Evening star., 1901-11-09

in her strong young arms just as he sway
ed forward. Thus half lying in her arms,
the coachman holding in his restiye horses
until they were covered with fieckS of foam
from their fretting, the troika reached the
small pavilion where the old countess and
a troop of servants met them, and Owen
felt himself lifted out and borne up some
stairs, and one of the men stumbled and he
heard sharp reproof in a woman's voice,
and then he remembered no more.
II
Owen lost count OF the days after that
1t was an easy thing to do, for as mis- fever
grew less and his clouded brain grew clear
again the peace and beauty of his sur
roundings and the fierce unrest of his
heart gave him SO many things to think
about that his recovery was slow.
The pavilion was hospital. arranged out
of her private income by the little Countess
Elena. From it's open windows the green
and blue waves of the Baltic. with their
lips of foam, might be seen tapping against
the sandy beach
Every day the Countess Syszkiewicz paid
a visit to the invalid, while the young girl
Elena spent most of her time in the pavil-
ion, but coming seldom into Owens room
He could hear the soft jingling of her sill
yer chatelaine as she moved about the
house, and he strained his ears to hear it
during hours when they fancied he slept.
Although consumed with the desire to
question his hostess and to explain the
affair, they would not allow him to talk
He was obliged to listen to the remorse-
full comments of the countess and to per-
NIT her attentions in silence. If he at
tempted to answer her, she left the room
The little countess, too, sometimes sat by
his bedside, upon the condition that he
would not speak, and the joy of looking
upon her patrician face was so great that
Owen would have remained dumb forever
for the pleasure of feasting upon her love-
hness.
She wore her hair parted on the side
! like a boys and drawn back smoothly
from her face. Her teeth were small and
white, and when they cleaned from be-
! tween her scarlet lips her smile was bril-
| liant. Her forehead was as pure and white
| as nuns, and her gray eyes, with little
| irregular spots of black In them, held
clearness which would have been discon-
certing had not occasional flash of
spirit troubled her tranquility and limited
of high spirit and perhaps the wild ambi-
tionS of her warrior ancestors, held in
leash by will of fine steel.
There was more than a hint of boyish-
ness in the little countess. Her speech was
free and frank and gay; her manner as
guiltless of coquetry as a lads, and from
the tips of her riding boots, which she al
ways wore in her visits to her hospital, to
her little boyish mannerisms, Owen de-
tected the difference between her and other
young Polish women he had met
This individuality captivated him. The
love of adventure which flashed in her eyes
breast. He imagined her fettered by family
and tradition-into what might she not de-
velop If he could free her.
One day she came in hurriedly, and,
looking around furtively, she said
Can you speak German?'
We'll, my brother, who is under the
suspicion of the Russian police, Is here
| from his estate near Wilma, and he wishes
| to see you. Unfortunately he does not
SPEAK Engllsn SO you must use German,
but be careful to stop instantly if DR.. Po-
| linski enters, as I have my suspicious that
| 1t was he who betrayed my brother to the
| Russians. You know" she added. hur-
/ riedly, that even l am in danger for erect
| ing this hospital and my little school, for
| We Poles are not allowed by Russian law
| either to teach or dispense charity in the
1 Polish tongue. Nor more bitterly '.to
| sing our national hymn in public, nor to
| buy land, nor to be elected to office NV
/ brother was elected mayor of Wilma three
years ago, but he was not allowed to ac-
| cept, and they put Russian Jew, who had
| once been his overseer in that office"
| do you mean to tell me-" said Owen.
with flashing eyes, that the very doctor
who attends me, and who is in your en-
! ploy. is spy?"
| I'VE do not know, because he has only
| pect. His father was a Pole, his mother a
Russian. 1t Is easy for him to permit either
sympathy to sway him. All, these mixed
| marriages.
| The young girl sighed, and as Owen
maintained sympathetic silence. she con-
| tinued:
| MY mothers favorite sister, the beauty
OF her family, who was said to be the most
! beautiful woman in Warsaw married a
Russian, Prince Vladimir Ermolon, who is
now a councillor and member of the tzar' s
| household. My aunt was also dame d.hon-
neur and Is very great friend of the CIDER
| tzarina- She has given her children Rus
sian names and we doubt IL they have even
been permitted to learn the Polish Ian
| guage. This has so grieved my mother that
all communication between them ceased
| long ago and all my aunt's gifts have been
| returned to her. Sometimes regret this.
| for my aunt Elena is SO very powerful that
| she might have done our unhappy nation