Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-10-15


| bride with him
There was no disappointment in the
reception OF the young countess at the
capital. From the moment she APP
peared at court she created a sensa.
ton. The car showed his nd miration
upon receiving her. and the men Of the
! imperial family Wed with each other
for her favor The first painter in 81.
Petersburg begged 20 paint her. Her
husband, far from fearing that he
would be ignored from having g peas
ant wife. began 10 dread the attention
of men who were loading her with
every attention. IL was not long be
fore a certain grand duke fell under
the influence OF the countess beauty.
and one evening when she was pre-
pairing to 60 20 bail at the Winter
palace her husband saw her putting on
necklace OF pearls 50 valuable that
his fathers whole estate would not
have purchased IL.
The trouble had begun. The countess
admitted that the grand duke who was
SO attentive to her had given 1t to her.
and since her husband could not give
her such presents she would get them
where she could.
Alexis did not go with his wife that
night 10 the ball. and when she came
home he was not there. Nor was he
ever seen again at the capital. His
wife continued 10 live there sumptn-
ously. bat 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 80 as
long as she bad husband living.
one day papers 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 n
Russian named Alexis Alexandrovich
Had this news come year earlier
the Grand Duke Ivan would have mar
ried the widow. Unfortunately when
IT reached 81 Petersburg she bad had
an illness that spoiled her beauty, So
her lover settled 5Oo.ooo rubles upon
her. thus purchasing an amicable sep
aration between him aud her
But the countess had not been Idle
In the mater Of drawing wealth into
her net. Her gems alone We're 4 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 q villa on one OF the Italian
lakes, a chateau In an arsstocratie
quarter OF FgFiS 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 a dread There were active
as we'll as passive CRIMES to her debit.
and she feared that some one of them
would tear down the structure she had
built up aud leave her at the mercy Of
the law. She had no remorse for the
young man whose ife she had wreck.
ed. She had been born without such
Sensihilities- She lived without either
/ consciepce or remorse. but the cloud
/ that hung over her slowly deepened
AT first II WAS no bigger than \ mans
hand. She had relied implicitly FOR
I immunity from punishment upon that
/ puissaui 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
I life She falf dafauaaiasa
| One day the cloud which had now be-
come as black as midnight sent forth
q bolt she was Ia her garden 10 her
villa on the lake. A man whose hair
was as white as snow and whose face
was furrowed met her face to face as
she turned a 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
"Laisr'
She shuddered. but made no reply.
But presently she said:
/ Il thought you were dead"
Il 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 a child and / but youth l 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 Ii 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 a post
carriage and was drawn over the Dor
der into Switzerland.
Count Alexandrorich returned to Rus
STA. intending to devote himself 10 his
old father and mother. whom he had