The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-12
THE DEADLY VENOM.
A Dying Victims Prophecy 10 His
False Love Fulfilled to the
Letter.

Paul and l were twin brothers, gentle
men by birth, since our father was a
Polish count who had been deprived of his
estates in connection with the events Of
1868, 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 a countryman, who
taught dancing and lived in a shabby
London street.
AS time went on l earned my four
guineas a week as a vio1inist; but my
brother, Paul Bolskoi, became the dar-
ling of society-first, perhaps, because
he had the most beautiful voice in all
the world; next, because he was the
very handsomest mar / ever saw.
tive seen her at last, Louis" said my
brother one night to me; 1.-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 you saw my pupil" and he took from
his pocketbook q photograph. It was tho
portrait of a woman, a fair woman, with
a hard mouth and cruel eyes. s'She
thanked me for singing for her, and then
she said: Monsieur, / want you to do
me a favor. want you to give me a
few lessons in singing / stared at her
in establishment. sAh,' she said, Mon
sieur Bolskoi, the singing lessons are
only o pretext. l know your story; l
know that you are of noble blood; l
know that your fathers property and
estates were confiscated 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 I love her,
Louisr 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 Vlastoff 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 2
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:
81 have returned to the barbaric life,
and l enjoy it. The prince keeps almost
regal state in his great castle of Sama-
rof. / enjoy the free, wild life, the rid
ing, driving and the hunting here, and
! am happy, for I am with the oma I
love. The prince is already moving in
our matter, and has nodoubt, 80 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:
sLouis, d terrible misfortune has hap
pened. Tho princess and / 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
summer time; but this was no ordinary
wolf. The brute was mad; it 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, Paulr
she shrieked, as she clutched 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 | clutched
it by the throat, and we fell to the
ground together. got my knee upon
its chest, and l tried to choke the life out
of it. / felt its hot breath on my face,
and I stared with terror at its red eyes,
and / wondered whether my strength
would hold out. 'Flyl l shrieked to the
woman l loved; fly, Nadia, for the love
of heavenf 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!-I strangled
the beast, choking it to death.
81 turned to Nadia, and / raised her
from the ground, and, pressing impas-
stoned kisses on her lips, / cried in her
ear, There is nc cause for fear, my dar-
lingP She seemed to wake as from a
dream; the great blue eyes opened and
looked at me with unutterable love, and
my kisses were returned. You do love
me, Nadia?' / cried, and her head still
lay on my chest.
Glove you, Paul? she answered, of
course l love you. Need | tell you so in
words, PaulY she said, and she looked
around her wildly. Let us make the
most of our time. Paul. and again she
kissed me; for the man / am betrothed
to will come to claim my hand in
short month
NADIA cried, and you talk of low
ing me?
"tMy marriage with the Prince Bakou-
line,' she said, is one of policy, but /
shall always love you, she added, and
then she looked at me in sudden fear.
Paul, Paul Bolszoi,' she said, why do
you look like that?
"tPrincess Nadia, l answered, Inever