The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-03-24
XIII,

oAA oSAOoo
the river. 1t is a suspected
house and watched, for here dwelt
Stepan Lanovitch, secretary and or
ganizer Of the Charity league.
The Countess Lanovitch belonged to
the school existing in Petersburg and
Moscow in the early years Of the cen
tury-the school that did not speak
Russian, but only French; that chose
to class the peasants with the beasts
of the field: that apparently expected
the deluge to follow soon.
Her drawing room. looking out on to
the Neva, was characteristic Of herself.
Camellias held the floral honors In vase
and pot. The French novel ruled su.
preme on the side table. The room was
too hot, the chairs were too soft, the
moral atmosphere too lax. One could
tell that this was the dwelling room Of
q lazy, self i%ndulgent and probably ig-
norant
The countess herself in nowise con-
tradicted this conclusion. She was
seated on a very low chair, exposing
a slippered foot to the flame Of a wood
fire. b held a magazine in her hand
and yawned as she turned its pages.
She was not so stout in person as her
loose II somewhat highly colored
cheeks would imply. Her eyes were
dull and sleepy. The woman was an
~lncarnate yawn.
She looked up, turning lazlly in her
chair, to note the darkening Of the air
without the double windows.
"Ah," she said aloud to herself in
French, when will it be tea timer"
AS she spoke the words the bells Of
a sleigh suddenly stopped with a rattle
beneath the window.
Immediately the countess rose and
went to the mirror over the mantel-
piece. She arranged without enthu-
siasm her struggling hair and put
straight a lace cap which was chronic
ally crooked. She looked at her re-
Election pessimistically, as we'll she
might. 1t was the puffy red face Of a
middle aged woman given to petty self
Indulgence.
While she was engaged in this dis
couraging pastime the door was open
ed, and a maid came in.
M. SteinmetZ is even now taking of
his furs in the hail." said the maid.
1T Is well. We shall want tea"
Steinmetz came into the room with
an exaggerated bow and a twinkle in
his melancholy eyes.
Figure to yourself, my dear Stein
metz" said the countess vivaciously.
"Catrina has zone out-on Il day like
this! Mon Dieu. How gray, how mel
ancholy! What news have your
II came for yours, countess. You are
always amusing, as we'll as beautiful
he added, with his mouth well con-
trolled beneath the heavy mustache.
The countess shook her head play
fully, which had the effect of fitting
4 her cap to II side.
II! Oh, l have nothing to tell you. !
am a nun. What can Il do, what can
one hear, in Petersburg? Now, in Paris
1t is different. But Catrina Is so firm.
Have you ever noticed that, Stein
metz-Catrina's firmness, l mean? She
Wills a thing, and her will is like a
rock. The thing has to be done. 1t
does itself. 1t comes to pass. Some
people are so. Now, l, my dear Stein
metz, only desire peace and quiet. Sc
I give In. l gave In to poor Stepan.
And now he is exiled. Perhaps II had
been firm-if l had forbidden all this
nonsense about charity--it would have
been different. And Stepan would have
been quietly at home instead of in
Tomsk, is 1t, or Tobolsk? | always
forget which. Well, Catrina says we
must live in Petersburg this winter
and here we are!!'
Steinmetz shrugged his shoulders
with a commiserating smile. He took
the countess troubles indifferently, as
!, do the rest of us when our nelghbors
burden does not drag upon our OWE
/ shoulders. 1t suited him that Catrina
should be In Petersburg, and 1t is &c
be feared that the feelings OF the
: Countess Lanovitch had no weight as
against the convenience of Karl Stein
metz.
"Ah, well,' he said, you must con
sole yourself with the thought that re
tersburg Is the brighter for some or US
!, Who Is this-another visitor!
The door. was thrown open, ahc
Claude de Chauxvi,le walked INTO tn
room with the easy grace which was
| his.
: mime. la Comtesse," he said, DOW
ing over her hand.
Then he stood upright, and the tW'
! men smiled grimly at each other
Stelnmetz had thought that De ChauA
Vile was in London. The Frenchmal
: counted on the others duties TO re
tain him in Osterno.
The countess looked from one 10 ~
other with a smile on her foolish iace
'.Ah," she exclaimed, '.how pieasaii
It Is to meet old friends. II is IKE os
gone tines"