Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-16


the stars were DINNER than above the
mississippi, down which he had once
travelled. and farther away, adding by
their aloofness to the Feelings of vast
ness aud loneliness that the country.
inspired.
Shortly before twelve he went to
his cabin, but, hearing terrific blow
Ing OF a whistle, came up on deck
again. There was red eye of lignt
in the far distance and toward that
the boat was steering. Nearer APP
proach discovered a bewhiskered
muzhik In long cloak, sitting by a
bonfire. He had wood to sell, and
soon the crew were filing up steep
path with their carry-sticks over their
shoulders. Other immense bonfircs
were lighted, casting red flaring
radiance far over the river, and by
this illumination the men brought the
wood on board.
Besides the Viennese opera company
from Vladivostok. there was on board
an enormously fat songstress bound
for Irkutsk, where she was to fill an
engagement in vaudeville theater.
This woman was one of that numerous
class, Woo. after having become i'm
possible in any other part Of the globe
through obesity, advanced years, loss
of voice, or other cause, go to Siberia
and again become the rage.
Madame Augusta Vacco was forty,
II day, and weighed all Of two hun
dred pounds, yet she was shy and
kittenish and had wath her chaperon,
little fat old woman in black
The passengers had, nearly all of
them, gone to the woods, as usual, and
when the whistle blew they came back
eagerly running, their hands filled with
the glorious flowers Of Siberia: wild
peonies, tigerlilies, lilies-of-the-valley
and tall lilies Of bloodred hue, great
fragrant roses, wild lilac, priceless
orchids Of several varieties The Prin-
cess came last, walking leisurely, car
rying three long tiger-lilies in her
hand, The sight of faer, and especial
ly her mir Of imperious nonchalance,
in view of the fact that she was keep.
Ing the boat waiting, amused Court
land Hardy as he stood there, leaning
against the rail and looking down from
the high deck. Now that she had
smiled at MIN, ne conceded to her the
right to keep the boat waiting. though
he would have insisted that the con
cesslon was rather tribute to her
beauty than to he rank.
The sailors stood ready to gull the
plank aboard, the passengers were
grumbling in all languages, seemingly
save English, and the fiery little cap
tain. on the bridge, was biting his
neither lip and clenching his fists, but
did not say word. He would have
been foolish indeed~to affront Roman
oyna, wcrd from whom could myster-
iously deprive him Of his position, no
matter how efficient he may have prov
ed himself.
She GENE down the bank leisurely,
tall, slender and exquisitely graceful,
with a langlid air that somehow cul-
tured restraint. Her features though
noble, yet were Of that Slav type, by
virtue Of which the Russian peasant
claims kin with his car. She was at
tired In travelling costume Of light
blue and a hat OF expensive straw
daintily trimmed with corn-flowers, q
Paris CONNECTION, by the way one Of
those simple, effective creations Of
(which no man knoweth the price
whether IL be seventy-five cents OF
seyenty-five dollars. Over her left
shoulder she twirled carelessly a par
asol Of brilliant hue, imported from
Yokohama.
Directly in front Of the Princess puff.
fed frantically the little fat old woman
in black. The little old woman step.
ped upon the plank and teetered timid
Ily up Its precarious incline, a comical
figure, antiquely coquettish. The Prin
cess stopped about two feet from the
shore end, and, smiling demurely, dan
ced On tiptoe, balancing herself by
means Of the gaudy parasol and the
tcruelty,, was highly satisfactory from a
comedy standpoint, as the audience on
the boat enthusiastically testified. The
fat little old lady did not fall off the
plank, but her efforts to stay on and
| the upward speed that she made, de-
spite those efforts, were grotesque in
the extreme. She suggested one Of
those semiaquatic birds that, can not
| fly, but yet attain great speed on land
by Tapping rudimentary wings. MOI
was her yo1uble indignation, expressed
| In fluent German and bad Russian.
when she at last stepped up on the hot
| metal deck, less diverting. The Ro
manovna flashed one more glance, 9
fleeting vision OF white teeth and mis-.
chievous blue eyes, at her audience
and then came fearlessly up the planl,
again the graceful and naughty arts
tocrat
Hardy was sure that her eyes lin
gered on HIS fori moment, MS though
she recognized in aim a congenial
spirit who could share a joke with her
| The sense of fumor is the widest free.
masonry that the world knows.
The only incident worth recording
happened at night after all the passen
gers had retired. A party of hidden
marauders fired on the boat. and one
Of the bullets passed through Hardy's
cabin window That they were Chinese
was evident from a wararrow, with its
iron point, that was found sticking to
the rail the next morning
"They are becoming very restless
said Smulders in his broken English
"but they will hardly DIRE much to
do and he pointed to long line
of dusty Cossacks that were trottine
along the military road that skirts the
| ~, ie, tod or, Il