Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-27

toward Stryetensk, gaining what com
fort ne could from the remembrance
that he had acquitted himself worthily
while under her eyes. OF one thing he
was quite sure: she should see that he
did not wish to presume on anything
that he had done for her. If he ever
met her again, 1t would not be through
his seeking.
He learned, very soon after his ar
rival at Stryetensk, that the relief
party had put in an appearance a
short time after his perilous trip. and
that the Princess had been recused
this time entirely without his aid.
CHAPTER XVI
The store at Stryetensk was a low.
rambling building, constructed in the
shape Of capital 3 without the mid
die bar. A high board fence, con.
Meeting the extremities OF the two
wings, inclosed one side Of square
yard which contained outbuildings and
sheds for horses, a droshky or two,
and several of the long boat-shaped
telegas that do duty in that country
as drays. In the Clubhouse, moreover,
was kept supply OF plows and other
agricultural implements, while the
store itself was stocked with an Inn
mense and motley assortment of gen.
eral merchandise suited to the retail
demand of the region, and for whole
sale shipments to the towns along the
Shilka River, on which steam Stryet.
ensk is located.
Hardy found the city itself drenry
in the extreme, consisting merely OF q
collection Of raw. squalid houses, 10
Gated on dusty or muddy streets. II
was as new and rough as the newest
frontier town in America and hope
lessly unattractive. despite the fact
that 1t was surrounded by noble hills
and that the beautiful Shilka flowed
between it and the extensive railroad
shops that are maintained at this
point.
During his first day in the town
he put up at the Darnivustock Hotel
but found the lodging SO abominable,
the fare so execrable and the service
SO insolent that he was glad to en-.
gage an old peasant woman of all
work, and begin housekeeping l.,
some unoccupied rooms Of the Trad
ing Company's store
Besides this old woman. his only
companion was young Russian clerk
who spoke little bad English, which
he practised on Hardy with such per.
sistence that he became a nuisance
entertaining him with such remarks
as:
Good morning, Mr.. Hardy. The
barn of my store Is not SO large as
the barn of my uncle. Have you seen
the barn of my uncle?" or, Good
evening, Mr.. Hardy Do you think
the black horse is as good as the
white horse? Neither the one nor the
other is SO good as the horse OF my
aunt"
This interesting person was poss
essed Of the skin of a baby. pink
cheeks, very thick. red lips, blue eyes
and tin-foil hair His name was Vasi
II Ogorodnikoff He imagined him
self a great merchant, and his manner
toward Hardy oscillated between sup
erciliousnessness and the other ex
IRENE OF sudden servility when re
minded Of his position. He was either
presumptuous or groyeling. 1t was
Impossible to treat him us an equal
And here, from the very start, Har
dy got his first taste of hard work
and came to realize what blessing
it is; how 1t ennobles mans sur
roundings, however strange. prosait
or uninviting. and what a royal pan
acea it is for blues, inconsistencies
love-sickness, or any species of fest
ering discomfort. In addition to the
daily business Of the store, 1t was nee
essary for him to take stock. familiar
ize himself with the details of the
trade. get what idea he could of the
accounts, study the commercial pos
sibilities of the region. He saw i'm
mediately, that IL he did not wish
to continue at the mercy of Vasili
he must learn the Russian Language
MS soon as possible; this, indeed
must be his first object. He mus
swallow Russian in great gulps an
must digest It, He therefore lookee
about for teacher The only avail
able person he could find was a Rus
sian Jew, who, despite his youth, wore
great bale Of busy red Whiskers
falling to the fourth button OF his
shabby waistcoat.
Mordecai Baruch knew English very
we'll as he had spent several years
In New York, in the factory Of rell
tive engaged there in the manufac
ture OF caps. He undertook to teach
Hardy Russian, and he found the lat
ter a most assiduous pupil, devotinl
as many as four hours day to the
subject.
CONTINUED in next issue.)
81 4 Z r.