The morning call., 1894-10-21

ola General DubasSOf. as bright, as aIeTi'
as imEaculately well dressed as ever.
found himself walking up an unkehol
avenue which led from the high road 10
the house OF Varv. lie had nor peeh
th ere since the first summer after Nol8oh-
akv's marriage. Soon after the Folkoh-
skvs had left St. Petersburg the ola man
had gore travelling, and had remained
awav from Russia three whole years.
Corresnondence with NolkonsHy IN that
time had Jagged from the beginning, anG
al last had ceased entirely. General
Drbassof only knew that Nolkonsky had
entirely abandoned his career IN the
army and seldom or never lett his country
rIace. Strange stories were told OF his
life there. and it was said that this court
favorite. this brave exquisite, this brilliant
dandy had turned into l0ut, not whit
above the rank of the woman he married,
and had altogether abandoned his own
class. General Dubassof had written from
St Peters burg. when be frs returned from
his travels, that he would shortly visit
Varyi. To this letter no reply was re-
ceIyed. The old gentleman was furously
angry at this. But as the years passed
on ard he beard those queer tales about the
dofugs at Narvi. his anger melted away.
He remembered Volkonsky's grandmother; :;
he had heard that the old lady 10 her last
days had gone hack to peasant ways; had
exchanged her dainty cigarettes for a
strong pipe: and had left her foe bed 10
sleep, rolled in her shubka. on the floor
before the stove. The old man shook his
head when he thought of this st is in
the blood he said. ''it Is in the blood"
All this came back to him, as he walked
stff1v down the ragged lane with the short.
Quick step of a man used to marble pave
mauts.
The afternoon was beautifully soft and
balmy. and 1t was cool under The dappled
shadow Of the beech trees. But wnere is
the park q" Dubassof asked himself. as he
looked around him. There had been a
small pretty park, well tlmbered. But
now there was scarcely a tree in sight, and
he found himself in wheat field. Ali
gone, the trees sold for timber, the wheat
growing up to the verv house itself, for,
ahead of him, be saw Varvi. How Vol
konsky's father prized those trees, be
thought, as he trudged along the path
through the waving grain.
The house, as he remembered IT, was
handsome villa, with flower beds about it
and satin curtains at the windows Now.
as he came within full view OF 1t, he saw 1t
was shabby almost beyond recognition.
There wera no signs of satin curtains at
the windows, of which some were broken
and had hpen mended with small slabs of
wOod Only ODe wing OF 1t seemed lnhab-
tied. to which there was q small side en-
france. intended for the servants and
tradespaople.
"Volkonsky must be away" thought the
old man. advancing TO this side entrance.
Before the door. on a rude bench, sat a
man wrapped up IN cloak, although the
weather was warm. An cid brown cap
with ear fans was pulled down over his
head Near him plaved three little peas
ant girls without hats. General DuoaSsot
after glancing once at the odd figure took
otip nf SnDD0slng MIN
be oulv caretaker, and very poor one
at that. in TulkOnsky'S absence. But he
looked admirlngly at the children IN their
rustic beauty. They wore faded short
cotton frocks and their rosy feet were
bare. Their hair bad the peculiar oIeached
look that comes from habitually going
bareheaded, but they were the handsomest
little peasants Imaginable.
That's the way thought DubassOf,
keeping up the thread of his soIiloquy.
"the common people have all the beauty
aud the gentle people have ali the air, the
stvle These wild little kittens are twice
as pretty as the dainty little ladies and
gentlemen one sees driving about st.
Petersburg in victorias with their man.
mas Still the little ladies and gentlemen
are more Interesting" And then ad-
vanclng he said to the children, Good day,
little ones"
They stared at him as ii they had never
seen a gentleman beforehand the smallest
cried out: See. what funny shining shoes
he has on aud his shirt bosom looks like
snow!" aud then they all scampered be-
mind the bench like frightened hares
General Du ubasSOf examined the man on
The bench more closely, and nearly dropped
in the tracks of his shoes with amazs-
ment for the man was Count Feodor
Volknnskv. Never was there such a
changa TIE veIy character Of his face
was altered. In his prime he bad been
noted for the aristocratic cut of his fea-
lures, but even then his cheeK-bOnes were
rather high ard broad-a defect that the
wav he wore his mustache and slight
whisker on each side, concealed. But now
he had grown bushy, full beard, and his
face seemed two inches broader; he looked
al plebeian as any droschky driver. Nor
was his dress calculated TO make him ar
pear any more ike a gentleman. The
coarse, discOlored old cloak he wore did
not fully cover the equally coarse wooden
Jacket buttoned across his chest. He had
on neither collar nur cravat, and his
rough. cay-stained shoes were many times
too large for him. lie was dying. Duhas-
sof saw att that the second glance he cast TO-
S.ard so1 S"T ,be bench. Volkonsky's face was a
cIavav white. aud his eyes had a
hunted and somDeT expression ia them.
AS soon as the old general recovered from
the first shock Of surprise his excellent
heart was overwhelmed with pity. He
advanced closer and without a word heI d
ont his hand. Volkonsky, who had been
duI}v watching the old man so smartly
dresSed. did not recognize him at first.
= bnt raising himself with an effort he
presently cried out in a quavering voice.
altogether unlike the gay vibrant tone
of tther days:
General Dubassof! Why, whv never
thonpht to see you again. But | am very
glad 10 see you. Sit down here. There's
room for two"
Volkonsky made no motion toward re-
moving his shabby cap or embracing his
old friend, who sat down on the bencl
beside him. Dubassof was so agitaed
he could not speak word for some mo-
ments. Then be asked, "And how dc
you find yoCrself?
s'Far from well" answered Folkonsky
beginning to cough
"And your wife ?"
"Ah, Elisabeth. Sne is always perfectly
well. No fine lady illnesses for Eiisabeth
| wish ] were half as strong as she.'
Then noticing how leniently time had
dealt with the old man before him he SAID
fretfnlly:
How wonderfully well you look! And
so dandifed While l."
He stopped without finishing the SEN
tence, and then added as if talking to him.
self:
''The old live and flourish. while the
young go down to that dreadful place 10
the churchyard."
Dubassof saw that Volkonsky was well
advanced on the road to that place.
Nnlkonekv'a aftantion pnw fully