Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-22


rsis x3si words truly had an
MI KS nIttandish and I'M
-----:..-..zSb familiar sound as
She ;ril!eG and sibTated them put TOT 'i'e
moment was TOO absorbed IN feai't!es -
have any attention to waste oii i"'''
and the reality that / saw peloie nc
,he most entirely enchanting thi''s vi ''e
FACE of the earth. l say TINS hot III '''0
Slapdashy manner In when women
accustomed 20 use such phrases, but with
-Le calm ueIiberatiUn OF i man. SIC "a9
still i thank God.-thc most charming
Thing in the world. Her eyes were olS
and blue. not Just blue. either, but blue
and blue and blue in ever deeper ana III
r,uScr color. Iie- face, b.oaI Ut the tenn
,,e,; cl.ew round and then suddenly ia
pered to a pointed little chin with deep
ajunle where as another woman once eN-
planned God set His finger when he MADE
her and said Now go. You are M
ished." over this tumbled and rippied
masses of rnOusy brown hair that seemed
10 have the art 10 ne at once delIcIouSiy
Iiotous and punctiiously IN order. SIZE
looked at us with all the innocence OF d
child and all The possibilities OF emotion
of Il woman. y tumble CT contradictions
She seemed. and every one of EN- Iowa
bic. Md yet she was-heaven knows who
We didn't. Olivia in an impuisire mo-
ncHt had made ner acquaintance on SHIP
board and invited her home on a visit.
Now. do you know" Olivia returned TO
the subject in hand. Nv orcester. Mass,
sounds TO us very commonplace, and your
name. Olga Strogon, very strange
Does II really? Why, l chose olga
StrogGff because it would b, unnotlceable
10 the ear and would attract no attention.
OF course, YOU must know that II Is not
my real name
She surveyed Olivia as much TO say
Any one would guess that
Not your real name. gasped my sis
ter. with all kinds oI quivers b. ginning to
run up and down the spine OF her New
England conscience, why, what-why
oh. olga. yCu--
Il have deceived you. YOU would say"
The small person interrupted. Not, my
dear Olivia, with the heart to deceive, but
because | must
She put small forefinger to her lip
and studied us again with Il look of ten
der sadness that made her seem of alb
Surd youth and infinite age.
All. she exclaimed. as though I'M
pulse had seized her you have been good
To me. YOU two. You. Olivia Merriam,
took me to your heart when l was alone
on the great steamer, and we found that
We loved poetry and art and truth to-
Sether. You bring me to the house of
Your brother, and he asks no questions.
but gives ME shelter. Do you think 1
GRATEFUL
She put out a swift hand in my direc-
ton and another in Olivia s. and we both
srasped them, because her fascination
Outmatched our doubts.
Il am now truly in this far-off land of
United States" she said. Il am safe.
will tell you how it stands with me. and
YOU shall judge if l am worthy of your
still more confidence"
If l had had a chance l should have
assured her that 7 needed no explanation.
that / would believe in her perforce I'M
der all circumstances: but her tongue was
quicker than my Yankee brain.
Il am. then, not Olga Stogoff, Dut
Countess Natalie GalatZin.'
/ small look of conplacence come
over Oliva's handsome face.
And, of course, you know. | am
Russian. Ali, how little the name Russia
means To you as il does to ME. Holy Rus
STA, Three holy, hoy because she is Il
martyr. because she is prosecuted. be
cause she is sawn asUnder, because she is
crucli1ed on the cross Oh, my Russia
whom l love and hate and shall not see
again, My holy, holy Russia"
She forgot US and her story while she
paced up and down oug little drawing
room and cried a.oud in frenzy SO re-
mote from our Puritan ways that We
could only watch her in Silence.
Can you not guess it ALP She sud
denly caught herself in hand. If You
should ask over there they would tell you
that | WAS one of those monsters. d So
ciaiist, an anarchist, Il revolutionst. But
u YOU ask me. / shall say that | am one
that loved and pitied poor creatures that
lay in misery. ! dared 10 hope for day
when ] saw nothing but a pale little
streak near the horizon of black night.
But YOU know that in Russia when one
so dares 70 talk Of the sun that shall
shine some day he speaks in fear.
gave my strength, my money, my pas
sion; and each nisht VIII n l lay down
in my bed | asked myself, viii the
blow fall tonight? Shall ] rouse myself
to the glare of officers antern and
tomorrow my friends ask Where $
she?' and be answered, Hush" So still
must dance and laugh and pay the fine
lady.
1T happened that I went on visit to
Libdu, and while | was there | was Al
vited to drink tea with an old school
friend. whose husband was a government
official. famous for his stern. dealings
with the Poles. so, though she ~rieved and
was sorrowful at heart. She kept silence
Iw.ce during the afternoon | fancied
that she locked at me with alarm and sOr
row i'm her ewes, and because | must like
a wild animal. he always afraid l noticed
that the husband Baron Zee. sen talk
with Lieut. tirunoff III the corner and
that they glanced in my direction. So
Sayiy going forward for another cup Of
tea. 1 whispered, Marie. q" they speak Of
nc| and she answered. oh, Natalie,
fear they do [ drank my tea while |
thought, and then | babe my adleuX
All. my kind baron | said. 'Libau has
treated me with every courtesy, and it
Will be with regret that I shall return to
Petersburg iii another day or two at
most The baron bowed gravely and
kissed my hand. Outside, when half way
To my hotel, | called TO my coachman
who was also my friend 10 take me down
10 the wharves. which was told were pic
1ureSque. II swift that now | can
hardly recall all that | did. l had few
rubleS in my pocket. and some Jewels
that had Worn TO the home of Baroness
FerSeE. | whispered a word or two to
my man. On, he understood and was
quiet ] strolIed along the wharves until
noticed a little freight steamer. et-
IDENTIFY on the point OF leaving and
heard a stream OF broad German COM
mands flowing from the mouth Of a pink
faced captain i stepped behind a bale
and beckoned him. | saw pity and alarm
and resolution chase across his face AT
my few words. Ny good Capt. Bauer,
After his Infinite caution In slowing me
away among clumsy bales and boxes
after all his tender care, when ! found
myself breathing the fresh air Of Ham
burg not a ruole would he take.
And then l asked myself. what next?
Not England. ! am too Russian to love
England I saw the huge sign OF the
Hamburg Amerikaner line. IN flash my
mind was made up. La VOLTA
From somewhere in her bosom she
whipped out little bag. poured a few
strange coins. four diamond rings, Il big
brooch and bracelet with Il circet of
diamonds on our library table. She
spread out her small hands.
1T Is told she said Il speak English