Oxford Democrat., 1913-11-18


night to the ball, and when she came
home he was not there. Nor was lie
ever seen again at the capital. His
wife continued to live there sumptu-
ously, but whence she derived her in
come no one knew. The Grand Duke
Ivan was devoted to her and wished
to marry her, but could not do so as
long as she had a husband living.
One day pupers came from America
stating that man had jumped from
the deck Of a steamer in New York
bay. His baggage on being examined
had revealed the fact that he was a
Russian named Alexis Ale1androvich.
Had this news come a year earlier
the Grand Duke Ivan would have mar
ried the widow. Unfortunately when
It reached st. Petersburg she had had
an illness that spoiled her beauty. So
her lover settled 100000 rubles upon
her, thus purchasing an amicable sep
aration between him and her.
But the countess had not been idle
In the matter of drawing wealth into
her net. Her gems alone were for
tune. She had been successful In the
way she had planned. She was very
rich. but she had no standing among
her own sex. She left Russia and
bought villa on one Of the Italian
lakes, chateau In an aristocratic
quarter Of Paris and several minor es-
adjustments elsewhere. But, while
she lived In grandeur. she had not risen
socially above the peasant she was
born. She made several entrees into
the social life Of places where she was
not known. but her story followed her.
and she was dropped.
The countess had no conscience. but
she had dread. There were active
as well as passive crimes to her debit.
and she feared that some one of them
would tear down the structure she had
built up and leave her at the mercy Of
the law. She had no remOrse for the
young man whose life she had wreck
ed. She had been born without such
sensibilities. She lived without either
conscience or remorse, but the cloud
that hung over her slowly deepened
At first 1t WAS no bigger than a mans
hand. She had relied implicitly for
immunity from punishment upon that
puissant beauty with which she felt
sure she could bring any man to do her
bidding. Then came the loss Of her
weapon. and for the first time In her
life she felt defenseless.
One day the cloud which had now be-
come as black as midnight sent forth
a bolt She was In her garden in her
villa on the lake. A man whose hair
was as white as snow and whose face
was furrowed met her face to face rs
she turned clump Of trees.
"Who are you?" asked the countess
And what are you doing in my
grounds?"
II have come to warn you. AS to
who am, can prove my identity by
a single word"
Speak It, she said.
"Lais!
She shuddered. but made no reply.
But presently she said:
~ thought you were dead"
II preferred you should think me
dead and arranged the evidence Of my
demise. But there is no time to lose
For that love bore you when you
were child and ! but youth have
come to save you. Go from here at
once The Italian police are coming
this night to arrest you on the requisi-
ton of the car Of Russia. This
know; how know 1t does not matter"
He turned and left the garden. The
countess staggered to the house. and
within half an hour. disguised as an
old man. she was pulled in a boat
across the lake. where she hired post
carriage and was drawn over the bor'
der into Switzerland.
Count Alexandrovich returned to Rus
sia, intending to devote himself to his
OIQ ldlucT uIIu tuOluti. NuOLi hS h"'
made to suffer for his III fated mar
riage. He found them both dead. hav-
ing succumbed to the ruin Of the son
they loved so well. The count sold his
estates and. returning to America un-
der an assumed name, made a home
for himself In the far west. where he
endeavored to forget his past In the
work Of raising grain. Amid the tall
corn and the waving wheat he gradual
ly became again man with future.
for he was still barely past middle age.
An old woman. Iais now lives on a
hill looking down into one OF the sea-
coast cities of South America. She Is
O veritable hag. She has no servants
10 do her bidding. for all her visible
fortune was sequestrated by the gov
ernments Of the countries In which II
lay, and her jewels she lost years ago
at Monte Carlo. She has returned to
the conditions under which she was
born. except that her marvellous beauty
has given place to hideOus ugliness.
Sin.,- this was written her husband,
having received the news OF his wifes
death, has married again.