Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-09-21
A RUSSIAN ADVENTURE.
BIT ROBERT c. v. MEYERS,

ss.suy pretentious houses, but little travel;
ne had met no one, save lighter of the
street lamps, for quarter Of an hour.
Suddenly from out the shadow of a porch
came young and prepossessing man who
raised his hat courteously.
81 think YOU arrived in Petersburg last
=veningsn said he to Wallace, in perfectly
good English.
The American stared at him.
The stranger followed up his question by
another:
@When you were about to enter your
HOtel last evening, perhaps you picked up
tan lady had dropped."
Wallace started; he had been thinking Of
the lady of the fan.
Tho evening before had been exception
ally warm for September in the glare Of
Che hotel entrance, as he was about to enter,
a 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
sor her. Her glittering eyes encountered
ais, while delicate eastern aroma emanat-
ing from her garments was almost intoxi-
eating. There was heightened bloom on
her rounded chesk, a disclosure of white
teeth, and her little gloved hand went out
70 take the fan.
Another instant and her companion had
graSped the toy from the American with 50
much rudeness that the latter looked up
into his scowliug fac.
The lady laughed low laugh, and bestow-
dag quick glance at Wallace, moved on be-
side her escort, evidently bound for some
grand entertainment. Wallace looked after
the two.
sThat woman is an arrant coquette," he
said to himself. II should not be surprised
If she dropped that fan purposely to annoy
the jealous wretch at her side in having me
pick it up. Heaven, but she is beautifuln'
He entered the hotel, and having no lug
gage, and scarcely believed when he sad
nc would leave in two days, as he hal only
<=ome from Odessa, where business took
aim, merely to see the capitol, was regard
cd suspiciously, and was very carefully
watched
He knew little of this suspicion, how
rEer. He went to bed and dreamed of the
beautiful woman he had decided was a CO.
quette
In the morning his first thought was for
aer. She was uppermost in his mind all
day In the twilight of the evening he
went out for walk He went farther
shan he intended. He found himself alone
when up came the man with questions.
Wallace, not averse to finding out if this
acre an enigma, said:
at would be difficult to forget so lovely
a woman
The Russian eyes flashed.
saGoodr' he said; '.of course one must
remember her having once seen her. am
her cousin, Ossip Dostoyeysky. 1 came
from her with word for you"
t'For mel'' cried Wallace.
stShe accused herself OF rudeness," re
turned the Russian imperturbably. .'She
wishes to thank YOU in person for the small
service you rendered her. If you will con.
seut-and the Americans are proverbiaIly
gallant people, he bowed low; Wallace
looked at him for a hidden sueer-''you vii
DC good enoughto follow me to the Counties
Anna Ivanoyna."
Resenting something in the mans man
oer, Wallace with the rashness Of you'll
ceplied;
''The Countess Anna Ivanovna honor:
uen
The Russian bowed and stepped littl
in advance. This should have appealed t,
aim as odd, but Wallace was curious Il
know how the matter would end. Though
they had gone thus only hundred yards o
SO, he began to think he was making foo
Of himself-how did he know but there wa
some trickery at hands The Russian knew
all about his nationality, must likely know
he was a stranger in the city, probably wa
not unacquainted with the fact that
knew no one in the place, and might not b
ignorant of the bank notes in his pocket
n L. L.. r.
Odessa, home to his fair American Fl lncet
The idea OF a countess acting in this fash
ION! He was about to cry halt, when h
found that the man had assembled flight {
ls@eps in front of a marble residence an
,noiselessly opened the leaves of wide hal
door. The spirit of adventure pre1om
mated over caution.
The next minute Wallace found himsel
In a long hall Of marble. the polished wall
snIaid here and there with onyx and mals
cdite, brass lamp suspended by chain
from the ceiling partially illuminating u
apartment and disclosing the only piece {
furniture there, tripod upon whic
burned an incense. The Russian fun
open the door to the right, and there was
flash of light from many candelabra will
in.
tCcboC W CiI-lf hC oALAf huAb0 Inv
grand chamberlain.
The affair was piquant now. WallaC
was no coward; but he could not he
thinking of those at home, especially Of h
siaucee, in the manner attributed to me
IN the point OF drowning.
The drawing room he entered was
large, luxuriously furnished apartment, {
belt with touch of barbarism in its sple
dor. Heavy curtains of maize colored sat
draped the five long windows; there we
xnalachite tables, artistic bronzes, marble
carved furniture of ponderous beaut
skins of animals upon the floor, a bra
arm in a corner holding busheI Of vivid RI
roses.
He was about to address the man WI
had ushered him into the house, VIII
tle found that ne was alone in the room.
He was lone only for minute thong
For curtain at the extremity of the sail
was pushed aside, and clad in long 70
Ut rose hued velvet, stiff with embroide
sf metal, the beautiful creature Of t
evening before approached him.
The blue eyes were bright as the bril-
ants upon her snowy neck; her arm