San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-12-31
A RAILWAY ADVENTURE.

She was Russian lady, the Countess
Marie Baranow, a very great lady, e1quisitely
handsome You know how beautiful the
Russian women are, at least how beautiful
they seem to us, with their fine noses, deli
cate mouths, eyes rather close together and
of Undesirable grayish blue, and that cold
grace of theirs, a little severe. They have
something about them at once wicked and
seductive, naughty and gentle, tender and
harsh. which is very charming to French
man. But, after all, it may be only the diff
ference of race and type which causes me to
see SO much in them.
Her physician had for several years tried
to induce her to settle in the south of France,
as he observed that she was threatened with
consumption. But she obstinately refused to
leave st. Petersburg Finally, last autumn,
believing her life az stake, the doctor warned
her husband, who Immediately ordered his
wife to leave for Mention.
She took the train, choosing to remain all
by herself in the car, while her servants &C.
cupied another compartment. She leaned
out at the door, a little sad, as she watched
the fields and villages passing by-feeling
herself very isolated, very lonely in that life
of hers without children, almost without
relatives, with husband whose love had
grown cold, and who was sending her thus
far away to another part of the world, with
out so much as offering to accompany her
Just as he would send a sick patient to the
hospital.
At each station her servant Ivan regularly
came to the door to find if his mistress
needed anything. He was an aged domestic,
blindly devoted to her, and ready to fulfill
any order that she could possibly give him.
Night came on and the train was rushing
forward at full speed. She could not sleet
for excess of nervousness. Suddenly tho
idea occurred to her to count the money her
husband had placed in her hand at the last
momentum gold coin of France. She opened
her little bag and emptied the shlnin mass
of metal into her lap.
Just then a Whit of cold air smote her in
the face She lifted her head in surprise
The door of the railroad car had just opened
Hastily the Countess Marie dropped her
shawl over the money lying in her lap and
waited A second later u man entered, bare
headed, wounded in his hand, painting vio-
lentiy. and attired in evening full dress. He
closed the door, sat down, gazed at his neigh
Dor with glittering eyes and commenced to
bind a handkerchief about his bleeding
wrist.
The young woman felt herself ready to
faint with fear. That man certainly must
have seen her counting the gold and he had
come in only to rob and murder her.
He kept his gaze upon her, still out of
breath as he was, his face working strangely,
as though he were preparing to leap upon her
Then he said, sharply:
"Don't be afraid, madam"
She could not speak; there was a sound of
buzzing in her ears, and she could hear her
own heart beat.
He spoke again: 81 am not criminal,
madam.|
SPECIFICS with fear, she could answer
nothing; but in the sudden movement Of her
start at the sound of his voice, her knees
coming together caused the gold to trickle
down upon the floor, piece by piece, as the
water trlckles from a spout.
The man observed with surprise the falling
stream of gold pieces, and suddenly bent
down to pick them up.
Then, wild with fear, she rose to her feet,
dropping all her fortune on the floor, and
rushed toward the entrance to leap out upon
the track But he comprehended what she
WIS ROluE W w, ti.Iu turning, belZeu neT IN
his arms, reseated her by force, and grasping
her wrists, exclaimed: 90 b.
Listen to Inc, madam. Fin not robber
and the proof is that l am going to pick up
all your money and giveit back to you. But
am lost mani am dead man-if you
do not aid me to pass the frontier. can tell
you nothing more. In another hour we shall
reach the last Russian station; in one hour
and twenty minutes we shall cross the from
tier line. If you do not succor me, am lost
And nevertheless, madam, l swear to you
that / have not killed anybody. or stolen
anything, or done one dishonorable act This
swear to you. But / cannot tell you any
thing more"
And going down upon his knees, he picked
up every coin to the very last, seeking the
gold pieces under the benches, and grasping
after those which had rolled into obscure
places. Then, when the little leather bag
was full again, he handed it to his neighbor
without word, and retired TO a corner of
the car, where he sat down.
Neither of them made the least movement
She remained motionless and dumb, still
faint with terror, but gradually becoming
calm. As for him, he made not a GestSH :,
not aEi2n: he remained S.11tjpG erect snd--irl-