Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-01-28
ne w1ll conduct you. .

ne wlIi conduct YOU
Vladimir waited. Scaecely a minute !
had passed when he again knocked. The /
shutter was lifted and q beard was seen.
"What do you wants"
"What about your SOM"
'Heu come out directly; he is putting
on his boots. Are you cold? Come in
and warm yourself"
Thanks. Send out your son quickly"
The gate creaked; youth came out
with a cudgel, and walked on in front,
at one time pointing out the road, at an
other looking for it in mass of drifted
snow.
"What o'clock is itg7 Vladimir asked
him.
at will soon be daylight" /" replied the
young peasant. Vladimir spoke not an
other word.
The cocks were growing aud it was
light when they reached Jadrino. The
church was closed. Vladimir paid the
guide and drove into the yard of the
priests house. In the yard his two
horse sledge was not to be seen. What
news awaited him!
But let us return to the kind propri-
etors of Nenaradova and see what is go
ing on there.
Nothing.
The old people awoke and went into
the sitting room, Gayril in nightcar
and flannel jacket, Praskovia in a wad-
ded dressing gown. The samovar was
brought in and Gavril sent the little maid
to ask Maria how she was and how she had
slept. The little maid returned, saying
that her young lady had slept badly,
but that she was better now and that
she would come into the sitting room in
a moment. And indeed the door opened
and Maria came in and wished her papa
and mamma good morning.
'How is your headache, Masha?' da-
miliar for Nary. inquired Gavril.
''Better, papa" answered Masha.
'The fumes from the stoves must have
given you your headache" remarked
| Praskovia.
"Perhaps so, mamma, ," replied Masha.
| The day passed well enough, but in the
|
was sent for from town. He came toward
evening and found the patient delirious.
Soon she was in a severe fever, and in a
fortnight the poor patient was on the
brink of the grave.
No member of the family knew any
thing of the fight from home. The let
ters written by Masha the evening be-
fore had been burned, and the maid,
fearing the wrath of the master and
mistress, had not breathed word. The
priest, the ex-cornet, the big mustached
surveyor and the little lancer were
equally discreet, and with good reason
Tereshka, the coachman, never said toe
much. not even in his drink. Thus the
secret was kept better than it might have
been by half dozen conspirators.
But Maria herself, in bhe course o.
her long fever, let out her secret. New
ertheless. her words were SO disconnect
ed that her mother, who never left hel
bedside, could only make out from then
that her daughter was desperately il
love with Vladimir, and that probably
love was the cause of her illness. Sh,
consulted her husband and some of he
neighbors, and at last it was decided
unanimously that the fate of Marii
| ought not to be interfered with; that
woman must not ride away from tn
man she is destined to marry; that poy
erty is no crime; that woman has T.
live, not with money, but with man
and so on. Moral proverbs are wonder
fully useful on such occasions, when W
can invent little or nothing in our owI
justification.
Meanwhile, the ysung lady began t
recover. vladimir had not been see
for long time in the house of Gavril
SO frightened had he been by his prev
GUS reception. 1t was now resolved t
send and announce to him the goo
news which he could scarcely expect
the consent of her parents to his NAL
riage with Maria.
But what was the astonishment of th
| proprietors of Nenaradova when, in az
swer to their invitation, they received a
insane reply. Vladimir informed thel
he could never set foot in their housC
and begged them to forget an unhapp
man whose only hope now was in deatl
A few days afterward they heard ths
Vladimir had left the place and joine
the army.
A long time passed before they ver
tured to tell Masha, who was now r.
covering. She never mentioned Vlad
mir. Some months later, howeve
finding his name in the list of those WI
had distinguished themselves and bee
T. severely wounded at Borodino, ST
D tainted, and it was feared that the fev'
might return. But, heaven be thanke'
a the fainting fit had no bad results.