The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-05-23
THE LESSON OF LOVE.

"Yannf'
"ExcelleEcy."
Here"
With bowed head and drawing one
foot after the other slowly along the
ground as if TO show great humility, the
favorite huntsman of Prince Horostien.
ko entered the arbor where his illustri.
Gus master was wont torepose after eat
ing.
Approach, son Of dog, and listen. -
Yam Barsouck came nearer and bent
forward until his face touched his mas.
ter's boot
"Are you always sure of your hand
and you= sight?''
"God help me, yes, excellency."
We'll you are TO wander away from
the castle, as is your habit You must
pretend TO shave lost your way. At night
fall enter the garden secretly, and jump.
ing the hedge conceal yourself I'm yon.
der clump Of bushes, which Ii directly
in front Of the window of the blue sa-
lon"
Eyes, excellency.
"Th0 salon is IN to be lighted.
There you win see the princess and
Count Alexis Karagina. Watch well.
When you see me enter the room. raise
your gun and aim at the count
Drawn up in his rustic chair, his face
more wrinkled and distorted than even
before. the old prince spoke authorita-
lively. His gaze was intently hxed upon
his huntsman, in whose features no other
| sentiment was discernible save that OF
servile obedience He continued:
"Aim ut the count, but do not shoot
at once. Before yon blow ont his brains
I wish to make him understand That he
is to die.
Eyes, excellency."
Therefore, you will stand, your fin
ger ON the trigger, until I let fall ahand.
kerchief which ] shall carry i'm my hand.
Then, Yann, shoot and hit your mark.
You understand"
Eyes, excellency."
go"
Yam was o than q man-haw was q
brute. Whence he came no one knew.
From Lithuania perhaps. judging from
his name-the only words he could
speak when they found him, tiny
babe, under a bush ON the highroad thai
crossed Prince Horostienko's estates
They left him to grow up in the court.
yard among the servants and grooms
For his daily nourishment he depended
upon the charity OF the peasants and the
| solutions.
AT 16 he had made o bow, with which
he could bring down all the apples and
pears he wanted Never once did be
miss his aim
One day the prince saw Yann's arrow
pierce the blossom Of q bergamot tree.
and he commanded him to be brought
before him The servant who led Yam
to his excellency trembled. But his ex.
cellency was in good humor. He CON
tented himself with giving the culprii
10 lashes, after which he was sent e
the head huntsman, with orders that he
was to have o uniform and . gun. i,
Yam retained an agreeable remera.
brance of his masters clemency, Ht
wished to show that he was grateful
Besides shooting was his ruling passion
His skill surpassed that of all thu
most renowned marksmen of his time.
At 40 PAGES he could send a bullet di.
rectly through the eye OF an otter with.
out the slightest injury to the fur. Their
he would silently deposit the dead beasI
at his masters feet Being repaid with
q simple well done" Yam would re
turn TO his matched hut, surly and tact
turn, without even q glance at the grouY
Of maidens, who, with petticoats dain
tily tucked mp washed their linen IN
the river.
He never spoke to any MI The peas
ants held him In awe. Evil stories wer,
current about him. They may have been
true. For Yam there was but one Law
the word Of his master: but one Low,
that for his gun.
When the evening tea had been drunk
the prince, making a pretext of having
some orders to give, took leave Of thv
count, his only guest that day, and hav
ing kissed his wife's hand withdrew II
his own apartment
A half hour later he went down int
the garden.
There everything spoke Of love. Op
pressed by the heat Of the day, the plant
and flowers had blossomed once mon
into life, filing the air with their heav,
fragrance. The f~ireiies fioated lik
, bright emeralds ON the night breeze 3
where their mates awaited them unde
the thick leaves. In the grass the crick
cts sang softly to their love ate Of n
, hour.
The prince took q circuitous rout
, and seturned On the grass, 30 that iii
footsteps might nos be heard DRAWN
aside the heavy leaves Of an elder tret
Are you theref Very well. Remembe
j the signal, and fire at oncel In th
!, counts eye, Yann-like the ofter'Ao
ives. e~xcelleEcy."
g Certainly the poor princess had stru6
g gled conscientiously to resist the arden
s~upplications or Alexis Petrovitch. Br
he was 25. and she was only 90.
i The grave caresses OF her husban
suggested to the princess what the III
finite joys Of Young love might be, vii
it's divine i~ntoxication, its ardent en-
braces Never yet had she given her iii