Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-08


stable boys held the lights high, tc
enable them to draw poor Narika
from the sledge saw that oil was
nearly over.
40 hi I" moaned tie host, rs he
showed me into the contracted and
smoky sitting-room, go li, the little
fathers prayers are more necessary
now for Varika than are the doctor Z
drugs. The poor lad Is called to
drive the white horse into the pres
ence Of St. Peter tonight and give
him his reckoning" To my great
annoyance, / found that could not
procure another yamschik ut that
station to drive me on that night. l
made bold promises Of vedro OF
vodka, II one could be found, but no
one seemed willing to take Varika' s
place. The mystery of death had for
the moment checked the interests OF
life in those superstitious hearts.
While / was employing useless ar-
guments with a knot of men in the
room, there was q noise OF horse $
feet and the shrill cries which an
nounced the arrival Of q sleigh. "A
fat Russian maid was in the act Of
placing u steaming samorer before
Inc when, with much stamping Of
feet outside, the door of the room
opened and man OF very noble bear
ing came in. He saluted me with
dignity and then Withdrew, imme.
diately returning with a young girl
upon his arm. Her face seemed to
make sudden summer spring into
tho wintry place.
My experience HAD evidently been
told them, for, as the girl glanced at
me, ] heard her say The poor
yamschik! Dear father, how awful is
sudden deathW
With q little hesitation the man
advanced to mo and said In good
English: ~ beg pardon. Can this
be, by chance, Mr. Francis Adams,
the engineer Of the salt mines in
-" Then promptly followed n
pleasant solution Of my problem.
Count Bariatinski, the owner Of these
salt mines was himself on the way
thithcr, hoping to reach the place by
the time of my arrival and this cross
ing Of our paths had hastcned our
meeting.
The count, OF course, introduced
mo to his daughter, the Countess
Stephanic, explaining that she had
long wished for an experience OF
crossing Russia in u sleigh, and add.
cd that, as the cold had increased
very much, he feared he had lent
too fond ear to her entreaties, in con-
senting to bring her. An hour later
found me very much ut my ease in
the luxurious sleigh Of the Count
Bariatinski, the young Countess
Stephanie's face glowing with lowell
ness just opposite me.
As I watched her, watched that
startled look, with which the UNI
known mysteries OF q winter night
on the plains Of Russia spoke to her,
tried to analyzo the quality Of her
beauty. Tho word "elusive" con-
stantly came to me, rs expressive OF
the character OF her charm. Beauty
seemed to animate the face from the
depths OF her bluc.grey eyes, and
then when I had fixed the home OF
her attraction there, some witchinS
movement OF tho mouth-a smile
which chased from their hiding In
the soft contour OF her cheeks and
lips q ripping gambol OF dimples,
would change my mind, and then /
would give to the mouth tho definite
note OF beauty which struck the first
harmony of tho whole.
Thus l watched her, while the old
count twaddled on about mints and
mines, and the liverlcd yamschik and
footmen OF his excellency pierced
the night, every now and then, with
their strident Russian cries OF en-.
dearment to the fleet horses that car
ried US swiftly over the snow. Pres.
emily tho old count began to nod, but
tho young countess kept an ebert eye
upon the passing interests OF the
night.
The road grew more irregular now,
and was broken up In great ukhabs
or deep burrows, causing us to sway,
every now and then, like a sloop ut
sea. 1t was during these tortuous
movements that / began to watch
for tho radiating smile OF the Count.
ess Stephanie, while the Count, rude.
ly jostled from his dozing dreams,
would scold his yamschik In volley
of expressive Russian. When this
attack became violent, tho Countess
Stephanie would slip her hand from
her sable muir, and caress her faith
er's arm, TIL the .vituperative an.
ger OF the Count would cease, or
merge into some qualifying correc-
ton. 1t was sweet to see the silent
influence OF the girl. and one felt that
she took the part Of that poor ser.
want, whose cringing phrases showed
how cruel his training had been, en-
abling him to accept with patience
reprimands which he did not de-
serve.
The snow had ceased. 1t had only
lasted long enough to veil the trees
and decorate with a soft, cloud-like
delicacy the panorama OF the night,
The intense stiffness recalled to one
dreams of a primeval age. The very
heart-beats OF Pan seemed suspended.
The sounds which we associate with
man 8 Inheritance Of the earth seemed
o strange suggestion in that hour. Sc
far have we become removed from
the actual reserve OF nature that the
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