Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-29

brusque and trembling said to her servant
'Tvan, you will return to the Count.
have no further need Of your services"
Amazed the man opened his enormous
| eyes. He stammered:
irBut-but-"
She continued:
'tNo, you need not come. have changed
my mind. wish you to stay in Russia.
Here, here is money for the journey. Give
me your cap and mantle"
The old servant, bewildered, took off his
| cap and mantle, with unquestioning obedi-
| ence, accustomed to the sudden whims and
strange caprices of his mistress. He walked
away with the tears in his eyes.
The train started again, racing to the
| frontier.
Then the Countess Marie said to her COM
panion:
ssThese Things are for you, monsieur; you
are Ivan, nv servant. I make but one con-
dition: IL is that you will never speak to me,
that you will say no word to thank me on
| any pretext Whatever.
The stranger bowed without word.
Soon fresh halt was made, and the off,
| cials in uniform entered the train. The
Countess handed them the papers, and
pointing to the man seated in the far end of
the carriage
"My servant, Ivan; here is his passport. I"
The train started again.
During the whole of the night they re-
mained tete-a-tete, dumb both
In the morning, on stopping at German
station, the stranger alighted Then, stand
ing by the door, he said:
Pardon me, madam, that I break my
promise, but have deprived you of your
servant; it is only fair that should replace
him. Is there anything you require?"
She replied coldly:
''Go and send my maid -
He went Then disappeared. Whenever
she alighted at a refreshment-room she saw
him watching her from distance. In due
course they arrived at Mentone.
One day, as was receiving my patients
in my study, saw tall man enter. "Doc-
tor" he said, "I come to ask news of the
Countess Marie Baranow."
"She is beyond hope,'' I replied. "She
will never return to Russia
And this man fell to sobbing; then he
arose, and went out staggering like a
drunken man. That same evening told
the Countess that a stranger had been to
me to ask after her health. She seemed
touched, and told me the tale have just
told You. She added:
'This man, whom do not know, follows
me like my shadow. I meet him every
time I go out. He looks at me very
strangely, but he has never spoken to me-"
She reflected, and then added
"Lookl There he is, below my window!"
She rose from her sofa, drew the curtains |
aside, and showed me the man who had |
called upon me, sitting on bench on the |
his eyes raised to the hotel |
He saw us, rose and walked away without
once turning his head. So it was that I |
took part in q strange and incomprehensi-
BILE episode, in the love of these two be-
ings who were quite unknown to one an
other.
He loved with the devotion of rescued
animal, grateful and devoted until death.
He came every day to ask me, Chow is
she ?" knowing that I had guessed. And
ne wept bitterly when he had seen her pass,
oaler and weaker every day.
She said to me:
'T have spoken but once to this singular
nan, and it seems to me have known him
or years.
And when they met she returned his bow
with grave and charming smile. knew
The was happy-she so lonely and dying.
Knew she was happy to be loved with such
respect, with this exaggerated
,oesy, with this devotion ready for all
hazards. And yet, faithful to her obstinate
,hough hlgh-m1nded resolve, she absolutely |
-efused to receive him, to know his name,
,r to speak to him. She said, '.No, no, that
would spoil our strange friendship. We
must remain strangers to one another"
As to him, he was of a certainty q kind
If Don Quixote, for he took no steps to ap-
,roach her. He was determined to keep to
he letter the absurd promise he had made
% her in the train.
Often during the long hours of weakness
he rose from her sofa to draw back the cur
aims, and look if he were there below the
window. And when she had seen him, al
Ways immovably seated on his bench, she
eturned to her couch with smile on her
ips.
She died one morning about O'Clock.
As left the hotel he came to me, his face
distorted; he had already heard the news.
81 should like to zee her for second in
-our presence" said he.
took his arm and re-entered the house.
When he was by the bedside of the dead
e took her hand and kissed it, q long, long
,iss. Then he fled like madman.-Gay de
kaapassant.