The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-01-05

Il
tcmpestuous and careless life. The hardes
was to accustom myself to pass the Ion
autumn and winter evenings In solitude
Tho forenoon managed TO spend some wa
or other, either talking to the bailiff, ridin
| out to observe the progress OF the work o
else walking about the new institutions an
asylums. But as soon as the day began ;
decline l was at loss where to keep myself
| Tho small number of books found by m
under the book cases and in the closet-roon
were learned almost by heart All the fair,
tales which the housekeeper Kirilovna coul'
remember were told over once and again
Her songs made me feel the more Lonesome
l took to the unswcetenod ale, but it gav'
mo headache. To confess, feared to be
| come drunkard from sorrow. C.: Th
most sorrogtul and helpless drunkard, t
which there were scores of examples in ou
district. Near neighbors had almost non'
at all, except two or three sorrogtm ones
whose conversation largely consisted of hic
coughing and sobbing. Solitude was more
| tolerable. l resolved to go to bed the earliest
possible, aud to dine the latest. Thus
| managed TO shorten the evenings ant
| lcngthcn the days.
Four versts from Nj there was the
| rich estate belonging to Countess B.; bu
| there lived only the superintendent, and the
| Countess visited this estate only once, or
the first year of her coniugal life, and
stayed there hardly over month. On the
second spring of my hermit life, rumor
| spread that the Countess and her husband
were coming to pass the summer in their
| country estate. Indeed, they came in the
beginning of the month Of June. The ar
rival of rich ncighbor Is an important
epoch for the village residents. The estate
ntt- and Iatr 70 tot
| months before and three years afterward.
| So far as am concerned will confess that
| the news of the arrival of a young and beau
| tiful lady neighbor exercised great in
| fluence on me. waited with impatience to
see her. and betook myself to this effect,
on the first Sunday afternoon after her ar
rival. to the village of c. to introduce
myself to their Highness as the nearest
neighbor ard the most humble servant. The
usher introduced me into the cabinet of the
Count. and went himself to announce my
name. The ample cabinet was adorned with
rich, luxurious articles of every description
About the walls there stood bookcases with
books, and on each of them u bronze bust.
On the marmar fireplace was u broad mir
ror; the floor was covered with green cloth,
and spread over with carpets. Unaccus-
toned to luxury in my poor den, and not
having seen OUUCT TlCUeS SOHc tlnic III
the past, my spirits became depressed and
awaited the Count with the same indeter-
inmate feeling of fear experienced by n
province petitioner awaiting the coming out
of the State Minister. The doors opened,
aud there came in man of thirty-two, of
fair appearance. The Count approached me
with candid and friendly air. / tried to
pluck up my spirits, and began to introduce
myself, but he anticipated me. We took
seats. His conversation, both free and
friendly, soon dispersed my stiffened re-
servedness. / began to regain my ordinary
mood as the Countess entered, and confusion
took stronger hold of me than before. In
deed, she was beauty. The Count intro
duced me. / wanted to appear unembar.
rassed, but the more tried to put on the air
of funrescrvcdness the more awkward felt
In order TO give me time to recover my
self and to get used to my new acquaintance.
they began to speak to each other, treating
me as good ncighbor, without ceremony
In the meanwhile / started TO walk to and
fro, examining the books and pictures. |
unders TODD very little in pictures, but one
of them attracted my attention. 1t repre-
sented Swiss landscape What struck me
was not so much the art as the fact that it
was shot through by two balls, one after
the other.
"What a capital shot," said ], turning to
the Count.
"Yes," said he; ''the shot is very re-
markable one; land do you shoot well"
continued he.
"Tolerably," answered /, glad that the
conversation touched so near to Inc. II
shall not miss a card in thirty feet; Of
course, from known pistols"
"Really,n said the Countess, with an air
Of close attention; land you, my dear, can
you hit card in thirty fecti"
1--WE will try it some time,n answered the
Count. "In my time / was quite good
marksman; but it is about four years since
handled pistol"
"O,n exclaimed ''then l bet that Your
Highness will not hit a card in twenty feet
Pistol shooting wants daily exercise.
know it from experience. In our regiment
was considered one of the best marksmen
1t happened once that / did not handle a
pistol for month, and what would you think
of it, Your Highness, when / first started to
shoot again, missed four times bottle in
twenty feet. There was a rathmeister in
our regiment both witty and jocular; being
there, he said, joking: why, your hand
seems quite unwilling to rise up on bottles
No, Your Highness, one must not slight
this exercise else one loses its right use
The best marksman happened to meet used
to shoot each day at least three times in the
forenoon. This was his accustomed habit
as glass of whisky before dinner"
The Count and Countess we're glad that
my tongue became loose.
"And how did he shoot!" inquired the
Count.
"Well, Your Highness, this is the way he
would do: Noticing fly on the wall-You
are laughing, Countess, yet by Jove it is
true, well-noticing fly he calls out:
'Kuska, the pistol
"Kuska fetches the loaded pistol, he dis
charges aud presses the fly into the wall.
This is surprising said tho Count, and
what was his name! 'Silvio, Your High |
ness' 'Silviop exclaimed the Count You
knew Silvio. then.' How could l helm |
knowing him, Your Highness. He was ac-
cepted In our regiment as one of ours, |
comrade; but there is about five years since |
we received news concerning him. So Your |
Highness knew him alsoP Knew him and |
very we'll, too. Did he not tell you of a |
very strange occurrencep Was it not of a |
box in the ear received by him from some |
scoundrev 'And did he tell you the name |
Of this scoundrelf No, Your Highuess, he |
did not 'Ohr exclaimed l, guessing the |
truth, pardon Ibid not know Was |
it not yourselfr-- u, myself answered |
the Count, with a very embarrassed air, |
and the picture shot through is memori al |
Of our last rieeting.'
"'Oh dear me- said tho Countess, for
Gods sake don't tell it, it is horrible to
hear
"'No,' rejoined tho Count she must know