, 1905-02-15

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 FESTIVE horses until they were cover
ed with fiecks of foam from their fret
ting, the troika reached the small pa
vilion where the old countess and a
troop of servants met them, and Owen
felt himself lifted out and borne up
some stairs, and n of the men
stumbled. and he heard a 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
as his fever grew less and his clouded
brain grew clear again the peace and
beauty of his surroundings and the
fierce unrest of his heart gave him so
many things to think about that his
recovery vas slow.
The pavilion was a hospital arranged
out of her private income by the little
Countess Elena. From its open win
uoho Nv SlCCh anu Dlut WAVES VI 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 pavilion, but coming sell
dom into Owens room. He could hear
the soft jingling of her silver chate-
laine as she moved about the house,
and he strained his ears to hear it dur
ing 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
remorseful comments of the countess
and to permit her attentions in silence.
IL he attempted 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 lowell
ness.
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 between her scarlet lips her smile
was brilliant. Her forehead was as
pure and white as a nuns, and her
gray eyes, with little irregular spots of
black in them, held a clearness which
would have been disconcerting had not
an occasional flash of spirit troubled
their tranquility and limited of q high
spirit and perhaps the wild ambitions
of her warrior ancestors held in leash
by a will of fine steel.
There was more than a hint of boy
ishness 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 rid
ing boots. which she always wore In
her visits to her hospital, to her little
boyish mannerisms, Owen detected he
difference between her and other
young Polish women he had met.
This individuality %captivated him.
The love of adventure which flashed in
her eyes found an answering chord in
his w breast. He imagined her fet-
tered by family and tradition. Into
what might she not develop if he could
free her?
One day she came in hurriedly, and,
looking around furtively, she said:
"Can you speak German?"
Eyes"
"Well 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 English, so you must
stantly if DR.. Polinski enters, as | have
my suspicious that it was he who be-
trayed my brother to the Russians.
You know she added hurriedly. that
even | am in danger for erecting this
hospital and my little school, for we
Poles are not allowed by Russian law
either to teach or dispense charity in
the Polish tongue, nor" more bitterly,
ito sing our national hymn in public
nor to buy land, nor to be elected to
office. My brother was elected mayor
of Wilma three years ago, but he was
not allowed to accept, and they put a
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 employ is a spy?'
I'VE do not know. because he has
only racantIV coma amonp us We