Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-30

OF metal into her lap.
Just then 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 a man entered, bare
headed, wounded in his hand, painting VIC
lently, 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 sound of
buzzing "A her ears, and she could hear her
own heart beat.
He spoke again: 81 an not criminal,
madam
Speeches 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 tr1ckles 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
was going to do and turning seized her in
his arms, reseated her by force, and grasping
her wrists, exclaimed:
Listen to me, madam. am not q robber;
and the proof is that am going to pick up
all your money and give it back TO you. But
am lost mani am q dead man-if You
do not aid me to pass the frontier. i 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 II YOU do not succor me, l am lost
And nevertheless, madam, l swear to you
that l 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, be picked
up every coin to the very last, seeking the
gold pieces under the benches and grasping
hlltI LutfoS Which lsltl IUitti INTO pbSCuI6
places Then, when the little leather bag
was full again, he handed it TO his neighbor
without word, and retired to 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 gesture,
not n sign he remained sitting erect and i'm
mobile, with eyes looking straight before
him, and so pal that he seemed to be dead
From time to time she cast a quick side
glance at him, which was as quickly turned
away He was a man of about 80 very
handsome, with all the outward appearance
OF gentleman.
The train rushed out through the darkness,
fiinging out its piercing shrieks to the night,
sometimes slackening its pace a moment
only to start off again under full steam. But
at last its course became steadily slow; il
whistled several times and stopped short
Ivan appeared at the door to receive or
ders.
The Countess Marie gave final look al
her strange travelling companion, and ther
said, brusquely, to her servant;
Ivan, thou wilt now return to the count
| shall have no more need of thee
Stupefed, the man opened his eyes enor
mously. He began to stammer out:
''But-Varine,'
"No, thou shalt not come; have change,
my mind, prefer thou shouldst remain il
Russia Here, this is the money to pay tn
way Give me thy cap and cloak, quickly
Dumfounded, the old servant took off hi
cap and cloak, obeying without q word-ac
customed al he was to the sudden whims an,
irresistible caprice Of masters. And he wen
his way with tears in his eyes.
Again the train started, making for tn
frontier Then tho Countess Marie said t
her neighhor:
"These things are for you, sir. You ar
now my servant, Ivan. / place but one cor
dition upon what / do-namely, that 20
never speak to me, that you 10 not utter on
single word. neither to thank me nor for an
other cause whatsoever"
The stranger bowed without speaking.
Soon they stopped Ggain, and uniforme
officials entered the train. The countei
showed them her rspers, and pointing to til
man seated in the further end OF the ca
said:
THAT is my servant Ivan, aud this is b
passport"
The train moved on
For the rest of the night they sat alone t
gether, without speaking.
At dawn, as they halted at a German st
ton, the stranger got out. Then, standiI
before the window of the car door, he said
Pardon me- madam, for breaking II
promise, but as | have deprived you OF yo
servant it is just that | should replace hir
Do you need anythingf'
She replied, coldly:
Go and tell nv waiting maid to come. -
He did 50 ana d agpeared.
But later on, when she got ont to take sor
refreshments, she saw him standing at d
lance, watching her. And they arrived
Mention.
The doctor paused at this stage Of t
story. After few moments he resumed
wei, one day, as | was receiving clier
In my Office, zine, tall man came in, W
\ said to me:
Doctor, l come TO ask you for news OF t
~Gountess Marie Baranow. | am-althou
she does not know me-a friend of her HI
band"
Irepled:
''There is no hope for her, l regret to e
She will never return to Russia"
And ali of a sudden the man burst int
passion of sohs then he rose and staggei
from the room like drunken man.
The same evening told the countess Il
stranger had called ut my office to inou
about her health She seemed to be affect
and. then told me the whole story Just q
told it to YOU And she added:
"That man, whom / do not know now
lows me everywhere, like my own shade
meet him every time | go out; he looks
me in strange way, hut never speaks.n
She paused thoughtfully moment I
then exclaimed:
'Seei am willing to wager that he
this moment before the window"