Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-01-15

looked on all sides uneaSily, but salts
fed that people danced and chatted as
before, he gave himself up entirely to
his new, never-before-experienced
sensation.
He now felt like dancing, talking,
running into the garden. He
forgot that he was round-shoul-
dered, colorless and uninteresting.
At supper Ryabovich ate and drank
mechanically everything that was
served him; and paying no attention
TO what was going on about him, en-
deavored to explain to himself how
the incident came about. The
incident was of rather mysterious
and romantic nature, but it was easy
to explain. A young lady must have
made an appointment with some one
in the dark room, she must have been
waiting there, and in her nervousness
have mistaken Ryaboyich for her
hero.
"But who is she?" he asked himself,
surveying the faces of the women be-
fore him. "She is surely young, for
old women don't make such appoint
ments."
And, then, she is surely intelligent,
he thought; indeed, he felt it by the
rustic of her dress, by the perfume, by
her voice.
He fixed his eyes on one young lady,
with beautiful hands and shoulders,
an intelligent face and a fine voice.
And as he gazed at her, he
wished her to be the one that kissed
him.
After supper the guests, having eat
en- and drunk their fill, began TO take
leave. The officers walked out into
the garden. They were half intoxl-
Gated, lively, satisfied, but the dark
ness and the silence threw them into
a rather pensiye mood for awhile.
Ryabovich wondered whether the
time would ever come when he, Ike
Rabbek. would have a large house, a
family, a garden; whether he would
ever be in a position to show marks OF
kindness 20 other people, to give them
to eat and drink; TO make them salts
fed.
On reaching home, Ryabovich went
to bed Immediately. who is she?'
be asked himself, staring at the smoke
stained ceiling. Beautiful feminine
hands, shoulders, eyes, dress and
brooches lowered about before him
in his Imagination. He tried to fix his
attention on these images, but they
seemed to wink and hop about hither
and thither. When he closed his eyes
the images disappeared altogether,
and he heard quick footsteps, the rus
Ting of a dress, the sound of kiss
and he was seized with boundless hap
piness.
Rising in the morning he felt that
last nights JOY was still throbbing in
his heart. He glanced with delight at
the windowpanes, which were tinted
into a golden hue by the rays of the
rising sun, and listened with pleasure
TO the noise on the street
A quarter Of an hour later the bril-
eade started off for the camps. As
they passed the generals house Rya-
bovich looked at the windows The /
shutters were closed. The people were \
evidently sleeping yet. She who had
kissed him last night was also sleep. 1
ing. He pictured to himself the bed
chamber, with a wide-open window,
green branches peeping in at the win
dow. The odor of poplar, lilaes and
roses in the room, bed, a chair, the /
dress which had rustled last night,
slippers, a small watch on the table
nearby-all this he saw clearly and dis
tinetly. but the outlines of her face,
the gentle smile-that which was most
important and cteristie-escaped
his imagination. Ryabovich cast
farewell glance at the village of Mes
teehko, and he suddenly became sad,
as though he were taking leave of
something very near and dear to him.
Presently he frightened up.
"All that / dream of now and that
now seems to me impossible is in real
ity usual thing" thought Ryabovich,
looking at the clouds of dust before
him. at is a usual thing experienced
by everybody. For instance,
that general loved in his time, now he
is married and has children. Capt.
Vakhter is also married and beloved,
in spite of the fact that he isn't so well
built and that the back of his neck is
ugly and red. Salmanoy is
rude, and yet had a love affair which
ended in marriage. Am l not
like everybody else?"
And the thought that he was an or
binary man like everybody else filed
him with Joy and courage and hope.
Now he pictured her boldly, giving full
freedom to his imagination. Mentally
he spoke to her and caressed her, and
herself at the supper table
With his wife and children.
Soon camp life set in, and one day re-
another. During all this time
Ryabovich felt and thought and be-
haved like lover. In the evening when
his fellow officers discussed love and
women. he would listen, coming closer
.o them. and his countenance would