Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-08-18
Nine etrof
By BARBARA PHlPPS

st. Petersburg, now Petrograd. A
party of ladies and gentlemen were
skating on the Neva. A lady was
standing somewhat apart from the 9th.
ers looking at the skaters. Noticing
two gentlemen go by her in company
she turned to a lady standing near and
asked who they were. She was in.
formed hat one of them was a grand
duke, the other Count Demidoff. AT
the mention of the latter name the in
quirer started. Her informant noticed
it and asked the cause, whereupon the
other said something which interested
the nearer greatly.
81 am Nine. Garotsky," the latter
said. 81 know the count very we'll.
If you will permit [ will arrange
meeting between you and him.
The next day Count Demidoff re-
ceived an invitation to dinner with
Nine. Garotsky to meet a friend OF
hers from one of the provinces. He
accepted the invitation. and the mo
ment he laid eyes on a guest to whom
he was introduced as Nine. Petroff he
was struck with her beauty. Not only
that; he was delighted with her intelli.
gence. After the Inner Nine. Garotsky
pleaded an i~ndisposition and, retiring
to her room, left her two guests to.
gether.
The count passed a delightful even
ing. Before taking his departure he
had confessed that he was a married
man. but was not living with his wife.
Indeed, he had been married by proxy
and had never seer his wife. He be-
longed to a very old family, his title
dating back many centuries, and would
have had the entree to the court circle
had he the means to associate with
persons who spent money like water.
He had advertised for some rich COM
moner who would marry him and turn
over to him a portion of her estate in
lieu of being permitted to assume his
rank. 1t was to be a mere CONNER
cial transaction, the two separating as
soon as the marriage ceremony had
been performed. His advertisement
met the eye of a young widow who
had inherited a large fortune from
her husband, a very rich manufac-
turer much older than herself, who had
died soon after their marriage. She
offered a large slice of her estate fol-
the privilege of being a countess, and,
since neither expressed q wish to see
the other and the widow lived in a re-
mote province, they were married by
proxy.
Nine. Petroff listened to this story,
and the count fancied that he saw a
sigh, which he attributed to the fact.
that he was a married man. Indeed,
he had been captivated by the lady and
was saddened at the thought that a
marriage between him and her was
impossible. However, when they part
ed he took her address in the city and
the very next day called upon her.
Nine. Petroff remained in Petrograd
some time and gave the count every
encouragement to be with her. They
drove together, skated together, and
Demidoff secured invitations for her.
One day he told her that he loved her
and would be only too glad to marry
her were it not for the insurmountable
objection that kept them apart
Notwithstanding the fact'of that OBJ
lection, when Nine. Petroff returned to
her home she invited Count Demidoff
to visit her there. He scarcely under
stood this. for she had given hin evil
dence of being a good woman, and If
she could be anything more than a
friend TO him it could only be a wife,
and to be his wife was impossible. He
was loath to go. feeling that since
he could not possess her he was only
sinking deeper in misery. He had
sounded her on the matter of a posi-
BILE return of the fortune he had re
ceived from his wife and a divorce.
But she had declared that on no ac-
count would she marry a divorced man.
When the count entered the place
wherein Nine. Petroff lived he was as
tonished at its magnifcanee. On en-
tering the house he found every lux
ury. His hostess introduced him to
her mother, who lived with her, thus
making his visit perfectly proper.
Count Demidoff's stay in the home
of Nine. Petroff was like a visit to
fairyand. Every day the hostess con-
trived new methods of passing the
time ~agreeably. One thing surprised
the count-there were no other guests
except himself. Moreover, all the serv-
ants seemed to be acting as If they
had peer trained to a part. When they
said Eyes, madame" sometimes they
got 1t Eyes, Nine. Petroff,' and at all
times they appeared to be saying what
the simple creatures were not used to
saying. One evening a lackey who
was sent to summon the count for din
ner said: ~ve4-'
lency."
1.-THE countessr" exclaimed Demidoff.
II mean Nine. Petroff," said the poor
fellow, covered with confusion.