Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-09-03

Bolskoi,' she said, formally; let me
thank you in his name for saving my
life,' and then she turned as pale as
death and seized my hand. Paul ? she
shrieked, as she fell upon her knees at
my feet; Paul, my love, my life, you
are wounded and for my worthless
sake And then | saw three little
bleeding points upon the back of my
hand. Madam l said, coldly, 'sympa-
thy for one below you in degree is sure
ly misplaced | turned away, Louis,
and walked alone to the castle.
"The French doctor from Warsaw
gives me every hope, but, Louis, some
thing tells me that | shall die, and /
shall have died in saving the life of a
woman who is worthless.
Louis, there is great news for you,
my brother; the car is willing to let
bygones be bygones; our rank and our
property are to be restored. Prince
Vlastof only to-day handed me the re-
ceipt from his imperial master. Count
Bolskoi,' he said, as he pressed my
hand, don't speak to me of gratitude !;
shall ever be your debtor.
X X
'sThe French doctor has come again.
My brother, there is no hope and
shall die. 1t may be question of days
or only hours. Already | swallow with
the greatest difficulty.
"Pray, Louis, pray for the soul of one
who longs for death. Your unhappy
brother. PAUL BoLsKoI."
There were two other letters-one
from Prince Vlastoff, another from the
French doctor. They gave me the
dreadful details of my brothers. death.
To hn hoI toto E
ter fearful sutferings
I have visited my brothers grave. I
have seen the place where my brothers
life was sacrificed for the Princess
Bakouline (for she became the Princess
Bakouline, of course); and then I went
to st. Petersburg to thank my imperial
master for his clemency, and stayed
with Prince Vlastoff. One night as [
was talking with my host he said to
me: you've never been in this room
before, l think; the very rug your feet
are resting on is the skin of the wolf
that killed your brother. The head is
wonderfully lifelike," he said.
Yes there was the head, with glaring
eyes of glass, the mouth wide open, the
lips retracted, showing a double range
Of fierce and cruel fangs.
at makes me shudder when / look
upon II, Sdlu IIuCo lSdlOll, UuC us d
work of art all the same" he added,
with little laugh.
Presently he left me; and sat by the
fire in a half-dose, and thought of my
brother and his miserable death. 1t was
close on midnight.
The door was suddenly thrown open,
and tall woman in evening dress,
in an opera cloak, rushed into the room,
locked the door behind her, and flung
the cloak from her shoulders. On her
pale cheek there was great red mark.
When she saw me she fell upon her
knees.
paul !" she cried, in Mortified ac-
cents. ''Paul Bolskoi, have you
come back from your grave to haunt
me?''
AS l stared at her in establishment 1
recognized my brothers evil genius in
the beautiful creature who knelt before
me, looking into my face with fright
ened eyes.
Madam" 1 said, ri am Louis Bols-
koi''
And then she rose. "You are very
like him. she said, mechanically, and
she sat down in the chair opposite me
and stared at the CHASTITY, grinning mask
of the dead wolf; and as she looked she
shuddered.
'Your brother saved my life, Count
Bolskoi," she said, with a groan
[ bowed, but / did not answer her.
''Your brothers was a dreadful
death" she went on; 'and sat by his
bedside and listened to his last rawlings.
He prayed. in his wild delirium, that |
might never know happiness in this
world. [ sacrificed your brothers love
to vain ambition, and sold myself to
p1In Rol inh hn cfr IL
me-you see the mark upon my face
and | leave him forever. Just before
your brothers death, when his falling
voice had sunk to whisper, he opened
his eyes and seemed to recognize me.
Nadia he said, you will repent; and
when you have repented you will see
me once again, and / shall summon you
to meet your God He never spoke
again, Count Bolskoi. / have repented,
God knows how bitterly; and when |
saw you sitting there [ thought that
Paul had come from the land beyond
the grave to hail me to the judgment
seat of heaven. Count Bolskoi," she
said, bitterly, 81 long for DEATH
She never looked at me, but stared at
the VOLTS face upon the floor; and
mechanically she placed her tiny foot
between the double row of white and
glistening teeth.
There was a furious knocking at the
door. The Princess Nadia started to
her feet, and as she did so she gave
little scream Of pain, and saw small
spot of blood on her satin foot-covering.
The door was shaken furiously, the lock
gave way, and man broke in and adj
dressed furious words to the beautiful
woman who stood confronting him, pale
and silent. He spoke in Russian, and
then he turned to me-
.'You are Count Bolskoi, sir, l per-
ceive," he said "Why do I find you
here closeted with my wife? he cried,
and he glared at nle with furious eyes
infamed with drink and jealousy. 81
am the Prince Bakouline, SIR" he said,
more calmly, ''the husband of this-this
woman"
''And 7 am her fathers guest" I
said; "and do not handy words with
drunken men at midnight. But, Prince
Bakouline, you are coward. Have the
goodness to leave this house"
And then he turned and left the
room without a word. Next day we
met some dozen versts from Petersburg.
Prince NloCfnff was NV SQonn6 and T