Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-12-02

once knew q woman, one. aof my pa.
tients, now dead, to whom the most, eX-
traordinary thing in the world happened,
and the most mysterious and touching.
She was Russian, Countess Marie Bara.
now, very great lady, of exquisite beau
ty. You know how beautiful the Russians
are, or, at least, how beautiful they seem
to us-with their delicate noses, their sensi.
tive mouths, their eyes SO close together, of
an indefnable color, a blue gray, and their
cold, rather hard charm. They have some-
thing wicked and seductive, naughty and
melting, tender and severe, utterly charm
ing to . Freuchman. At bottom, perhaps,
it 10 only the difference of race and blood
that makes us see SO much in them.
Her doctor had, during many years,
known that she was threatened by dis.
ease of the chest, and endeavored to per-
suade her to come to France for the winter,
but she obstinately refused to quit st.
Petersburg. At last, in the autumn Of
that year, the doctor comnelled her to leave
for Mentone.
She was alone in her compartment of the
train, her servants occupying another. She
leaned against the window little sadly,
watching the country and villages as she
whirled past, feeling very isolated, very
lonely IN life.
At each station her footman, Ivan, came
to eee if his mistress had everything she
desired. He was an old servant, blindly
devoted, ready to obey any order she might
give him.
Night fell, the train rolled on at full
speed. She could not sleep, she was total.
ly unnerved. Suddenly the idea occurred
to her of counting the money given to her
ct the last moment in French gold. She
opened her little bag and emptied onto her
lap the glistening stream of metal.
But, of sudden, breath of cold air
caught her cheek. She lifted her head in
surprise. The door opened. The Coun
tess Marie, 10 dismay, threw q shawl over
the money spread out in her lap and wait,
ed. A moment afterward a man appeared,
bareheaded, wounded in one hand, painting
and in evening dress. E1tLfL 4..i
he reolosed the door, sat down and look.
ed Of his neighbor with q glittering eye,
then wrapped his wrist in q handkerchief.
The poor woman felt faint with fright.
This man must have eeen her counting her
money and had come to kill her and steal 1t.
He still fixed his gaze upon her, breath.
lessly, his face drawn, evidently awaiting
to spring upon her.
He said, brusquely:
MADAM, have no fear.''
She answered nothing. She was incaps-
BILE of opening her lips. She heard her
heart beating and q buzzing in her ears.
81 am no malefactor madam" he con-
tinued.
Still she said nothing; but in sudden
movement she made her knees knock ed
together and the money poured onto the
carpet like water from spout.
The man stared in surprise at this flow of
a nrnn or 20 k6ou
She, terrified, rose, casting all her gold
onto the carpet, and rushed to the door to
throw herself onto the line. But he per.
ceived her intention, sprang up, seized her
in bis arms and forced her onto the seat,
holding her by the wrists.
s'Listen to me, madam. am no thief.
AS proof I am going to gather up this
| money and restore it to ycu But am q
lost man, dead man, unless you help me
to pass the frontier. can tell you no
more. In one hour we shall be at the last
Russian station, in one hour and twenty
minutes We shall be on the other side of
the boundaries of the empire. Unless you
aid me am lost. And yet, madam, have
neither killed nor stolen nor done anything
dishonorable. That swear to you. can
tell you no MORE"
| And, going down on his knees, he collect
ed the money, feeling under the seats, and
looking into the farthest corners. Then,
when the little leather bag was once more
full, he handed it to his neighbor without q
word, and returned to his seat in the other
corner of the carriage.
Neither moved. She sat motionless and
mute, still faint with fright, but recovering
little by little. As to him, he moved NO
muscle; he sat erect, his eyes 6xedly look
ing straight before him. very pale, q
though he were dead. Every now and
then she threw him glance, which she
quickly averted. He was a man of about
thirty, very handsome, with every appear.
ance of being gentleman.
The train tore through the darkness,