The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-01-25

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courage as hunter and horseman, yet
he was the only son of humble trades
man, while she was no less than the
daughter of the proud and wealthy
Prince Vradski, Governor of Perm in East
ern Russia, whose immense castle tow
cred over the top OF lofty Mount Kon.
jako:ski, aud overlooked the foamipg
and rushing waters of the Sosva. Irene
was tall and slender girl of nineteen,
and very beautiful. Her large, dreamy
black eyes showed at once the purity of
her soul and the tenderness of her heart.
She resembled her mother, who wor-
SHIPPED her only child; the two alwavs
bore each other company, while the
Prince passed most of his time in Perm.
the capital Of the province of the same
name.
On stormy November day, when the
snow was more than twelve feet deep.
and keen, strong wind drifted it over
rocks and bushes, Vladimir was return.
ing home from hunting sables on the
Princes vast property, when, on turning
the corner OF bluff where the ground
suddenly sloped to the valley below, his
experienced eye detected an unusually
large aud peculiar drift which he had
never noticed there before. He surmised
what it was, and at once turned toward
it his fiery stations, who, snorting at
the excited cries of their master. sped
like the wind over the hard packed
Stow.
There, sure enough, lay an overturned
sleigh, but no sign of lite was visible
about it. The horses must have run
away, or more probably had been hurled
into the deep ravine now filed with
snow. With all his might Vladimir re-
moved the snow as best he could on the
leeward of the drift, and soon he came
upon hEman body. 1t was that of a
woman and was frozen stiff; then he
found another, mans, that of the
driver; and after more digging he came
to that of girl. He saw that the oven
alone could resuscitate the first two
bodies, if indeed life had not already
left them; but that of the girl was only
benumbed. Without losing moment
he began to rub her face with snow until
IL snoWeu signs OF animation.
As she opened her eyes, she murmured (:
smother, what has happened9" Then,
realizing her position, she blushed, and
recognizing her rescuer, said brokenly:
"You, Vladimir Poniateffl Do owe
my life to you9"
The hunter bit his lip, for he thought
her words implied disappointment at
being saved by plebeianl
"Oh, am not worthy to even snatch
her from deaths gripl" he unused.
elbow long shall my name be thus de-
spisedG But TO her could forgive al
most anythiDgp
With this reflection he carried the
beautiful damsel to his own sleigh, and
never before did his heart leap more
wildly than now, when his arms were
laden with this frair creature. How his
cid flame, his love for her, which he had
thought almost rooted out of his soul by
avoiding meeting or even seeing her f,
now sprang up again in his bosom and
and fred the innermost tbres of his
whole frame.
He carefully placed the girl upon the
soft rugs; then went again for the moth
er, and again for the driver. He piled
upon them the furs from their sleigh (;
but on Irene he laid his own
bear skin oveTcoat. Fifteen veris of
snow and drift lay before him, and
although he felt that he needed food and
rest, he turned his wind footed steeds to
the keen blast, and urged them on with
shouts and whip. The snow storm had
abated, but not the wind, aud the SUI,
though it shone with maiestio splendor
and rendered the whole scenery perfectly
dazzling, was as cold as a winter moon.
The snow cracked under the iron shod
fe0 of the flying stations, the cold
grew more and more intense, and the
gallant reseuer began to feel the blood