The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-15


brothers child and made ner welcome
to his mountain home. There was a
large admixture of contemptuOuS pity
IN his tenderness for her; she had none
OF the stern virtues of Varvara Petrov-
ma she IS not an Orsha- SAID the
colonel She seemed in the household
like a tender larch budding among the
pine trees
When We passed into the drawing
room after supper, the lieutenant went
to Varvara Petrovna like a lamb to the
slaughIer-roku ne mlnoVat- AS an
artist without a destiny l was able to
devote myself to the less heroic charms
of Sofia Semyonovna- She had soft
and pretty voice, and at the coIonef $
request she sang US two or three little
Russian songs, sad little dumk OF her
native Ukraine, accompanying hersen
on a litter. She ended the evening IN
disgrace. Fascinated by the sound Of
the music, a mouse crept out from a
corner toward the musician. Sonia was
the first to perceive it; dropping her
litter on the floor, she leaped upon
chair, holding up her skirts and utter
ing a series of little screams as high
pitched almost as the houses own
squeak She was not an Orsha- Var
vara Petrovna's cat rose at the sound,
and the mouse fled for refuge to the
window curtains
SILLY Sonia said the stately Var
vara, rising and going to the window;
its only a mouse. Here,
Misha.r'
She shook the curtains; the mouse fell
to the floor, and the cat pounced upon
it With the utmost unreason Sonia
burst into flood of tears.
Cruel, cruel Mishai' she cried
Hush, Sonia,'' said her uncle; don't
disgrace yourself before our guests
Sonia ran out of the room like a pet
ulant child, and was no more seen that
night.
We were up betimes in the morning
Long robed hfllmen had been sighted at
Ia VyT7 in r1a KK-a might eXDeCt an
attack before many hours had elapsed;
Going to the drawing room at about .
o'clock, I found Varvara Petrovna ana
the servants kneeling before the elkonS;
Yarvara Petrovna was reading SlaVon1c
prayers out Of a large leather book,
while the servants crossed themselves
vigorously at every pause, ana answer
ed HoSpOdi pomilui-Lord, nave mercy
on u.s. Sonia was nowhere to be seen.
She was discovered later in the great
servants hall, amusing herself with the
soldiers. When the lieutenant and en-
tered the apartment she was performing
the national shawl dance with the big
corporal, while the rest stood by as
chorus, singing, ttVO Sadu Ii v OgOrOde, =
and clapping their hands in measured
time She was gliding coquettlshly
away on heel and toe with the shawl
raised above her head. while the cor
poraI stamped rhythmica1ly after her
in the role of the gallant lover" At
the end of the dance the singers broke
into rupturous applause:
'Ay da Sofia semyonovna!" they
cried: smolodetZi"
The crash of rife butt on the stone
floor of the vestibule broke up our
musical party; one of the Sentlnels had
come in with the news that the che
chenianS were ascending the hillside
Varvara Petrovna summoned the whole
company into the drawing room We
stood in a circle about the room and
sang the national anthem, 'Bozhe Tsarya
chrani" Varvara Petrovna leading the
music in q clear ringing voice.
Our hymn was hardly ended when the
crunch of a bullet in the top of the
French glass over the piano, followed by
the crack of a rife outside, warned US
that the attack had begun. Sonia turn
ed pale and uttered just such another
little scream as she had uttered the eve
ming before at the sight of the mouse;
then she looked round from face to
face, with tears in her eyes and little
frightened smile playing about her lips
Varyara. PetrOvna took her by the hand
and led her from the room; wor en- were
not wanted in the apartments facing the
enemy.
The house stood, as I have said, on a
pr0montory jutting from the hillside; on
two sides the rock continued the lines OF
the walls precipitously downward; OIL
the third there was no more than ter
race between house and cliff; attack
and defense were concentrated on the
side facing down the garden. The en-
envy took up their place behind the low
wall which divided the garden from the
into logged exchange of bullets be-
tween sheltered men. Meanwhile the
spring dubbed and ran peacefully
across the middle distance with cheerful
unconcern.
The enemy had made their attack in
opportunely. just at the hour when we
had hoped to be sitting down to a COM
Portable dejeuner. AS a man resented
the wrong to my appetite; as an artist
I could do no less than let off an in
effective gun through a loophole to add
to the picturesqueness of our defense
Man and artist rejoieed together when
Sonia, and Narvara Petrovna ran into
the room with dishes of smoking outlets
in their hands, and stole along the shell
ter of the walls to distribute the deli
cacies among the warriors at the win
dows. For some reason or other Sonia
had arrayed herself in a large white
apron and fixed cooks cap
ting her little slender figure