Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-05-11
A COTTAGE BY THE V0LGA
BY STEPNIAK. K.
Author SAVED BY THE STARS AND
STRIPES"

expected to receive next day the news
paper of the 22d, the date on which
Vladimir, if be reached st. Petersburg
safely, was to insert his advertisement.
Was he alivep Would she see that ad-
vertisement tomorrow? 1t would be so
great joy to her that she could hardly
believe in its possibility.
What is my lady ybird so sad aboutP'
said the nurse. "Were you thinking of
him?"
"Yes." said Katia, laughing. "How
did you find that out?'
They understood one another and had
no need to name him"
How could l help knowing? I'm not
getting on for 70 not to know, an
swered the nurse. She began to comb
out the girls thick hair with large
comb.
For some time neither spoke.
"Ah, we'll, wellr' said the old wom-
an, with that look of submission to fate
that aged faces can express. "You II
get to care for him in time He's good
man, and he loves you dearly. That's
no wonder, though. How could he help
loving such beauty as my darling"
He" now referred to quite another
person, and Katia protested.
What have you got in your head,
nurse? l don t want anybody else but
Pavel Alexandrovich. "
Thanks be to God for that, my
child" said the nurse. She made the
sign of the cross over the girl and went
away to her own room.
The post did not come to the Prozo-
rows house What little correspondence
there was for the family was always left
at the nearest railway station, to which a
messenger on horseback used to be sent,
as general rule, twice week Thurs
day was post day in the house, but the
messenger always started for the rail-
way station after dinner, so Katia de-
oided to 90 herself directly after break
fast and asked to have the trap brought
out for her. But while dressing she saw
from the window Kroutikov riding up
to the house. He had passed the night
in town and ridden back in the early
morning.
"Why on earth couldn't he come after
dinner?" thought Katia in annoyance.
"Now I can't CO."
She went down stairs and greeted her
betrothed somewhat dryly.
81 looked in at the station for your
letters" said Kroutikov, "but there
weren't any; there were only these
newspapers.
He handed her a packet, which she
snatched eagerly out of his hands.
Tearing off the wrappers, she found the
issue dated the 22d and opened it in the
widest excitement. In a conspicuous
place on the front page stood the adver-
tisement She gave little scream OF
delight, burst out laughing and clapped
her hands.
"What is it? Have you come into a
fortune, or are you appointed maid OF
honor at court?" asked Kroutikov, look
ing at her with smile.
"No, no; it's nothing IL guessed
my fortune, stammered Katia, hardly
knowing what she was saying for joy
Il guessed that if found an ADVERTISE
ment in today's paper with my age in
it-22-I should be happy i'll my new
life, and if not l shouldn't, and, just
look, there's my age three times over.
In the advertisement for lessons in
Spanish was given the address, app
xxi, No. %, twenty-second line, Va
sill island.
Kat;a, going off into peal after peal
of laughter, ran about showing the ad-
vertisement to her betrothed, her mother
and her nurse She felt that she must
have some one to share her joy with
somehow.
Suddenly she turned quite white,
and, putting both hands to her bosom,
fell back into chair Her heart had
begun to flutter; then it seemed to stop
beating. Her father had died of rupture
of the heart, and she had a slight he.
reditary trace Of heart disease She had
been warned by doctor to be careful,
but during the last fortnight had not
had chance to be careful They laid
her on the sofa and gave her water.
Both Kroutikov and the mother were
greatly frightened, but the attack soon
passed over She got up as though moth
ing had happened, and the whole day
long was as merry as lark and pecul-
iarly affectionate with her betrothed.
kroutikov went to his room enraptured.
There were only four days now to
the wedding Katia passed the time as
if in fever Notwithstanding her wish
to be married quietly aud without
pomp, the neighborhood had somehow
heard of the proximity of the wedding
Letters and visitors came pouring III.
The former had to be answered, and
the latter entertained. and the trousseau
had to be got ready
MIS- Prozorov would have been ut
terly miserable if her daughter had
married without getting her linen
marked first Katia had not one free
moment in which to collect her
thoughts. nor, indeed, did she wish for
it.