys in their
eyes. pressed to their hearts the youth,
who had left them. now grown into
manhood. br0nzed BY exposure. hard
ened by fatigue and privation-but now
rcturned covered with glory. Perhaps
Maria and her mother. liviry so far out
of the way. were among the very few
who took no part in the general enthu-
slsm. The monotony Of their lives
though, was even there disturbed BY the
advent Of the dashing young Colonel
Bourmine, before whom her usual train
Of ad0rers lad to retreat. He took
all hearts by storm with his brilliant
mussar uniform. fascinating manners.
and the cross Of St. George. which
glistened on his breast He was about
tw~enty-six years of age. and had come
to an adjoining property on leave Of
absence. Maria soon learned to look
forward to his frequent visits, and her
habitnal melancholy disappeared. like
snow under the genial rays Ut An April
SUM-. Indeed Bourmiue might well i'm
spirc i~nfatuatio1. His outward appear
ance and manner were of the Kind to
] take a wOmAn's f~ncv ~>rl A~.;>