Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-09-01
The Price Paid
For a Wife
By EUNlCE BLAKE

| love each other. Iatlana Is ser1,
while l am free. cannot marry her
unless her master will sell her."
81 fear, my son." replied the father.
that the count will not sell Tatiana.
| have never been on friendly terms
with him. he being rich landowner
and | a small farmer. Besides. there
was that trouble about the woodcut-
! ting No. do not believe he will grant
any request Of mine. But will go to
! him and offer him good price for the
girl"
That was a time when a large pro-
portion of the Russian people were
serfs Paul and Tatiana had played
together as children when the little
ones of other nations were at school,
for education of the lower classes has
never been permitted in Russia, and
after they we're old enough to work
they continued the intimacy And
now that they had reached marriage
able age the fact of Tatiana's slavery
doomed up great barrier between
them
Alexander. Paurs father. counted up
the money that he might spare to buy
Tatiana and found by straining point
ne could gather 1000 rubles. He went
to Count Korloff and very humbly told
him of the affection between the boy
and the girl and asking him II he
would not make them happy by selling
the latter so that they could be mar.
ried. II will give them slice OF my
farm" he added. land. as for the price.
I will pay you 1000 rubles."
~ cannot spare Tatiana." replied the
count 1.-The countess needs her to
dress her hair"
The refusal came 80 CURLY that the
farmer dared not pursue the matter.
He went away and told his son the re-
suit of his mission. Paul was crushed
by the news. for in Russia the auto
cratic system has prevailed for 30
many centuries that the weak-until
the recent revoiution-did not think of
resisting the strong. Paul told Tatiana
Of the reason given for refusing to sell
her. and she said that she had never
dressed the countess hair.
Paul had great many friends. and
Tatiana was also much beloved. All
the world loves a lover. and their case
excited q good deal Of sympathy. A
few Of those who heard of the case
dubbed together to add to the price
that Alexander could raise to buy Ia.
tiana, and one OF them went to the
count and asked him IL he would not
fix price on the girl. He was very
avaricious man, and. thinking this
might be an opportunity to get a good
deal Of money for what was not worth
very much to him. he replied that II
5000 rubles were offered he would &C.
cept them.
An effort was made to raise 1000
rubles, which was the amount re-
Quired in addition to what Alexander
could give. But there 10 no great
wealth in Russia except among those
connected with the government. and
the subscriptions came in such small
sums that the amount finally sub
scribed was far below what was r.
Quired.
The matter looked hopeless when
Paul went one day to do some work
for one Mouriensieff. a we'll to do man
Of the middle class. In talking with
Paul be learned about his love affair
and how he and Tatiana were made
miserable by Count Korloff's mean.
ness. NouriensiefY asked Paul how
much was lacking altogether Of the
fund to buy Tatiana. and Paul said that
II was l.6OO rubles $500, Then Mou.
rfo III =
him the money at the legal interest
and he could pay off the loan in eight
| years, or 300 rubleS Il year
Paul accepted the proposition CRATE
fully and sent word to the count that
he was ready to buy Tatiana, paying
5000 rubles for her. Count KOrloff
was astonished that SO much money
could have been raised for such pur-
pose. and it occurred to him that, aft.
er SO much had been got together. a
little more might be added He re-
piled that he had found IA new use for
Tatiana that made her much more val
uabe but. since he did not wish to
stand between her and Pam Alexan
drovitch. he would complete the bar.
gain for $500 rublps
Paurs disappointment was all he
could bear. He went to Mouriensieff
with tears In his eyes to tell him Of
the failure.
1T would be Of no avail" said the
latter. Ito continue to follow such
man up the scale OF his prices. Let
the matter rest for awhile
Paul took this to mean that he would
never possess the girl he loved and
went away sOrrOwful.
A few weeks after this when Paul
was working in a field messenger
from Count Korloff came to him and
said that the count had decided to &C.
cept 5000 rubles for Tatiana. Paul
replied that he did not know If the
money would now be forthcoming. but
he would make inquiries He did so
and succeeded in collecting the neces-
sary amount But just as he was
about to start with 1t to the count q
man rode up to the house where he
was and scattered printed copies of
a ukase Of the car. Paul read one
Of them and threw his cap in the air
with a shout:
1.-THE Little Father has freed the
serfsr'
And so It was that Count Korlof1 re.
ceived nothing for Tatiana. She was
free to marry Paul. and no wedding
among those people was celebrated
with greater rejoicings than hers.