The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-05

plness present or rutufe. lnlS wa
ridiculous and foolish, of course, but on,
is always inclined in youth, to exag
gerate the power Of misfortune. Mis-
fortunes do bow the head for. the time
being, no doubt. but as the tree ben,
with the sudden downfall Of snow will,
after a day or two, cast its burden ant
stand upright once more to the winds OF
heaven, SO does the young heart free it,
self in time of its load Of misfortune,
however heavy, and perhaps gradually
forget that which once seemed too great
to be borne.
l would not go to the dinner lest ]
should throw a shadow over the rest OF
the party. but l returned to the hotel
and sat down to think quietly over this
blow and it's possible nature and conse.
quences. | loved my father intensely.
He was a Russian, as his name would
indicate. and SO. of course--in name
was l. But my mother was English,
My father had met her at Cowes while
yachting and had brought her home to
our huge estates near Kazan as his
bride. l was the only child. BY special
permission of the czar alexander II,
who was still reigning when I was born
I was allowed to be baptized into the
English communion, to which, of course,
mother belonged. and for which my ia.
ther had the greatest respect, perhaps
more than for his own branch of the
church. Consequently I was from the
first an Englishman. and an English.
man remained, for my parents placed
me at school at Toddlestone at the age
of 10, and I had remained there ever
since. only returning to Russia for such
Of my holidays as my parents did not
pass with me in England.
Thus in name I was a Russian count.
In religion and in upbringing and in
every taste and sentiment that I pos.
sessed was an Englishman. l sent my
mother a long telegram from the hotel,
l entreated her to let me know whether
my father lived, whether Oxford was to
be given up finally or Professionally only,
and whether I could stay a day or two
just to collect my things, buy clothes,
and so forth.
My mother replied by noon Of the
lO11S W lAk nay 6Uuyt 1 IoNC
the astounding message by me to this
hour. The reader of my memoirs shall
enjoy the advantage Of being utterly
puzzled and bewildered, just as l was,
for assuredly the message was one Of
the most surprising and %bewildering
that ever schoolboy received, for school.
boy practically I still was, though ac-
tually | had left Toddlestone the day
before yesterday.
Here is the telegram, my mothers
ipsissima verba;
Father disappeared. Cannot explnin. Come
soonest possible. l want you. Afraid must re
nounce Oxford present. Make arrangements
possible return later II happier circumstances
ensue.
Poor, dear mother She must indeed
have been in sore strait to have sent me
such a message as thisl
She wanted me, however. That was
enough. She must have me, poor dear,
as quickly as the railway could take me
to her. Oxford might 90 hang. There
was time enough for Oxford.
The Flushing express started from
Victoria at $3.50 tonight. I should catch
it without fail. Poor. dear old mother
in distress and father Disappeared
When a man disappears in England
or America, one goes and drags the
nearest pond and gives notice at the
police station. But what Of a disappear.
ance in RussiaY Alas. a man may dis.
or could. for. though but a few years
have passed since the time of which l
write, things are improving by leaps
and bounds; light is spreading-God's
light of civilization, Ones first thought
in such a case as my fathers would. of
course, be a mixed one--spies, nihilists,
police, Siberia. | passed rapidly in
thought over all these things in the first
shock of that word "disappeared.
But | banished the idea with scorn.
My father stood high above such things.
He lived IN an atmosphere wherein such
matters had no existence. He had no
cause to fear either the police or the
revolutionists. He was beloved by his
peasantry, for he was an enlightened
and indulgent landlord. In the country
he was a power, In town he was uni.
versally respected He took no part in
politics, however, and could scarcely
therefore coine under the ban either Of
those who hated or Of those who admin.
istered the law
In a word, it was hopeless to attempt
to conjecture what the meaning of my
mothers message could be. Such at.
tempts only led to a feeling Of helpless
despair and tried to postpone all con.
sideration Of tho matter.
! went for a walk In Kensington gar.
dens to pass away the time, and II wal
while standing gloomily on the shores
OF the Round pond. watching the sail.
Ing Of some tiny yachts. that some one
touched me on the shoulder. turned
and saw Percy Morris, tho most unex.
pected and yet perhaps the most entire.
~ welcome person | could possibly have
seen at the moment, for Percy was