The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-27
A STORY OF SIBERIA.


080C0 080UY II - U1sssSSkssS ~ -
champsnyssss, and chsttsr ssiiy OF the
things q ~ bouIsvafd; bat she nov no
nnesr faat intwsss IN anything. Paris vas
to km . yanishsd dream. Siberia % nm.
chanxfne reality. Nine months out o.
svsry year u hlank, mournfui SHOWS,
whlts ailssos. sxtsnding from horizon 70
horizon: thsn , brisf rsspiss. when the
6sids caught flower, and color rushed
through svssy valley and over every hill.
and inuum4sshis insects buxssd In the
grsen underwood of the sseppes-such h
Siberia
she hsd married Count Ardio6, the gov
efn0r Of Tobolsk. 10 save her father from
ruin; but this child Of the Asphalt thrivcd
but poorly in the desert. and her husband
ssw, snd with farce anger. that she could
not endure her present life: saw there was
nothing IN common between them bat the
chain Of marriage By which he held her.
Scratch tbs Russian and you win find
the Tartar" Nothing can b more true.
Primitive races can bat ape the sentiments
and rsfinements Of feeling which make
bsarabis our lives, and Count Ardlof
could not pass the gulf-the impssssbls
gulf--ths gull made by centuries OF civil
ration which lay between him and his wife.
He could hold her 10 his bosom. bat even
then she seemed nearer TO vanca. young
foIish officer, than 10 him.
And yet no friendship could b purer;
tnsy were merely exiies who talked of their
distant homes. fhsir lost friends. and their
abandoned dreams.
Bat such sentiments are little under
stood in Siberia, and ugly little rnmors
concerning Nine. ArdioH ard young yAnca
hsd begun 10 b. whispered-the end of a
phrase hissed slightly and q concluding
smile turned somewhat serp1ntwise--that
was all
Count Ardlofr watched and waited. as
suspicious and fierce o. wildcat
He was man about 30. his beard was
strong and gray. and he stood like Her.
eules. Five years passed In Paris had lent
him Q disguise which. In his ordinary
moods. perfectly enabled him TO hide his
Tartar character. and when she married
him. the bright French girl gave little
thought that few glasses of champagne or
slight contradiction would transform the
elegant gentleman on whose arm she
leaned into 3 savage Cossack.
Now fercs gieam shot from his eyes as
they fell upon his wife. who, lying back in
her easy-chais. sat languidiy listening to
vanca'a cIsAr voics. II mattsred not to the
count what they were saying. He did not
stay 10 consider whether they were plan
ming IN elopsmsnt or taking OF the Gnu
peror. He merely hated her for appearing
10 BE- 20 intimate with one OF his officers.
She belonged to him; she was his property
"a property he had acquired because ii
had pleased him 10 do 10. What, then, did
she mean By thinking Of or concerning her
self about any one elss7
These were the counts thoughts ~ he
took the cards that had been handed to
him and shufiisd them through his strong
fingers. Come eight or dozsn gentlemen
IN the uniform Of the Russian army we're
grouped around him. . lady sat at the
piano, and couples wefs seated under the
creamery of tho exotic plants with which
the rscssses Of The room we're filed. There
WAS not much conversation. the interest Of
the company being apparently conferred Ia
the count Every now and then some one
passed across the room. and. after watch
ing the cards for q few minutes, would
crsngingiy murmur some words OF adaia-
ton. Every phrase began or ended with
Your sxesilency.a and was rounded OF
with bow.
Bat the count paid very little attention
10 his fla,terers. When he had finished
dealing. ~ he threw down the last card. he
glanced again in the direction where his
wife WAS sitting.
As she listened 10 the young Pole her
attitude grew more and more abandoned.
He spoke 70 her OF his past life. Of lost
love: and the accents OF regret with which
be narrated his experiences reminded her
OF how abe had suffered similar deceptions !:
OF how her aspirations and glad visions
bad. like his. persisted. They spoke OF
these sad. eternal truths which each pair
al lovers fancy they alone have discovered,
but which have moved eli past generations,
- they will doubtless move all those which
are coming 10 birth, till mans soul has
ceased to be what IL IL.
80 absorbed we're vAnca and Nine. Ard
tosi in the contemplation Of the past. thai
they we're only 10 much conscious of each
other - each helped the ether 20 realize
their separate lives The Guitar world had
faded from them. aud I'm the insinnating
emotion which drew them together she
leaned her hands over the edge OF thu
chair. and. following shs movement In
stinesively. he took up the glove she had
laid down and played with II.
At this sign OF intimacy the counts eyes
flashed vindicsiysly. and be called 10 his
wife, impassenuy.
Marie. viii yoa order some cham
psgnef"
Without answering. she told yanea TO
ring the bell. Instantly rissng. he Gem
Piled with her request and then, forgetting
be hai rot retained the eonn teas her glove.
stopped To speak 30 q friend. His friend
tried 10 warn him vith look, bat, before q
word could hs said. the Pole had walked
across the room, stat twirling the fatal
glove in bis fingers.
Tie did this with q certain nonchasAne~
that would hare angeress better tenn yeresl
man than Connt Ardioff A grira seowl
rAsssd across hts face. and be whispered
something 60 an asds-de.earnp Who stood
near hssn. The ostsesv left the room.
II Was . terrible moment, full of sonsrsr.
nassen and silence; sas before the uafor-
taaats Pole bad time 10 realize bis danger
I've Cosssek sosasers entered the APART
msnt TIE company gave way before
them, Withdrawing into groups and lines
vsnes had his hack tarned 10 them. ard
he still wrapped shs fatal glove reana ard
round bis hnssrs. he stood - IL lost la
reverse. scanning markas bust Of tie
countess.
Al lass the stiffness of The rooni awese
him. and. ~ the tosszeks we're .hoat IL
sesze hin. he tnrnea Ills frightened eyes
met theirs he started hack precspisass.y
haf. with qaies movement. the soldiers
laid hands upon him. Ia q sow voice rss
asae-ae-esnp sad