Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-08-13
CHAPTER XIII.
Between TWO Fires.

All Russia lay painting and swelter-
ing beneath the waves of her hot sum-
mer sun that day toward the end of
July when Mary Sisterson and Chris
label Joyce landed at Odessa, the port
nearest Sulja Mary had intended to
leave England Immediately after her
fathers death, but was unable to
start as soon as she had expected.
and three weeks had passed before
she reached the Russian city. During
most of the journey her health had
steadily improved, but toward its end
the tropical heat of the Mediterrane-
an at that time of the year had told
upon her, and both she and Christabel
we're glad when the voyage was over.
Katia Anatovitch was on the quay
to meet them-a small, plump figure
of a woman, with hair turning gray,
and bright, shrewd eyes, quick-glanc-
ing like those of a bird. She was
dressed in airy white garments whose
pattern was plainly that of Paris; her
hat, parasol, gloves, and shoes were
as Enthusiastically from the center of
the worlds fashion, and it was in
French that she cOnversed with Mary
Her attire was twenty years too
young for her, and her manner was
somewhat kittenish-but these are I'M
gallant details which her friends over
looked as she had a good heart and
an equitable temper.
She gushed over Mary, and anxious
ly inquired how she was. She was
desolated to hear that Mary was still
far from well, but hoped that Sulja
would benefit her. Then she apologize
ed for the absence of her brother
Dmitri, explaining that he had been
detained by some tiresome affair at
the works, some stupid trouble among
the workmen, who were ridiculous
enough to want better wages or short
er hours. Oh, it was nothing, nothing
at all, she said, but there it was.
Dmitri was always so wrapped up in
his works, SO careful so devoted to
business. On the other hand he had
been absent good deal during the
past month or two from Sulja; there
had been his two visits to England
close upon each other, and these had
been followed by week in Odessa.
Here Katia looked very knowing,
shaking her head several times and
laughing as if she could say some
thing about the week in Odessa, but
would keep it for some other time
Then she turned to Christabel and
bowed, smiling pleasantly
You are Ma-ree's nurse" she said,
in English. "Ma-ree wrote that she
bring you with her. That is ve-ree
nice. I speak not your Eng-leesh well,
but Dmitri, my brother, he speak it
ve-ree WE'LL
yes, he does" said Christabel 81
met him at Hans Square. But we can
speak in French if you prefer it."
That is good said Katia in that
language. you know Dmitri? He
did not tell me that he had met you;
but he does not tell me everything,
that bad one!" she added, with
laugh.
Then the three ladies and Mary's
maid got into a carriage and drove to
the station, where a special train was
awaiting them. Three hours later
they were at Sulja, where Dmitri re-
ceived them, bidding both Mary and
Christabel a hearty welcome.
During the course of the short rail-
way journey from Odessa Chistabel
had sat by herself away from Mary
and Katia, as she thought they might
! like to be together for awhile. And
Katia had talked necessarily in tones