West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-05-29


realized that he had gone astray, and
stumbled along, scarce daring TO hope
chance might yet lead him straight At
length the sight of little black speck
| ahead aroused his failing courage, and,
feryently thanking God. Vladimir made
for the friendly hut.
'JadrinO can not now be far
thought he; Il will stop here and ask
my way
An old man, half asleep. answsred
the knock
What do you want?'
How far is it To Jadrino?'
''Jadrino? Not far-a matter of ten
miles"
Poor Vladimir!
Can you let me have horseP Mine
is half dead
IA horse Where would 1 find
| horse?'
Well, can one get a guide here
about?"
Wait may be my son can show you
the way"
After what seemed TO Vladimir an
interminable delay, the door opened
and small boy came out.
'What time is it? inquired Vladimir
1T will soon be daylight" The
bailled bridegroom was silent.
The cocks were growing and the day
breaking when they reached Jadrino.
! The church was closed. After reward
ing his guide and bidding him good
| bye, Vladimir knocked with trembling
hand ut the priests house; his troikd
was not in the yard. What did it
mean"
But we will return to the good
Gaorielowich and see what was going
on IN his house. The old people arose
As usual aud went down ~ breakfast:
Gabriel Gabrielowich i'm his flannel cap
and gown, and Pascowia Petrowna
ready dressed for the day. In answer
to message from Gabrielowich, Marie
sent word she had had n bad night, but
would be down presently. In few
minutes the door opened, and our 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, Maria 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 whole week she hung be-
tween life and death
No one in the house so much as sus-
! pccted Maria's fight 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 a
talker even when in his cups For a
wonder, the secret was well kept. al
though known to half dozen people.
Maria, of course, spoke of nothing else
! during her delirium, and the good
mother, who nursed her devotedly.
made out that her child was dying of
/ love Tor Vladimir. Therefore, after due
consultation with her husband and sew
| eral 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
/ our course. Thus, when Maria became
! convSlescent, her parents sent for Via
/ dimor Nicolaewich, but great was the
CONSERVATION at MenarOdowno when i'm
came letter, written apparently by D
mailman, in which the young fellow de-
! clared he would never set foot i'm their
house, and begged them to forget
| poor wretch whose only hope was i'm
/ death. Soon after they heard he had
] Joined the army. This was in 1912.
They dared not tell Maria, who on her
side never mentioned his name. A re-
/ lapse OF the fever was feared when. n
/ few months later, she fell into dead
/ swoon having accidentally seen his
name in the list of those who had dis
! tinguished themselves and been wound-
ed at Borodino.
But mlsfortunes never come sinoly:
/ the good Gabrelowich died, LEAVING all
| his fortune TO Maria. Riches. however.
| were powerless to console her: she
mourned his death sincerely, and vowed
never to leave her poor widowed moth
| err They both left Menarodowno. 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. i'm
/ spite OF her mother advice and express
desire; our heroine. for answer, silently
I shook her head. Vladimir was dead.
/ Killed al Moscow ON the eve of the en-
/ trance Of the French troops His mem
/ DRY seemed sacred to Maria. who ten
I DERBY treasured all the mementoes of
her lost love - his sketches. letters.
/ poems. aud the books they had read to-
gether; the neighbors commented won
/ derlngly upon such unusual constancv
and awaited with much interest the com
ing Of the hero who was TO triumph
over the melancholy constaucy of this
new Artemisia
The war ended gloriously for Russia I.
her leg.ons returned victorious. and
/ were received everywhere with vocifer-
Gus and joyful acclamations. Mothers
and sisters, with tears Of JOYS i'm their
| eyes, pressed TO their hearts the voutbs
I who had left them now grown into
\ manhood, bronzed By exposure. lard
I ened by fatigue and privation-but now
/ returned covered with glory. Perhaps
Maria and her mother. living so far ont
| oil the way, were among the very few
I who took no part in the general enthu-
'iasm The monOtonv Df their live.
/ though, was even there disturbed bv the
/ advent OF the dashing Young Colonel
/ Bourmine, before whom her usual train
/ OF adOrers had to retreat He took
\ AL hearts by storm with hi, brilliant
/ hussar uniform, fascinating manners
/ and the cross Of st. George. which
/ glistened ON his breast lie was about
/ t"enty-siN years Of age. and had come
/ to am adjoining property on leave OF
/ absence. Maria soon learned to look
/ forward 10 his frequent visits. and her
/ habitual melancholy disappeared. like
\ snow under the genial rays Of AN ApriI