The herald., 1911-05-04
AN ACCOUNT
CLOSED
By JOSEPHINE SHELTON
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

ped from her gondola and went into
her palazzio. Not that she lived at
Venice; she lived nowhere very long
at one time, but she was rich enough
to hire a palace now at Rome, now at
Florence, and when she was in Paris,
Berlin or Vienna, there being no pal
aces for rent in those capitals, she
would usually take some notable dwell
ing. The countess had no more fixed
position in society than in the matter
of residence.
Entering her drawing room, she
found q man waiting for her. There
was nothing in his apparel to indicate
that he had called upon the countess
as visitor. He was ten years her
senior. but looked twenty years older
| than she His hair was perfectly
white His face was furrowed and bore
/ traces of having endured suffering
His eve gave evidence of the same
strain.
You wish to see me-" asked the
countess, sCrutinizing the man as one
who fears every stranger lest he come
on an errand Of revenge or justice.
81 have waited an hour for you. But,
the afternoon being fine and your lady
ship doubtless having enjoyed your
trip on the Grand canal, | would not
have hurried you for the world.
have been looking forward to this
meeting for years. Surely minutes, even
an hour or two, could not make much
difference"
81 do not know you"
THAT is not surprising. One doesn't
retain a smooth cheek at Kara. Be
sides, | have been through a number
of hunger strikes. Then travelling
through an ice wilderness for months
would not bring the same ruddy COM
plexion as being rowed by a gondolier
on the Grand canal at Venice"
The bloom In the countess face was
whitene6 like a rose touched by
frost. She knew now who the man
was and stood listening to him with
out reply.
"You remember a little maid, the
daughter Of a peasant living on the
estate Of q nobleman In Russia? No
flower in his conservatory possessed
the exuberant beauty of this child just
about to bud into womanhood. And
she had a mind to use it, too, to what
she considered the best advantage.
) During her early teens she captured
with it the son Of the nobleman on
whose estate she lived. She married
him.
; But, his people not relishing their
blood being mixed with the peasantry
and being convinced that her motives
were not of the purest, would have
nothing to do with her. But they paid
her we'll to stay away from them and
{ her young husband discovering that
her heart was as cold as the bloom IN
her cheek was warm, let her go. In
! deed. she did not ask him to go with
her.
! 1.-THE next he heard Of his little wife
: was at st. Petersburg. She had more
! money than she had received from bel
4 husbands family, but 1t was moi
L known from whence 1t came. n Ger
D tain grand duke was attentive to her
= 80 much so that. since grand dukes
: marry only with royalty, her reputa
uon suffered But she was playing
+ bold game. She willed that her lmpe
o rial lover should marry her. But, bav
e ing a husband already, this was I'm
r possible. 1t might not be impossible
e IL she could get rid of her husband.
l. zone day when out shooting he wa
d attacked by a party Of men. Having
n captured him, they took him to the su
It perintendent of police, and he Joine'
= the next caravan setting out for Sibe
e ria.
r His wife had made a failure. HI
d was to have been executed, but tn
II car would not consent.
r But if she might not be a gram
1t duchess she might at least posses
n enormous wealth. Her imperial love
le layished millions upon her-million
d that her husband, among others, wa
taking from the Kara mines, impelle
Is 10 work. whether able to do so or no
10 by the knout. For twenty years b
n helped to add to these riches that wer
r. Iavished upon his wife. Then one ia
an opportunity occurred; he escape
n from the prison and started for Ian
hit Of freedom.
10 "And now he Is here to quit ono
fe more his peasant life"
n He ceased to speak, and the COUNTIES
10 stood waiting for him to continu
al Since he did not she asked:
at "And what are your intentions col
r. corning meT'
IN az have no intentions concerni1
on you. But there is a transaction tn;
ht has not appeared in the story l hay
TO- told, and the Russian government hi
ts intentions which will be made mar
ts fest through the king of Italy,
no The countess caught at piece
70 furniture near which she stood al
II. swayed like a reed shaken by Z
wind.
10. "a generation has passed" the "
~ Itor continued. THE grand duke
no dead, and there Is new car OF Rr
ad sia."
90 The woman summoned voice to as
90 when will they be here"
,r. "Not soon enough to occasion und
nv haste on your part, but too soon
enable you to leave Italy"