New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-10


violent discussion regarding the state of the frost.
Conradin at last appealed to Ivan. ,u.,o
You know all the signs and changes, my praVc
forester" said he; - how much longer Is the Ice
going to hold?7
About three weeks, should think" answered
'fhrre devils" rctortcd the half-intoxicated
gypsy Il tell yOu my lad. that il you do not get
back to YOU howell on the island by tonight. you
will have TO try some other path than the river
Nonsense! do you mean to say that an IN
expected thaw is coming on? There were no
signs of it | glidcd down the stream, re-
turned Ivan, contemporary
Did vOu say nonsense then you mean that
| am liar roarcd the gypsy. with a sudden
burst of ierOcity. and SnatchIng up heavy goblet,
ne hurled il al his guests head Drink, however,
renders the hand unsteady, and the miss!lc struck
one Of the other gypsies on ne forehead, cutting
the skin slightly. In an instant all was uproar,
knives were drawn, and in tine chance melee when
ensucd the lamps were eNt!ngulShed ana INC
chamber phn-cl into total darkness Avoiding
tie incbriatcl combatants best he could. Ivan
felt for his skates which were hanging upon
peg driven int, the wall and in his search he de-
tachCd some object, which fell, WIN slsnJ
noise. upon the floor.
Peace had been by this time restored, one of the
lamps was rcehted. and the late comDatants.
one nf whom had received slight cuts. were eX-
changing tpsN embrace. Tn" light enabled
Ivan to discover his skates. but as he moved for
ward To- dctach them from the wall. he felt some
object heneath his foot, and looking down. he saw
that the object was a cruciN which ne had
thrown down, and that he was trampllng the
image of the Savior beneath lis feet. Al any
other time Ivan would have felt deeply shocked
at this unconscious Dissertation of a sacred emblem,
but his thoughts were 80 firmly fNcd on OlGa
that. with a muItcrcd oath. he kicked the cross
on one side, and taking down his skates from
where they hung. LETT the room without being
noticed by his host his boon companions
Directly he emerged into the open air. he was
sensible that a great change had taken place.
The night was Scn,ibly warmer. and he began 10
think that after all Conradin might he right as
to his prophecy regarding the thaw. Tong
IL. o..o 10. cd
skates. and was putting mp the collar OF ms
heavy coat when his fingers caught in cord
round his neck. which he remembered sustained
q small cross which had been placed there NJ his
birth Some feeling which he could not account
for seemed 70 urge him 10 throw II aside. but
thrustng the cross back beneath his shirt he
grasped his r0n-shod stan in his hand and struck
ont into tie centre Of the stream. As he got
further mp the river. he noticed that there was
o good deaf Of moisture upon the ice. and that
here and there small pools OF water had formed
upon il surface
He had not far 10 20 now before he reached
the trysfng-placc where love and Olga awoited
! him. The wood was now much thicker. ana all
OF once ne sensible of a something which
| was floating in front of him. II was tie In
distinct figure Of a man. bloated and swollen. as
| though il had laid for some Tim" beneath The
| waters OF the stream. Ivan felt his blood chill
| and his hair hriStlc upon his head for in the
discolored feature, he recognized the man-AleNis
! Ivanovtch-o! whom his mother Ind spoken dur
/ ing their last conversation Tic figure still lloaled
10y his side keeping pace with his every stride,
and from it appeared 10 issue faint unearthly
"Go back, go back" it said; death and
destruction are before YOU"
With a cry that hc could not restrain bursting
from his lips. Ivan bent forward and eNeried his
utmost speed TO distance the spectre. and in this
ne succeeded for in few seconds TIE appearance
vanished
The river soon took bend. and as lie swept
round il tie top Of MS speed. he say the hglre
| OF a man standing in his path making franuo
gestures 10 him 10 turn back. Unheeding this
| Ivan pursued MS hcadlong career until he came
within few yards of the figure, when, to mis-
surprise. lie recognized the fair hair and blue
eyes of the young Pole, Ladisls Skyrnecki, with
his face blcached aud distorted by his terrible
death The spectre uttered no sound. however,
but still waved his hands with a motion OF en-
treaty.
With his teeth firmly SGT, and with feeling
of desperation moving him, the Young man dasneu
onward and seemed 70 pass entirely through the
apparitiou. and rurrinc backward, saw the spectre
sill there. with its hands raised nigh above us
."al with gesture Oi mite despair.
\ feeling OF terror Shot through the Young man.
heart. but the thought Of tie beautiful gypsy
nerved him. and once again lie sped upon his way.
He could the dark mass OF the oiu wdter-lnill
looming black against the snow, and knew that
n few minutes eXertion would enable HIM 10 reacl
| H. All At once. 10 his extreme surprise. host
Of shining lights seemed 10 shoot up from between
tie mft"rs of the ruined roof and spread tlehl-
! selves all over the building. like n mass Of fiery
insects. The closed-up windows seemed 70 glow
with iurld fire and a strange ana confused mlIr-
mur OF many werd voices joining in an incaptt-
]
any meaning. rang ont in The still night. for q
moment he paused at tie strange and unexpected
sight, and then mutlcred b,twecn his clenched
teeth: If had 10 face he'll it>elt ana all ITS
iicndS confronted me, | would dare them for
Icain me sped on. and in few seconds came
TO ie foot OF le broken steps and halted IN front
of the door The Internal discord inside was as
loud and dc. fcnug ~ ever, and rs lie glanced tear
fully abouSlim. the door few oicn and the hsupe
OF Olga appeared upon the threN hold
She was as beautiful a. ever. but there WAS a
lurd look in her eyes which he had never seen
there before.
said She come to ioin tie happy band that
wander over the lee amt snow: come to give up
your soul 10 orr great master and your BODY 10
The fishes of tie NStula come 70 give me anothrr,
years health and beauty and power 10 ENJOY AZ
the pleasures of lite. Poor fool, Gh You IN x
that would condc>ccrd 10 share the hut oi n
tor Won welded to tempt alton and are lost forever
\ wild burst OF laughter rang out from re III
terror Of tie mill and there was strange rafting
sound, which filled the heart OF the forester VITA VITA
dread With al her earthly leauty rohe ana
her features changed 10 those oi n Icnioh, piGt
spraue down the steps ana cIHicI"d ivan DS mo
| throat For a moricnt 'l.r pa, aNirr was 80 IN
tense that NE Thought he must have fallen to no
ground bu- wish powerful "u"r' me- %r"ncntl
himself away. ana wheeling rou1d. darted OF win
all the speed that hc WIS captbc o. IN the direc-
ton OF his home on the island With c.H %
Disappointed rage Tie gypsy started IN ppIs1i !;
and ~" ring of tie two PAIRS oil sNah, souli%u
loud and clear above The Din and pNelrN OF thc
old mill Another strange sound WAS heard, AMI
Ivan, clanciuc over his SHOULDER for an instant.
saw a troop OF Skeletons with fiery eyes passing
| ibroiiah thr doorway and following in pursuit,
With a loud rattling of hcshleSs joints But hof-
rhr rs this sight was. there was ore Yet more
,rr,iblo and one which made The Young man
! strain every nerve and sncw - increase ms speed
and that >i.ht was the figure of Olea Conladfn,
her half-closcd lips showing the p,arN TEEN Set
firmly together. her eyes cleaning with satanic
fire and her hands Z, eni'd, with thelr fingers Dcn'
like the talons of a bird Of prey, as though eager
(, grasp their intended victim. She WAS only
about ten PAGES behind the forester ami was max,
inc every effort 80 gain upon him. onwar.l sne,s
The hilrouS chasr-thc hunted man, the girlflcnl,
and tie eriSly troop of skeletons. swc'plng along
| like some terrible phanias magora OF nightmare,
suddenly Ivan heard, further up fine river. loud
| rcport like that Of cannon. and his oNcrst:aincd
brain refused 10 perform its duty and - tel him
the cause of il. OLGA Heard IT, too. IL was the