The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-02

enc which IL could De peIceiseo
however. was not her native iahsusse-
the strange IA asked II GENERA
tlebeu's adjutant resided there.
Bertram answered that he was quar-
| tered there. but was now at the quar-
| ters Of the general. 4 will walt she
said. for his return She took a
seat in the hall. and Bertram SAT
there with her for a time Wonoe.ins
and in silence. Finally 1t seemed as
| if the woman could bear the restraint
no longer. Sir" said she, you VIII
excuse me asking you a question, Du1
| nave just arrived from st PETERS
burg. / seek a man fre m whom l nave
not heard for six months. He IS my
afianced husband. I wish to know
if he is dead-or only dead to me. He
is the Colonel Count Feodor Won
Brenda"
The strange lady was indeed the
Countless Sand Omir, whose union with
ode had been already blessed by
the Empress. When FeOdor had first
met her she was the wife of an aged
nobleman nearly twice her age whom
her parents had forced to marry Tor
wealth. Feodor soon won her heart
The husband obtained evidence OF their
guilty love and challenged the young
| colonel, a favorite Of the dissolute
Empress. They fought and the Count
was KILLED. .Feodor, in spite OF this
DIOOOV Tie which DOuIl0 tucil, Wooiu
then have cast Off the Countess But
she fled court and the Empress com
manded o to marry her. They
plighted their troth and were about to
be married. when the breaking out OF
war put a stop for a while to thoughts
of matrimOny.
Feodor rushed to the front and met
Elise Gotzkowsky. She was to him a
strange. pure being-a dove, as he had
| sold III ~ o1Sva ~oroh fo~ him ont
| of the deluge of sin. He wrote no moro
to the Countess Sandomir- But she.
hearthfoken, disgraced, forsaken.
followed him at length to Berlin. The
confidence between Bertram and the
Countess became complete. Theonext
night When Feodor came by arrange
ment to carry Off Elise in a travelling
carriage he found the woman who
answered the signal and drove away
with him from the house of the mer-
chant was no Elise but his lar
bride. Bertram had arranged that and
had disclosed the whole matter to
Elise, who was, of course, heartbroken.
But she resolved never to see coo
more.
And now came days Of trouble and
tumult. The rapid approach Of the
King Of Prussia with a victorious
army compelled the allies to hastily
e%vacuate Berlin. But the Russians be-
fore leaving had made the city pledge
itself for a large indemnity, and the
Russian commander had refused to ac-
cept the bond until it had been guaran-
teed by Gotzkowsky. Elise Int her
father were more nea and dear to
each other now. The Great Fred erick
was victorious in his wars; the EN-
press Elizabeth died and was succeed
ed by the Empress Catherine. Elise
buried her lost love in her heart. To
Bertram h was a sister, all tender
ness and kindness. but as yet she felt
for him none Of that love she had felt
for the young Russian colonel
Four years passed and the rich mer-
chant Gotzkowsky was about to go into
bankruptcy. His efforts during the
war in behalf of the city Of Berlin and
the city Of Leipsic. his guaranteeing Of
their pledges, his enormous expendi-
lures in behalf Of his fellow citizens,
and the great sums which he had ex-
pended in behalf of the King, and
which the King did not find it con-
venient to p had reduced him to
financial extremity-to financial ruin.
A Russian commissioner arrived in
Berlin to demand an Immediate pay
ment Of the long overdue indemnify
guaranteed by Gotzkowsky at the time
of the occupation of the city by the
aIIes 1t was the last straw for the
merchant of Berlin, for the city
fathers refused to help him a The
Russian commissioner was the Prince
StratirnOjeff, whom Catherine had sent
on this mission to get out of the way
while she established in her favor her
new fancy. the Prince Orloff.
q will take vengeance on this, Droud
woman who thinks to cast me off like
a toy of which she is tired" thought
the Prince. Il will show her that nv
heart is unmoved by her infidelty. T
VIII present 70 her my young wife.
whose beauty. youth and innocence
will cause her to blush for shame"
The Prince presented himself at the
house of G~otzkoWsky. He sought an
interview with Elise. He was the Same
man who formerly had Deer known as
Count Won Brenda. Through years
md nN-or Leo ON DC hue