Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-11-12
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knew her lodger by the name Of Miss
Marie Bakovitch; to many lovers of
music In London she was known as
the Baroness de Nantille.
The whole life of her being seemed
to be centered In her eyes They
were intensely blue, with almost me-
tallic CLEAN.
Before her on the table was d
newspaper which she was slowly
scannaing, column by column. She
followed the line of columns with a
pencil; not like one who Is reading
word for word, but as II she wero
searching for some particular news,
the rest of the printed matter being
Indifferent to her.
Suddenly she laid down her pen
Gil, and looked toward the window
with expectation visible in every fea-
turc. She had not been mistaken.
From below came the sounds of hur-
ried footsteps on the deserted pave
ment, then the creaking of an iron
, gate.
She could hear the distant tinkle
of bell, and q few moments later
some one knocked hurriedly at her
door.
Como in!" she said, in quiet
voice, and she leaned back in her
chair without looking toward the
door.
A tall, graceful man entered the
room.
Marie" he said, "he has come!
He Is In London!"
The girl did not move nor look to-
ward him; her eyes were fixed on the
! yellow sky over the roof of No. ~.
HE has come! he is In London!"
she repeated after him. as If to force
the news into her own brain.
One white hand was lying idly on
the table, extended toward the young
man.
He took step forward, and
raised her fingers to his lips. Then
| he seemed to remember the shrine
| In the corner Of the room, for he
| bowed before it, and crossed himself
rapidly but with reverence.
For some moments he looked at
! the fair girl in silence; she was
slowly pressing the hair back from
| her temples. Then he suddenly fell
on his knees at her side, and seized
her two hands in his. He forced
her passionately to look at him.
Mario! Marie!" he exclaimed in
Russian; "for the love Of Heaven,
/ give this up! 1t is madness! His
! life will make no difference; you can
do no good by the sacrifice of yours.
Think of your mother, your sister;
think of me! You can not love me,
or you would not hold to this mad
purpose!"
She looked down at his pale, mis-
erable face with an expression which
any but lover would have read as
fatally kind and affectionate.
"Yes. Ivan, dear" she said. in a
faint, weary voice, IL love you. But
/ love my country first. Oh, Ivan!
will you never understand what this
love of ones country Is? | reproach
myself again and again for filling
your brave heart so that there Is no
room in 1t for patriotism. No. no;
q thousand times no! | can not give
1t up. Think you that | travelled to
the south, then home to holy Mos
cow again, only to leave 1t in few
days for this doomed land. to give up
my inspired purpose after all? NO;
It cannot be. Let me think what
must be done. am dazed. like the
hunter who suddenly finds himself
face to face with his quarry. Where
Ii he?"
HE Is living with his mother ir
Bedford Palace, London. Marie.
will warn him II you do not lister
to me. 1t Is my duty. I must save
you at all risk"
Ivan" said the girl, with pas
Blonate thrill in her calm voice, Il
thought you would warn him,
should kill you now as you knee
there! God who gave me this Worl
. 10 uO, Will Help Hlo " SNS""'N 49,
sides, has he not been warned, mor'
than a year ago, and he simply ig
nores it,"
Then threaten him." said tn
young man, rising and walking to
ward the window.
Threaten him!" retorted the girl
Struggling her shoulders. You d.
not know these Englishmen, Ivan
Threats are to them what oil is to
Gmoldering cinder-it brings out tn
fire that no one thought to be there.
For some moments there was 81
Ience in the room. Tho young ma
stood with his back toward his com
panion.
He was exceptionally tall, with
slight droop in tho shoulders. whic
suggested q man of thought NOR
than of action.
His slim white hands rested O
the centre woodwork OF the window
and he was gazing abstractedly at tn
deserted road, parched and grass
grown. Gradually there came LII
into his eyes, the inward light reflect
ed from an alleviating thought with
in his brain.
He turned slowly, and his eye
rested thoughtfully on the youn
girls bent head for some moments.
Marie" said he at length, IF