The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-10-03
THE VOLTS FANGS.

Paul and | were twin brothers, gentle
men by birth, since u father was a
Polish count who had been deprived of his
estates in connection with the events OF
1863, an Englishman by breeding. After
the death Of our father, when we were
quite children, we two had been brought
up out Of charity by q countryman, who
taught dancing and lived in a shabby
London street.
As time went on | earned my -four
guineas a week as a yiolinist; but my
brother, PAM Bolskoi, became the dar-
ling Of society-frst, perhaps, because
he had the most beautiful voice in all
the world; next, because he was the
very handsomest a ! ever saw.
1--WE seen her at last, Louis" said my
brother one night to me; the woman
I've been longing for and dreaming Of
all my life; and I'm about to become a
teacher of singing" he added, with a
laugh. "You wouldn't wonder, Louis,
if o saw my pupil" and he took from
his p~ocketbook a photograph. 1t was the
portrait Of a woman, a fair woman, with
a hard mouth and cruel eyes. "She
thanked me for singing for her, dthen
she said: Monsieur, | want You to DO
me q favor. | want you to give me a
few lessons in singing ! stared at her
in establishment. tAh,' she said, Mon
sieur Bolskoi, the singing lessons are
only a pretext. | know Your story; |
know that you are Of noble blood; /
know that your fathers property and
estates were confscated long ago, and /
would help you to regain them. Per
haps I'm not altogether disinterested,
she said, and she gave me one look from
those soft, languid eyes Of hers-a look,
Louis, which sent the blood coursing
through my veins. For | love her,
Louis! he cried.
The love of the princess for my broth
er Paul had become a matter Of common
talk among our friends by the time that
Prince Ylastoff had obtained leave to
visit his estate in southern Russia. My
brother Paul was to travel in his suite,
and it was arranged that in the winter,
when he proceeded to the capital, the
prince should present him to the car
and use his influence in his favor. They
had been gone a month before | heard
from my brother Paul At length he
wrote as follows:
Il have returned to the barbaric life,
and | enjoy II. The prince keeps almost
regal state in his great castle Of Sama-
ref. enjoy the free, wild life, the rid
ing, driving and the hunting here, and
am happy, for I am with the woman ]
love. The prince IS already moving in
matter, and has nodoubt, so he tells
me, of his ultimate success"
Here the letter was continued in a
shaky, hurried writing, totally unlike
the commencement, which was written
in my brothers beautifully clear hand:
Louis, a terrible misfortune has hap
pened. The princess and l were wander
ing in the park a week ago, the very day
when l commenced this letter TO you,
when we heard loud shouts and cries.
Suddenly, from a tangled thicket close
TO Us, appeared a wolf. There is nothing
very terrible here in a solitary wolf IN
simmer time; but this was no ordinary
wolf. The brute was mad; il had been
hunted and badly wounded by the hunts
men and torn by dogs; its tongue hung
from its mouth, and as it came toward
Us it uttered little yelping barks. Save
me- cried the princess; save me. Paul.
she shriesed, as she clutche1 my arm
Her voice attracted the attention Of the
infatuated beast, and it made for Us At
once. Nadia fell fainting to the ground
As the brute made its spring | elutche@
it by the throat, and We fell 10 the
ground together. got my knee upon
its chest, and l tried 70 choke the life out
Of it. felt its hot breath on my face,
and | stared with terror at its red eyes.
and | wondered whether my strength
would hold out, fFlyr shricked to the
worna loved; fly, Nadia, for the love
Of heaven! But she never moved, for
she lay upon the turf in a dead faint.
The struggles Of the wretched animal
grew weaker and weaker, but ] never
relaxed my grip upon its throat; and
slowly-ah, how slowly strangled
the beast, choking It 70 death.
turned 10 Nadia, and | raised her
from the ground, and, pressing impas-
STONED kisses On her lips, | cried in her
ear, There IS 10 cause for fear, my dar-
lingr She seemed to wake rs from a
dream; tie great blue eyes opened and
looked at rne with unntterable love, and
ny kisses were returned you do love
me, Nadia2 | cried, and her head still
lay On my chess.
"'Loye you, P4uly enc answered., of
course 1 love you Nod / tell you so in
words, PauE she said, and she looked
around her wildly. Let Us make the
most Of our tine, Paul, and again she
kissed mei for the lnan / am betrothed
to viii come to claim my hand in one
short month.
Nadia cried. and you talk of low
ing me?
"'Mymarriage with the Prince Bakou-
line she said, is one Of policy, but l
shall always love you,' she added, and
then she looked at me in sudden fear.
Paul, Paul Bolskoi,' she said, why do
you look like that?
Princess Nadia | answered, i never
loved you; loved the woma | thought
you were
e Paul Bolskoi, she said calmly,
you must be mad; the Prince Bakou-
line owes you a deep debt of gratitude,
and then she rose and turned her back on
me. But let me thank you, NJ. Bols-
koi, she said formally: let me thank