The indicator., 1904-12-24
Garret Owens
Little 3,
Countess s,Ll'AS ahll
Copyright, isol. bv Lillian H,u

that his arm was broken
He lay still for II moment
Oh The short grass. staring up into the
SKY and wondering why the boys had
'eft MN on the field. Then with II
sthrt he remembered that 1t was NOT
football, but II wicked blow from b,.
hind which had felled him, and that II
whs not the field at New Hnven. mit n
lonely roadside in Russian Llthuunin
which pillowed his aching head.
The sun wns Just rising, so he knew
mat he must hive dropped like log
and lain there half the night. II was
deadly quiet Something aside from
the aching of his whole body told him
that he was bndly hurt, so that when
he tried to move lie fell back with II
sroah OF pam, with the sweat gather
Ing in bends upon his forehead and
around his mouth.
He had plenty of time to recall the
circumstances which placed him there.
He remembered quite distinctly that
Prince korolenko had warned him thut
trouble might surely be expected In
TACT, that was chiefly why the young
American had undertaken the survey.
owen was a civil engineer of some
renown, and ut dinner of the ambas-
sadors in st. Petersburg he had sat
next the Russian, the boundary of
whose estates In Lithuania, or Russian
Poland. were hotly disputed by the
Countess Syszkiewicz and her sons,
whose estates nbutted on Prince Koro-
lenko's. This dispute had been held in
allegiance for years. but now, as the
prince wished to sell. the quarrel which
heretofore had been largely kept up
by the peasants on the two estates
must be settled by law The prince,
always courteous, had formally sug-
gested arbitration to his Polish neigh
Dor and had requested her to select an
engineer who would be biased by nei-
ther Polish nor Russian sympathies.
To this the elegant old countess had
replied with equal courtesy that she
would suggest an American, of whose
engineering skill she had heard some
marvellous accounts, but owing to the
fact that she was widow and had
withdrawn from public affairs she left
the selection of the American to Prince
Korolenko, who mingled with the
world and In whose Integrity she had
full confidence
Greatly pleased by this courtesy, the
prince bnd asked owen if he cared to
undertake 1t, explaining that he had
nothing to fear from the gentry. but
that the blind partisanship of the peas
ants, especially when augmented by
head.
We'll, II not broken head. a broken
everything else" thought owen.
The sun was perhaps two hours high
when the stiffness was broken by n
sharp jingling of bells and the clatter
OF galloping hoofs and the roll Of
wheels.
"a troika" exclaimed Owen, trying
to raise himself. The effort was too
much for him. and he fell back Then
Il thought came to him. and with his
unlnjured hand he pulled out his hand
kerchief and held 1t up. The morning
breeze fiuttered the pale flag Of truce,
and 1t caught the eye of the driver.
who shouted to the occupant of the
girl in the trolka was standing up and
urging on the fiery horses by her cries
The coachman pulled up his horses
beside where owen lay, and the young
girl sprang out and knelt down by his
side. saying in English, but with the
slightest possible accent:
"Oh. oh. how sorry we are! We have
Just heard of it. and mamma is hard at
work In the little pavilion which ordi-
narlly she despises so. preparing for
your reception. 1t is your arm surely
and perhaps-yes. the collar bone also,
and oh, what horrid cash on your
head Tell me If hurt you too much,
but bear 1t If you can"
As she talked the girl was examin-
ing his hurts with the skill of train
ed nurse. but without her professional
calmness, for from her manner of re-
sponsibility owen felt sure that this
was the young Countess Syszkiewicz.
whose peasants had attacked him the
night before. Her cheeks We're flushed
with excitement, and her eyes were
dark with remorse and pity
Without waiting for any answer from
Owen she worked on, the touch of her
cool fingers inexpressibly soothing to
the wounds she bandaged with deft
skill Suddenly she sprang up, gilt
ter of silver tritles hanging from her
belt making Jingle as If of bells. She
rnn to the horses heads, and the coach
man, in response to few words IN
Polish. placed owen In the troika,
where he all but tainted from the pain.
The young girl sprang into the troika.
and after moment of hesitation seat
ed herself and caught the half fainting
man In her strong young arms just as
he swayed forward. Thus half lying
in her arms. the coachman holding in
his restive horses until they were cover
ed with fecks of foam from their fret
ting. the troikn reached the small pa
yilion 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 re-
proof In IL woman's voice. and then he
remembered no more.
Owen lost count of the days after
that. 1t was an easy thing to do FOR
MS his fever grew less and his clouded
brain grew clear again the peace ana
beauty of his surroundings and the
fierce unrest of his heart gave him so
many things to think about that his
-o,nvary yyas slow