The Penn's Grove record., 1888-11-03
story; "but l shall think the matter

wei
The next day Mr.. Marston left for
London, having babe the Countess a
cordial farewell. and promised to write
to her at once IL any idea should occur
to him with regard to the recovery Of
her title and estates.
More than a month passed away,
during which she did not hear from
him, and, consequently was beginning
to think that lie had probably forgotten
all about her, or he would have writ
ten, when mi evening the servant
came up sta rs to say that Mr.. Marston
was in the parlor on the ground floor,
and would like to see her.
81 have been thinking ever since l
left you,o he said, when they had
greeted each other, ''of the extraor-
binary history you told me. And l
think now that l see a way to overcome
your difficulties. But you will have to
exercise great patience. 1t will take
me probably a year, perhaps more to
carry out my plans. ] shall have to
go to Russia and i've in the village of
Narovel, and | shall want at least G400
at once, and probably another e400 III
the course OF about six months. In
the meantime you must be content not
to ask me any questions, and to remain
in perfect ignorance of what 1 am
dong. My word is the only guarantee
you can have that l shall be honestly
doing my best on your behalf"
SIT is sufficient" said the Countess.
"You shall have the money. When
can YOU start?"
Tomorrow" was the answer
Accordingly next day Mr.. Marston
started for Naroyel, which is a village
in the prsgince OF Minsk, III Western
R1ssia.. Here he took up his abode in
the guise of a well-t0-do Englishman,
who wished to make himself acquainted
| with the language and institutions OF
the country, and who had 10 objection
to spending his money pretty freely.
He was a good shot, was fond of riding,
and apart altogether from the necessity
of acting a part which was involved by
the business he had on hand, he was
really a jovial and pleasant companion.
The consequence was that lie soon
became a favorite with everybody in
tine district. The men liked him be-
Cause he was a capital sportsman and
could take his bottle with the best of
them, the women, because he was a
good looking foreigner, who was always
paying them such marked compliments
as circumstances permitted and who
was very fond of children. Among
others with whom he shortly became
intimately acquainted was the new
priest, a young man named Nicholas
Kohl. Kohl acted, as priests very
often do in Russia, the part of priest
md nh totninYn IN sbA 1FNrt.E Al
since Marston was able to give him IA
great ceal of valuable advice and as
slstance they DOL became fast friends.
One day, about five months after he
Game to Naroyel, he went to Kohl INTO
the vestrysH Of the chapel where
the CounysD. vas married. He had
been1ia s.5em. frequently before,
and knew exadtly where the book in
which her marriage was registered lay
among some others in a sort of cup
board. Already he had, on the pre-
tence of comparing the Russian system
with the English, examined reg isters
of births, deaths, and marriages. SO
that lie was familiar with the forms,
and on looking at a book of such reg
listers could easily find any particular
one that he might be in quest of. AS
yet, however, he had had no opportu.
nifty of examining the book which con.
tanned the record of the marriage OF
the Countess. Now what he had been
scheming for during the past five
months was to get the book secretly
into his possession for about half an
hour. Already he had formed a num-
Der of plans for getting half an hour
alone in the vestry room, but these lie
had discarded one by one as being un-
suitable. AT last. as often happens in
such cases, al accident gave him the
opportunity he sought. On the occasion
in question they were going for a long
walk and had only gone into the vestry
room to leave a parcel, which the priest
had in his hand. Scarcely, however,
had they entered the room when they
were followed by a little girl who had
seen them go into the chapel. She had
been to the priests house to look for
him, as her mother who was very Ill,
wished to see him for a few minutes.
81 shall wait here for YOU" said
Marston, speaking to Kohl in French,
when he understood what the girls
errand was. 81 a read till you come
back" There were some French and
Latin books in the room.
very WE'LL" said Kohl, it is only a
few minutes walk from here. [ shall
not be more than half an hour"
When the girl and priest had left the
chapel Marston took out of the cup
board the volume that contained the
record of the Countess marriage. and
turned over the pages till lie came to
thu 0ntrU hn MAC An pnA.ab @e W.. |
there in black and white, was the rec
ord OF the marriage of Sophia Tschak-
OF with Michael ~Tokhtainish. Mr..
Marston looked at the register intently
for a minute or two, during which time
he had turned rather pale. Then he
got up and looked out of the vestry
to SEES that there was nobody in |
the chapel. Having satisfied himself
that he was quite alone, he sat down
again and examined the characters 10
which the name OF Michael Tokhta |
mlsh was written with the greatest care |
for about a minute. Finally, he took
out of his pocket a penknife. a bottle of
ink and a pen, which he had always |
carried about with him in anticipation
OF an opportunity like the present.
With the penkrife. he carefully erased
the name Of Michael Tokhtamlsh. 1t
took him about three minutes to do
this, SO anxious was he to do the work
neatly, and not leave a trace of the
letters he was removing from the regis
ter. When he had succeeded to his
liking re- put the penknife In hts pocket
agalr, and having carefully examined
the pen to see HAT the nib was in erder,
he proceeded write oyer the erasure
the name Oh
Let me frsa ask IL the reader bad
guessed whose name 1t vas that Mr..
MarstOn wrote over the name he had
been at such pains to eraser
Nc. Having most caref ully erased
the name of Michael TokhtamIsh, lie
proceeded with the very greatest care
to write the name of Michael Tokhta-
mish as nearly in the same place end
character that 1t had stood in before.
When he had done this to his satisfac-
ftan he LOT TIM ink dru apl than ~.