The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-10-28


tered the Preobnoshensky regiment as a
volunteer and in IA months had passed my
examinations and won my epaulets.
@Life there is an expensive luxury.
Ones pay falls short of e1O year, and
money must never seem consideration to
an officer. My mother had a little annu-
ity of her own, not enough to support me
alone, and how she managed to scrape to-
gether the money squandered was mys-
terry which did not seek to clear up Her
life, could see, was tissue of physical
priyations. My sister limited that it was
also a series of more tortures. OF that,
however, never saw any signs. But it
was balm to her heart to know that was
invited to every big function of the city,
beginning with the court ball of the win
ter palace and ending with the private the
atrical at Princess KS. Being an untir-
ing dancer and fair talker, | was in great
demand everywhere That was the first
point in the programme drawn up BY my
mother, who lived on the tales of my sue
cess.
''In time was booked through for the
haven of matrimony to take in a precious
cargo there, and that was my mothers sec.
ond and last point. The girls? Like
most girls of her age and position, only
not quite so fresh perhaps, not quite SO
cultured and not quite so highly connected.
One evening shortly before the day fixed
for our wedding, while petty annoyances
were making my life misery, received
telegram from my sister asking me to
call on her at once. seated myself in
sleigh and gIided noiselessly way to my
mothers, full of presentiment that fresh
stroke of misfortune was about to fall
One trouble breeds another, as the saying
goes, but every sorrow bears seven.
"Leepotshkha, my sister, made no at
tempt to break the news The preestay,
she said, was coming to seal up everything
we possessed for the creditors. If we
would raise the amount in time the Ca
lamity might be averted, 1t was large
sum, but got it that night from the faith
er of one of my comrades in return for
receipt. My promise to pay by a certain
date was verbal
"Then made some attempts to tap va
rious sources of honest income compatible
with an officers dignity. | might as we'll
have tried to press oil from rock. |
called on editors of newspapers and re-
views They received me with Smiles but
as soon as they knew what wanted seemed
to feel on pins and needles till the thick
ness of the door was between them and
me. This drove me into the clutches of
a swindling money lender. A Jew? No.
I wish he had been. He was what Chi
naman would call Christian devil.
ale lent me money readily more than
once Then he assailed my ears with un-
ceasing talk about bills of exchange, imi-
tating handwriting, acquiring untold wealth,
etc. l didn't know exactly what he was
driving at, but was satisfied that the pub
| lie prosecutor would know, and that his
vocabulary afforded very ugly word for
it, That alone should have made me eau
tious, but it didn't. Anyhow, it is silly to
fight against fate. As the proverb has it,
"Move slowly and you will not elude sOr-
row; quickly, and you will overtake mis-
fortune" A bird is caught by food, and
man by specious words. yielded and
wrote name which belonged to an absent
millionaire, who was not even my friend
Next morning awoke to the fact that [
was criminal
"Then the scoundFel rubbed his hands
and smiled and wiped his greasy forehead
with greasy handkerchief, and said he
would never tell. He would rot even use
the documents. He would sacrifice his
own money for my sake, but on my mar
riage | must undertake to give him l00,
900 r.bles in installments. One morning.
after he had been running on like this for
an hour, | got up and knocked him down,
then l shook him till he was blue in the
face, and was dragging him to the door
to fling him out when he called me a
dashed forger and threatened to send me
along the Vladeemer road "a synonym for
exile to Siberia.) | then pushed him vio-
lently into the auteroom, where two com
rades of the regiment stood looking in
speechless horror at the scene.
''I was allowed to send in my resigna-
ton. Otherwise should have been
pariah from the beginning, ,.instead of a
slow process of evolution. For a man who
quits the army as l did, the only branch
of public service open is the police. L
applied for position in the gendarmerie
and obtained it. The letter which brought
that welcome news was put into my hands
on my return from my mothers funeral.
How she died? For heavens sake, don't
ask me. Even now | cannot trust myself
to speak of that. My bride She is now
the wife of Count Y. aud one of the lead
ers of fashion
Il have put the iron bedstead in the
kitchen, master, and they (the Russian
way of speaking politely of third person
who is present) can 60 to bed when they
Ike said my servant girl, eying furtively
my guest as she entered aud left the room.
81 have little more to add, concluded