Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-11-23
RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
BY ROBERT c. V. MEYERS.


ing in part of st. Petersburg
where there were many pretentious
houses, butlittle travel; he had met
no one, save o lighter of the
street lamps, Tor a quarter of an
hour.
Suddenly from out the shadow of
porch came a young and prepos-
sessing man who raised his hat
cautiously.
81 think you arrived in Petersburg
last evening"" said he to Wallace, in
perfectly good English.
The American stared at him.
The stranger followed up his ques-
tion by another:
''When you were about to enter
your hotel last evening, perhaps you
picked up a fan a lady had drop
ped?"
Wallace started; hehad been think
ing of the lady of the fan.
The evening before had been ex-
ceptionally warm for September. In
the glare of the hotel entrance, as he
was about to enter, n lady and
gentleman in evening dress passed
by. The lady dropped her fan, The
American stopped and picked it up.
She was the most beautiful woman
he had ever seen; nature and art had
done marvels for her. Herglittering
eyes encountered his, while delicate
eastern aroma erlanating from her
garments was almost intoxiea ting.
There was a heightened bloom on
her rounded cheek, a disclosure of
white teeth, and her little gloved
hand went out to take the fan.
Another instant and her compan-
ion had grasped the toy from the
American with so much rudeness
that the latter looked up into his
scrowling face.
The lady laughed low laugh. and
bestowing a quick glance at Wallace,
moved on beside her escort, evidently
bound for some grand entertain
ment- Wallace looked after the two.
f'That woman is an arrant co.
quette," he said to himself. Il
should not be surprised if she drop
ped that fan purposely TO annoy the
Jealous wretch at her side in having
me pick it up. Heaven, but she is
beautiful
He entered the hotel, andhaying
no luggage, and scarcely believed
when he said he would leave in two
days, as hehad only comefrom Odessa
where business took him merely to
see the capitol, was regarded sus-
piciously, and was very carefully
watched.
He knew little of this suspicion,
however. He went to bed and
dreamed Of the beautiful woman he
had decided was II coquette.
In the morning his first thought
was for her. She was uppermost in
his mind all day. In the twilight OF
the evening he went out for walk.
He went farther than he intended.
He found himselfalone, whenu came
the man with questions.
Wallace, not ayerse to finding out
ii this were an enigma, said:
'It would be difficult to forget so
lovely a woman"
The Russian eyes flashed.
4'Goodl" he said; .'of course one
must remember her having once seen
her. am her cousin, Ossip Dostoy-
evsky. Icame from her with word
for you"
-tFor mel' cried Wallace.
s'She accused herself of rudeness, .
returned the Russian imperturbably.
'sfShe wishes to thank you in person
for the small service you rendered
her. If you will consent-and the
Americans are aproverbially gallant
people" he bowed low; Wallace
looked at him for hidden sheer
"you will be good enough to follow
me to the Countess Anna Ivanovna.
Resenting something in the man S
manner, Wallace with the rashness
of youth replied:
THE Countess Anna Ivanovna
honors me.
The Russian bowed and stepped a
little in advance. This should have
appealed to him as odd, but Wallace
was curious to know how the matter
would end. Though they had gone
thus only hundred yards or SO, he
began to think he was making fool
of himself did he know but
there was some trickery at hand!
The Russian knew all about his ma
tionality, must likely know he was a
stranger in the city, probably was
not unacuuainted with the fact that
he knew no one in the place, and
might not be ignorant of the bank
notes in his pocket, and the diamonds
he was carrying from Odessa, home
20 his fair American fancee. The
idea of acountess acting in this fash.
ionI He was about to cry halt,
Ale found that the man had assembled
a flight of steps in front of a marble
residence and noiselessly opened the
leaves of wide hall door. The spir-
it of adventure predominated over
caution.
The next minute Wallace found
himself in long hall of mar
bile, the polished walls inlaid here
and there with onyx and malachite