The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-02-14
AN ACCOUNT
CLOSED
By JOSEPHINE SHELTON
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

her palazzio. Not that she lived ut
Venice; she lived nowhere very long
at one time. but she was rich enough
10 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 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.
Ills eye gave evidence of the same
strain.
You wish to see me?" asked the
countess, scrutinizing the man as one
Yho fears every stranger lest he come
on an errand of revenge or justice.
Il have waited an hour for you. But.
the afternoon being fine and your laGy-
snip 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"
II do not know YOU"
THAT is not surprising One doesn't /
retain a smooth cheek ut Kara Be |
sides, | have been through 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 gondo!ier
on the Grand canal at Venice"
The bloom in the countess face was
whitened like rose touched rs a
frost. She knew now who the man
was and stood listening to him with
out reply.
You remember little maid, the
daughter Of peasant living on the
estate of nobleman in Russia? ~
dover in his conservatory possessed
he eXuberant, beauty of this child ilai
about TO bud into womanhood .Aul
she had mind to use 1t, too. TO what
she considered the best advanJle
During her early teens she capture! |
with it the son of the no5lemau or
whose estate she lived. She Marie.
lin.
But, his people not reishins ii
blood being mixed with the peasantrs |
md being convinced that her mo,iyl-
we're not of the purest, would hGrt
lothing to do with her. But they im.A
Ter well to stay away from them ana
Ter young husband discovering thu
IeF heart was as cold as the bloom H.
Ter cheek was warm. let her 90 L
Iced, she did not ask him to 90 with
Ter.
THE next he beard of his little w !
vas at st. Petersburg She had nor,
money than she had received from her
family, but 1t was not
.nown from whence 1t came. 4 cer-
ain grand duke was attentive to het
% much so that, since grand dukes
marry only with royalty, her reputa
ion suffered. But she was playing a
,old game She willed that her impe
ial lover should marry her. But. hav-
ng a husband already. this WIS IN
possible 1t might not be impossi.;.-
t she could get nd of her husband.
"One day when out shooting b. "a
ttacked by a party of men, ll2v'nG
aptured him, they took him to the 81
of police, and he joined
he next caravan setting out for Sibe
ia.
"His wife had made failure. He
vas to have been executed, but the
gar would not consent.
But If she might not be grand
duchess she might Mt least possess
enormous wealth. Her imperial l4Tec
avished millions upon har-millionS
hat her husband, among others, va
aking from the Kara mines, impei'ei
y work. NNeIHeF dDlt w wv ~ ~ ''
~ the knout For twenty years h
Helped to add to these riches that vafe
avished upon his wife. Then one Gay
IN opportunity occurred: ne escaped
rom the prison and started for lana
Il freedom.
"And now he IL here 70 quit once
more his peasant life"
He ceased to speak, and the countess
stood waiting for him to continue.
Since he did not she asked:
"And what are your intentions con
,erning IneY
II have no intentions concerning
gou But there IL transaction that
has not appeared in the story | nave
old, and the Russian government mas
which will be made mani
fest through the king Of Italy"
The countess caught at a piece OF
near which she stood ana
5wayed like reed shaken by the
wind
"a generation has passed the VS.
tor continued. "The grand duke ls
lead, and there IS a new car or Rus-
,ia."
The woman summoned voice to ask:
when will they be here"
"Not soon enough to occasion undue
haste on your part, but too soon 10
n Ia gtaIxr ~