San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-10

ucIes OF glassware and bricks Of tea. Blu;
his true vocation was to shine from afar
and civilize the natives with the sound of
his violin.
Not to deprive M. Lafeur of anything that
was his due, let US add that, having once
been an herbalist and well instructed in the
natural sciences, he was gathering the ele-
ments of a collection Of plants, fossils, and
minerals, which he proposed to offer to the
town Of Chateau Thierry, the cradle of his
family,P as he somewhat emphatically called
it, where he had formerly passed his holt
days and where it was his dream to finish
his life in ease and Observation-Disclosures
to the roubles amassed in foreign country
and the renown which his collection, unique
in its way, would bring him.
"AhI" cried he, on perceiving Yegor, "that
eternal Hades Of a mine was purgatory for
you, was it notl And now see you in para
disc, escorted by angels" added he, bowling
gallantly to Nadege, and tapping the rosy
cheek of Ladislas.
sit is as you say, Monsieur Lafleur,"
answered Yegor, cordially grasping his
hand.
NJ Lafieur, with the French warmth and
old-fashioned courtesy which characterized
him, placed himself at once at the disposal
of the travellers.
The iovial Partisan seemed very happy to
hear of the amelioration of the lot of the
young man, whose pensive and honest coun-
tenance had Immediately gained his sympa-
thy when he met him, for the first time,
wrapped in his convict's cloak. Davidoff's
daughter, when he learned the history of
her devotion, interested him strongly, and
be conceived great friendship for little Lad
islas.
81 am attached to the governors chan
cery," said Yegor, thanking him for his
offers. Il accept all your services in the
hope of being, in my tnrn, useful to you
some day."
1T is for the best" cried M. Lafleur
"You have done well to come here. Al
ready can fiatter myself that l am in the
good graces of the governor-general's wife,
tall, thin woman, with whom get along
very, very we'll She patronizes me.
make her loves of Partisan hats and fur
nish her with champagne of my manufac-
ture for the soirees to which the natives
are invited-provided it foams. There are
the two young ladies, also, who embellish
with their presence this inhospitable ooun-
try. You shall see them! The elder, Ag-
rafena, is a wlful, daring girl, with a
healthy complexion and somewhat mascu-
line beauty. The younger-I call her Miss
Elena-pleases me more. She is genuine
little English lass of eighteen, languishing,
but a glutton Notwithstanding, she is very
pretty. These girls, besides, rule the gov
ernor despotically. But let me pass from
gentleness to the most repulsive ugliness
the escaped robber, whom we saw at Ouk-
boul-"
yes" interrupted Yegor; "the wretch
who furnished you the occasion to show me
your kind heart-well, what Of him2"
"Well, he parted company with the two
gendarmes who were taking him to the
fortress of Akatouia. He threw himself
into the forests, and was not recaptured,
this time"
"Poor SOUL" exclaimed the exile; 'he
must have died of want"
Anything is better than the fortress, said
the dancing master-"anythingw
Conducted by M. Lafeur, Yegor hired o
little wooden house, the last one of the town
on the shore of the Lena, the only one,
palisades of planks driven into the ground,
which give an air so devoid of sociability to
the inhabitants of Yakoutsk. The new sec
rotary of the governor had some partitions
hastily put up in it, in order to provide q
suitable apartment with an alcove for Mad
eye and a little room for the child.
The installation was rapidly made. In
Siberia beds are unknown. People sleep on
heap of skins or carpets and cover them.
selves with the same materials. In the
matter of furniture, the young people,
with their fixed idea of escaping on the
first occasion, limited themselves to strict
necessity.
It was then the middle of November; the
days had only three hours of sun and two
hours of twilight, with the prospect Of see
ing the sun vanish altogether during De-
cember and January, giving place to night
which seems eternal. AS far as the eye
could reach the ground was hidden beneath
a winding-sheet of snow. And it was thus
for many months!
Sometimes, this thick snow heaped itself
up menacingly against the houses, rolling
over upon the roofs and breaking them in.
A violent wind, in its turn, accomplished its
ravages. The centigrade thermometer de-
scended below thirty degrees, below even
forty degrees.
NJ Lafieur came in sledge to visit his
new friends.
"Brou!" uttered he. Kidding himself of his
furs. Happily. wood is not wanting in this
miserable countryi And to think that the
natives are in the midst Of this snow, as in
mass of waddingi How do you think they
livel They pursue. in the night which sur
rounds US. tina sibeliiues. to nav the Cars