Evening star., 1927-12-05

generally well liked even though he
was thought to be very proud. Mour-
omsky had a mania for initiating Eng
lish manners and customs; his beau
tiful daughter. Liza, had an English
governess. In the eyes of Berestorof.
Mouromsky was fool and spend
thrift. In short, these neighbors
heartily called each other names.
Berestoroff had a son named Alexei,
and when he came home from his
college to his fathers estate he was
| the talk of all the peasant girfs
| roundabout. Indeed. Alexei was by
no means blind to the glances of these
maidens.
These provincial young ladies are In.
deed charming. Brought up in the
pure air, under the shadow of the
apple tree of their gardens, they de-
rive their knowledge Of life chiefly
from books.
Alexei appeared before these maids
gloomy and disenchanted. speaking OF
lost happiness and of his blighted
but his father would not let him. Be-
sides all this, he wore a mourning
ring engraved with a deaths head.
The young ladies simply went out OF
their minds about him.
| But not one of them felt so much
interest in him as the daughter of
Mouromsky-called Liza, or Betsy. AS
their parents We're not on neighborly
| terms, she had not yet seen Alexei,
even when he had become the sole
topic of conversation among all the
girls of the district. Liza was
| II, with dark, beautiful eyes. She
was a spoiled child. and always up
to pranks-delighting her father and
mother and driving her 9overness to
despair.
kiza had in her maidservant. Mas
tia, a confidant and partner. 1t was
Nastia that Liza sent to the estate of
Berestoroff to find out from the SER
wants there all about him. Nastia's 8
report was more than favorable. Liza
found herself with an uncomfortable
desire to meet Alexei. She heard that
he willingly smiled back at any peas
ant girl who looked at him pleasantly
and that gave her an idea.
''Nastia, do you know what I'll do?"
she said. II will dress myself up as
peasant girl"
Nastia, as was her wont when Liza
was planning prank. eagerly agreed.
All the servants were put to work
secretly getting Liza's costume ready.
It was finished In day. Nastia was
to keep the governess occupied while
Liza went forth to meet Alexei--in
quest Of adventure. j.
Liza came to a wood which formed
the boundary Of her fathers estate
and decided to wait there. She under
stood that Alexei went forth hunting,
on horseback. every morning. and
passed here. Her heart beat violently.
she knew not why-but Is 1t not the
fear which accompanies our youthful
escapades that gives them their great
est charm?
Suddenly magnificent. hunting dog
came bounding and barking toward
her. A young hunter emerged from
behind clump of bushes.
Don't be afraid. little girl" he said
to Liza. my dog does not bite"
"But. SIR" said she. assuming a
half.frightened. half-bashful express
sion, II am afraid. He looks SO
fierce--he might jump at me again.
Alexei, for it was he, gazed at the
young peasant girl. as he thought she
was. II will go with you II you let
me walk with you?"
"Who Is to hinder you?". asked Liza.
1.-THE road is free"
Liza told him she was the daughter
of blacksmith in the village. Alexel
said he was the valet to the young
master of the Mouromsky estate. but
Liza laughed at him, saying that he
could not fool her. She. knew he was
the young master. himself.
Liza began to splease Alexe1 more
and more. She impressed him as
having extraordinary tact and del
icacy for a peasant girl. In short.
he was charmed with her beauty and
grace. They got on famously to.
gether. When they parted 1t was but
to meet again on the morrow. Only
Liza took the precaution to warn him
not to seek her in the village, or her
father might be angry with her.
AS the days went by Liza express.
ed a wish to improve herself In
Alexeis eyes. Alexei promised to
teach her to read and write, for
peasant girls We're usually illiterate.
The young man was surprised indeed
at the rapidity with which his pupil
progressed!
Soon they were exchanging love
letters, deposited at certain place
in the woods. with Nastia to secure
them for Liza. They began to think
a great deal Of each other.
The two fathers-Berestorof and
Mouromsky-were reconciled by an
accident. Mouromsky was injured
when his horse became excited as
hare was sighted by the dogs, and
Berestoroff, with courtly politeness
took him to his house. They became
more and more friendly. Alexei dined
with them, and was invited to visit
the Mouromsky estate.
Imagine LiZa's surprise and fear
lest Alexei discover how she had
duped him. Finally, to escape detec,
lion, she warned her father that she
might be up to another of her pranks
when Alexei came. Sure enough, she
gown and painted as white as a doll
with cosmetics she filched from her
governess, who was prone to use such
things generously Alexei did not
recognize in the naughty damsel his
amateur peasant girl Of the woods
But Berestoroff and Mouromsky
now good friends, hatched it up be.
tween them that Alexei should marry
Liza, thus uniting the two families
and estates even more closely. Alaxei
would not hear of 1t. He told Liza
about it, when he saw her again in
the guise of the peasant girl, and
wanted to run away with her and
marry her. Butt she put off answer.
ing him.
Alexei, despairing of making his
father see things his way, decided
to go and see Mouromsky and try
to win him over to his view of the
matter. He wanted to tell Mourom.
sky that he did not believe he could
ever make his daughter happy--he
had a picture in his mind, you see,
Of the painted and bedecked damsel
he had been a guest there.
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