The Secret
By JAMES
GHAITrail VI. (Contlnucil.)
"Cortnlnly tlic InHt plncc where, for
ser own sake, I would place a dispatch
f tho widow of Peter III.," responded
tho other haughtily; but Bnlgonie felt IiIh
kenrt beat quicker iih sho spoke. Her
rolco wiih sweet and low and had u won
flerful chord in It.
Bnlgonie did not nee inncli of IiIh host,
Who wan generally occupied among IiIh
people, to whom ho wax alternately n
lonrco of reverence and of terror.
It Is not surprising that Charlie Hal
gonio preferred the noclcty of two beauti
ful young girls to that of a tenty old man.
To enhance their natural attractions and
winning inannerM, they wore always
dressed In tho moHt fanhlonablo French
mode, and wore the rich stuffs which
enmo from Moscow and even from China.
Though both coiihIiih were remarkable
for their beauty ono blonde, the other
dark he had never for a moment wav
rrcd between them; for he hnd been, from
iho first moment he beheld her, irrcslst
Ihly attracted by the brilliant and black
ycd Natalie, Besides, he knew well
ihat Marlollzzn wiih betrothed to IiIh
friend and brother ofllccr, Basil Micro
iritz. It was Hcarccly possible that the re
sult of IiIh vlnit could be otherwise than
it had proved; for Natalie wan no com
monplace beauty, but one who had sub
fined tho heartH of jniiny more men than
Chnrlle Bnlgonie men who, now at
frloacow and St. Petersburg, were conni
ng the dnyH of her exile from tho Court
!rf Catharine.
; lie blessed the exile and choice of cir
cumstances, all ho sudden and unforo
ficcn, which had cast him in her path,
lie loved her with all the passionate
ndoratiou ho beautiful and winning a
woman could inspire In a young and
ardent heart; nor was it long beforo Na
talie becanio aware of thiH, and was af
fected by tho sumo emotion.
The declaration of his love, and Nata
lio's acceptance of It, came about just as
others have done; nud for three dnya
nftcr Halgonle forgot all about the trou-j
blcflomo empresH, her pressing dispatch
and tho terrors of Lieutenant General
Weymarn.
At last ho began to wake from his
dream, to Hnd the stern necessity of de
parting; and, indeed, the snub-nosed Po
dntchkiuo, who was always hovering
about, Hccmod hh ii perpetual reminder
of tho duty he was neglecting. Tho lov
ers were solemnly betrothed in secret
Mnriollzzn was their only confidant and
nt present they could but arrange to wait
until they could mutually confide In ltasil
Mlorowltz, whom Nntalle, ore long, ex
poctcd to hcc. To write to each other,
snvo by npecial messenger, wiih deemed
nt present unwise; but Balgonle would
visit her as ho returned again to Novgo
rod. So tho last evening they wero to spend
together came; and they were seated,
wreathed in each other's arms, with Nn
tall's cheek resting on Bnlgonie's shoul
der, In an embowered rustic seat, not far
from the very place whero ho had so
boldly crossed the swollen river on that
ventful night.
Charlie's heart was full of sadness and
bowlldcrment; ho could but mutter and
whisper of his love nnd their hopes, and
gain and again kiss Natalie on the
chocks and on tho lips, whilo her tears
flowed fast; for sho had all the cooing
tenderness of a ring-dove now, and could
only murmur from time to time:
"Oh, Cnrl, Carl my own Curl!" and,
Iiko other young ladles slmilnrly circum
stanced on the eve of separation, believ
ed herself to be the most miserable be
ing in tho world. But, amid all this, Hhe
uddouly started and grew pale, on seeing
figure approach.
"See, Carl, see!" she exclaimed; "that
horrible woman must be ominous of evil
at such a tlmo. Why has she been per
mitted to approach?"
Balgonlo saw, at; n little distance, only
a Russian gypsy girl, possessed evidently
of considerable personal attractions. Sho
stood timidly, and Irresolute whether to
advance or retire; and bowed her head
with great humility, while crossing her
fino but dusky hands and arms upon her
bronst.
"Oh!" resumed Natalie, with some
thing of n shudder, " 'tis Olga Paulownn;
don't let hor speak to us in our parting
hour, Carl, lest we bo compelled to hear
her sing, and that may perhaps bodo
evil. Tho steward, I understand, has
thrico by dog and whip driven away this
gypsy girl, who has come to the house
ngnln and again, ostensibly to seek alms,
but doubtless only to steal or work mis
chief by her cunning; for though our
Russian-gypsies arc not allowed to plteh
their tents on any land without the ex
press consent of tho owner, this girl's
brother, Nicholas Paulovitch, a half
blood, has permanently settled on our
estate, Homcwhcro in the forests; though
ho is despised and loathed by tho peas
antry, whom, doubtless, ho loathes nnd
hates most cordinlly in turn. I do wish
sho would go away without being ordered
to do so."
Little did Nntnlie know that those ill
requited visits of tho poor gypsy girl had
direct reference to the life nnd snfoty of
him whose hands clasped hers so ton
dorly and confidingly.
"Ah!" said Natalie, with increasing
nnnoynnce; "bIic is nbout to sing, but
her voice will soon summon tho stew
ard." Olga now began to sing with great
sweetness a Russian song, tho Inst lines
of which ended In a shriek, with which
a cry from Nntalle mingled; for the cruel
Dispatch
GRANT
steward hnd been stealing through the
thicket unperceived, and now bestowed
a heavy lash across the tender shoulders
of the cowering and shrieking girl; but
ere he could repeat it, Halgonle sprang
forward, arrested the descending whip,
nud then placing In tho hand of the sing
er n few coins, bade her hasten awny, on
which she departed, witli tears of pain
ami gratitude, after pressing his fingers
to tier lips; and, In her terror and con
fusion, leaving her task undone her
warning of coming treachery untold.
"Oh, Cnrl!" said Natalie, laying her
head ngaln on Bnlgonie's breast, "dear
est Cnrl, I am so glad she has gone with
out weaving some mischievous Hpell; for,
smile as you may, I can't help fearing
those people! I am a true Russian, and
dread the evil eyel"
Richer by u lock of dnrk and silky
hair and a diamond ring, but leaving his
heart behind him, in one swift hour after
this little .episode, Halgonle hud depart
ed to moot, nnd, for greater security, to
travel in consort with, a caravan of n
hundred nnd fifty boors, who were con
voying sugar from Moscow to St. Peters
burg. He was guided again by the sly Po
datchkino, who hnd roHolvcd to take es
pecial good caro that the said caravan
should bo avoided.
Somo hours after Bnlgonie's departure,
nnd when Natalie in the solitude of her
owln room was abandoned to tears and
unavailing regrets, n trusted messenger
from hor brother nrrlvcd with u brief
note, written so enigmatically that none
save herself could have understood or
deciphered it; but tho spirit of it was
briefly this:
"All Is arranged for freeing the pris
oner of S. by n Htrntegcm. A dispatch
that may counteract, if not baffle, our
plans, nnd fatally compromise us nil, has
been sent by old Wcymurn to St. Peters
burg. I know not who tho benrcr is;
but be nssured of this, ho will never
reach it alive. Wo hnvo set Podatchkinc
on his track, and he, worthy Llvonlnn,
for two hundred rubles, would skin his
own father alive."
After reading this pleasant epistle, llt
tlo wonder is It that Natalie was found
by Mnriollzzn, as tho twilight deepened,
hnif senseless upon her bed, cold, In
tenrs, nnd utterly miserable.
CHAPTER VII.
A lover has occasionally been likened
to a fool, as being a man possessed by
one idna. This was certainly somewhat
of poor Charlie Balgonio'a state of mind.
He saw only tho dnrk oyes, tho half
drooped lips, and the fnrewell glance of
Natnllo; so full of hidden nnd tender
menning; and while thinking of her nnd
of her last words and promises, their mu
tual hopes of tho future, based almost
entirely upon Bnsil, he fell an easy prey
to tho plans nnd schemes of tho wily
Corpornl Podntchkino, who saw only his
anticipated two hundred silver rubles;
and who, knowing tho country ns well ns
If It had been every ncre, rood nnd verst
his own property, led him on nnd on ho
knew not where; but, nt all events, two
hours after they should hnvo met tho
enravnn, they found themselves, to nil
appearances, lost in a dense forest of
dnrk plno troes.
Failing tho caravan, having now pro
ceeded, as he believed, somo twenty
miles or so, Hnlgoule hnd thoughts of
passing the night nt tho house of a
friend of Miorowitz, a country gentleman
of whom he hnd been told by Mariolizza,
who laughingly nssured him that this
personage vnn "a fine Russian gentleman
of tho old school, who beat his wife reg
ularly every Thursdny nnd Saturday with
a whip of thongs," nnd was seldom sober.
In short, though h knew it not, Bnl
gonift had been for the lasl two hours
riding merely In a wide circle, and, by
the careful guidance of Podntchklne, wnn
now not mnny miles from the hut of the
gypsy woodman, Nleholns Pnulovitch;
and, consequently, he wns much nenrer
the Castle of Lougn than he had the least
idea of.
"Well, Michail," said he, hi reply to
some remnrk in which the corporal urged
that they should proceed, "we hnvo miss
ed the sugar caravan, ami cannot dis
cover tho residence of tho gentlemnn I
spoke of, so I am wither provoked nt
you."
"Oh, excellency, who enn withstand
destiny 7" whined the fellow, using an
old Russian proverb.
Shortly afterward tho wood opened n
little, a rod light appeared, and they no
proached tho cottage of Nicholas Paulo
vitch, tho half-breed.
" 'Tin the cottage of a man I know.
Here, excellency, we can pass tho night,"
said Podatchkinc, leaping from his horse
nnd dutifully taking Rnlgonio's bridle, ns
if to anticipate any proposition of pro
ceeding nny further. "There is n shed
behind whero I shall stable our horses;
Nicholas, I know, will make us wclcomo
to his lodge."
In n fow minutes more, Rnlgonio found
himself seated in tho cottage, tho aspect
of which struck him ns being peculiarly
comfortless, dingy nnd squnlid, ns ho
viowed it by tho light of n pino torch,
which stood in n rusty iron holder on
the rough dcnl tnble, whorcon Iny n pnek
of frayed and dog-enred enrds.
In Addition to Podntchkino nnd tho
host, Nicholas Pnulovitch, who stood re
spectfully nt n little distance from Bnl
gonie, nnd was appraising tho exuet
vnluo of his costume, arms nnd ornn
monts, oven to Nntnlio's diamond ring,
there wns present another ill-vlsngcd fel
low, witli a powerful figure, squnrc
shoulders nnd ginnt beard, like every
Russinn of tho lower order; eyes tlint
wero small nnd piercing, llko tliose of n
mouse; n long, fierce noso nnd Jogged
teeth, hnlr shorn off closo nbovo tho eye
brows and brushed all down straight
from tho crown of his head, which in
form resembled n cone or n pineapple.
This barbarian, who was dressed chief
ly in n coat of sheepskin, nnd had a
smnll, but sharp, hatchet and dagger in
his girdle, was n Stcpniak, from n dis
trict whero nothing like n town was ever
seen or known, but whose nld and
strength Pnulovitch thought might bo
useful and necessary In the work he nnd
Podntchkino hnd cut out for themuelveH
in the night.
CHAPTER VIII.
Halgonle was rather weary after his
long and desultory ride by rough and un
frequented roads, chiefly devious forest
paths; lie felt thirsty, and looked at a
pitcher which stood on the table.
"Will his excellency drink?" asked
Nicholas Paulovitch, in his ho.irse nnd
husky voice. "I have fortunntcly ono bot
tle of Rhine cordlnl," said tho woodmnn,
with n rnpld and furtive glnncc nt his
comrades; "his excellency will doubtless
honor us by taking It with his supper, at
least with such fare as tho forest pro
duces, as stewed rabbit or so."
"I thank you, good fellow. Whero
is this cottugc situated?"
"Situated," replied Nicholas, with a
quick and uneasy glance at the corporal,
fearing there might be somo discrepancy
in their information.
"Yes, in whnt part of tho country?"
said Podatchkinc, "for we unturnlly wish
to know."
"Nenr Velle."
"Then I nm somewhere nbout twenty
miles from the Loiiga?"
"YeH, excellency, precisely," replied
the rnscnl.
"Hence, if my horse is fresh, I may
reach Schlusselburg to-morrow?"
"Scarcely, as It lies fully fifty miles
beyond Vclle," said Nicholas.
"Is the distance so groat?" exclaimed
Halgonle, little knowing that it was oven
more, nnd nil unsuspicious of how these
wretches wero deluding him.
"But, oxcclloncy, wo may provo moro
nblo guides than Fichnil Podatchkinc,"
said tho Gypsy woodmnn; "for we that
is the Stepnnik and I must proceed to
St. Petersburg to-morrow, on n little
piece of business we shall have to per
form together."
"Poor idiots!" thought Podntchklne,
"if you tnkc his body to St. Petersburg,
you will both be licensed of murder and
kuouted, as sure us my name is Michail;
so I shall save my fifty silver roubles."
A sound, us of footsteps, nnd of some
thing like ii drinking vessel falling on the
floor of nn upper apartment, made tho
woodmnn start up with astonishment nnd
alarm. Ho hurriedly applied a ladder to
the trap which gave admission to this
place, and ascended into it; but returned
almost immediutely to say, "there wns
no ono there." The evident surprise nnd
ularin of the three men at this trivial
occurrence was the first cause of excit
ing Bnlgonie's suspicion.
He nnd Podatchkinc were both armed,
and even wore these men outluws, they
would senrcely, he believed, dnro to as
sault an olllcor on military duty; besides,
tho very name of Schlusselburg, whither
he was proceeding, cnrrled a wholesome
terror with it; so dismissing his ensual
suspicions, Chnrlle unbuckled his sword,
and seated himself nt the tnble, on which
n cold supper of stewed rnbbits nnd
conrse ryo bread wns laid for tho four
who were present.
A plntter was placed for a fifth per
son whom Nicholas remnrked to Podntch
klne in n growling tone wns still abrond
in tho. forest, or had not returned from
some plncc which wns named in a whis
per. With an affectation of extreme respect
nnd courtesy, none of the three worthies
would sent themselves nt the tnble until
Halgonle specially invited and urged
them in succession to do so.
The bottle of Rhine cordial was pro
duced from the npartmcnt nbovo nnd
opened. Two horns, one of which had
a handsome silver rim. were placed for
the captain and corpornl. The former
wns rather surprised to find such n drink
ing vessel as this silver mounted cup in
n place so squalid, and he wns nbout to
lift nnd examine it when Nicholas Paulo
vitch, with almost nervous hnste, filled
it, nnd nlso thnt of the corpornl.
To tho surprise of Bnlgonie, tho lntter
exhibited some undisguised alarm on see
ing It placed before him; it was an at
tention under nil the circumstances he
neither wished nor expected; nud so ho
declined to drink.
"Nny, fear not, friend Michail," said
tho woodman, " 'tis the best of cordlnl.
Tho cup with the silver mountnings is,
of course, for his excellency tho IIospo
decn," he ndded, with a quiet but grim
significance which tho wily Cossnck
quite understood, so ho drained tho horn
without further objection. Soon after
Bnlgonie expressed a desire for repose,
ns lie wished to depart by daybreak.
"This way, excellency," said Nicholns,
with nlacrity, lifting the pine torch nnd
ushering him up the stnir, a mere com
moi lander, nnd through tho trnp door
into tlio little npnrtment nbovo, whero
Ills couch, composed merely of skins of
tho bear nnd sheep, nwaited him, and
whero ho could see tho dark forest and
tho occasionnl stnrs through n small win
dow that gave light nnd nir to tho place,
which was so limited in sizo that it some
whnt resembled n littlo cabin in n ship.
Left in tho miserable den to his own
reflections nnd to darkness, Chnrlio Bnl
gonio plnced his sword conveniently at
hand, and enst himself upon tho pile of
skins that wero to form his bed, and
thought ho hnd often fared worso in tho
bivouncs of Silcsin nnd Bnvaria.
(To bo continued.)
Works tho Other Way.
She; Don't you believe that "n soft
nnswer turnuth away wrath?"
Ilo Oh, yes. Oftener, however,
wrath frightens nwny a soft nnswer.
Kansns City Journal.
doings or won
Tho Plain Glrl'8 Iunititf.
"Tho other dny, when our cluss hud
It tenth nnnunl luncheon," wrote tho
Elderly Girl to u friend, "I realized
for tho ilrst tlmo tho advantages of
being plain; for whllo the yenrs had
iiiurred the cluss beauties, leaving tho
plump girls fut and tho tall willowy
und scrawny, time seemed to huve
stood still with the plain girls.
"Ono of our members in particular,
who hud been rather remarkable at
college for her utter luck of comeli
ness, actually shone out on this occa
sion us the belle of tho class.
"This girl's name, like her face, wns
homely, for among the muny Ethels
nnd Ediths nnd Glndyses, she alone
was simply 'Mnry1 just plain Mary'
she had herself, laughing good-naturedly,
assumed the pseudonym which
clung to her until the dny of her grad
uation. "'Look at Plain Mary!' gnsped my
chum, as a magnificently-gowned crea
ture, with a swish of silken draperies,
took her seat to the right of the toast
mlstrcss; 'isn't she elegant!'
"And elegunt expressed hor, from
the chic toque, set at Just the right an
gle on her dark hulr, to the tip of her
patent lentlier boots. She hnd retained
her well-proportioned figure and her
brilllunt teeth the only beauties sho
ever boasted and her complexion,
which had nlwnys Imjch of the russet
orange variety, hud worn better than
tho erstwhile roselcof skins; in addi
tion, sho had acquired the poise, the
pusy grace, and the tnste In dress that
sometimes comes with the thirties.
"It needed not the big bunch of vio
lets at her belt when violets were at
their highest, to proclaim her prosper
ous. 'Prosperity' was writ large all
over her. Plain Mary had married a
railroad magnate.
"As for 'Airy, Fuiry Lillinn,' u
dainty bit of Dresden china, a bewitch
ing little blonde (ten yenrs ago!), who
had spent her first free year abroad,
and who, uecordingto the class proph
etess, wns to return a duchess she
was teaching in the public schools.
"And Dolores n dark beauty with
glorious oyes, in whom the same
peeress had seen the future leader of
the Four Hundred, wns a stenogra
pher! "No one had considered It worth
while to foretell Plain Mary's future.
Two words we thought would compass
it: Old Maid.
" 'We might have the cluss prophecy
reprinted with a tenth anniversary re
vision,' suggested my chum, as we dis
cussed the unaccountablllty of things."
Indianapolis News.
If the eldest of several daughters the
cnlllng cards should read "Miss Doug
lass" without the Christ Inn name.
When It Is necessary to reply to a
wedding Invitation the answer should
be addressed to the bride's parents or
to the. one issuing the invitation.
A letter of Introduction may be mail
ed with the calling card inclosed or left
In person with oiio'r card; but without
culling for tho person to whom it is
addressed.
Never send a calling card with "re
grets or accepts" written across it in
reply to a written invitation; as has
boen stated beforo a written Invitation
requires a written nnswer.
Tho letters R. S. V. P. stand for the
French words: "Responde,, S'll Vous
Plait," literally "Answer, If you
please." When on nn Invitation a
writlton nnswer Is required.
Notes between acquaintances may
begin: "My dear Miss Gordon," or
"Dour Miss Gordon," nnd in closing
"Sincerely yours," "Yours sincerely,"
or "Yours cordially" may bo used.
An informal note written in the first
person should bo answered In thnt
person; be enreful to avoid changing
from tho first to the third person as
Is often dono through carelessness.
In giving an atternoon tea In order
that your friends may meet a friend
visiting you tho calling card may bo
used with tho hour written upon it and
across the top "To meet Miss Barker."
Persons in mourning do not accept
invitations; but wedding Invitations,
marriage announcements and Invita
tions of a general nature nro sent to
them. Tholr cards are sent in ac
knowledgment for such invitations.
Kevrare of Hot Wnter.
The too vigorous use of hot water,
soap nnd tho complexion brush will
sson deprive the skin of its natural oil
rN
and cnuso it to look parched, wrinkle
nnd conrse. There is a vast difference
between hot nnd warm water lor facial
treatment. Tho hitter is essentlul U
cleanliness, but hot wnter should onlj
be used occasionally, and then onlj
when absolutely necessary.
Never neglect to follow the nlghtlj
face bath with a cold douch, to which
may be added a few drops of tiucturi
of benzoin to assist in toning up tin
skin. Dry the fnce on a soft dumnsb
towel and use the brush only two 01
three times n week.
If the skin is too dry, obtain a re
liable emollient, almond oil Is excel
lent, nnd use every night after the fnc
bath, rubbing it in well. Use only
enough to make the skin smooth, but
not greasy. Wipe nwny nny surplus
thut your skin falls to absorb, with a
clean towel.
Among tho Japanese one divorce
takes place In every four marriages.
In the "sweat shops" of London
women make blouses at .'10 cents a
dozen, and by working from early
morning until midnight they can make
u dozen. Others make plain shirts nt
0 cents a dozen.
Really good paste diamonds are al
ways valuable. A Miss Geraldlne Kit a-
gernld has a pnrure of fine old Spanish
paste of which tho value is very con
siderable. It once belonged to Ludv
Morgan, the novelist.
Ex-Queen Marghcrita of Italy Is
gradually coming from the seclusion
of being in mourning nnd is returning
to her old habits, such ns seeing her
celebrated quintet play and attending
lectures and inusicules.
In Slum some of the women intrust
their children to the care of elephant
nurses, niitl It said that the trust Is
never betrayed. The bnbies piny about
the huge feet of the elephants, which
are very careful never to hurt their lit
tle charges.
One of the most unique gifts ever re
ceived by a brldo-to-bc are the sables
which Baron do Forest has given Mies
Ethel Gerard. They are of wanderful
softness nnd are black as coal, with
out any suggestion of brown. They
are said to be the finest in England.
Miss Elizabeth Cogley, telegraph su
perintendent of the Union station in
Ilarrisburg, Pa., has been an operator
there for thirty-live years and has been
In the continuous service of the Penn
sylvania for forty-three years. Miss
Cogley received President Lincoln's
message calling for volunteers In
Pennsylvania. She is CO years old.
There is an exquisite charm about
u neatly dressed woman. She docs not
wear her hnlr twisted up carelessly,
ns If just about to fall over her shoul
ders. Her gloves are not rlnnnd nt th
scums, nor are nny buttons missing
from her boots. Her veil does not re-
venl a hoe over her chin, nor does
the binding of her skirt show ragged
in places.
Mrs. Benjamin Harrison recently
visited the reform school for boys in
Plnintipld, Ind., und becomo Interested
In a colored lad named Alexander
Baker, who hnd boon sent there ns an
Incorrigible. Mrs. Harrison wns con
vinced that he would respond to kindly
influence, and when ho was paroled
took to her home, whero he will bs
trained as a house servant
Affinities.
When first wo mot it seemed to me
I'd known her nil my life, nnd sho
Well, sho declnred, 'twas Futo's ow
hand
Thnt hnd our hnppy meeting plnnncd.
Our inspirations double enmo;
Her thought nnd mine were just thtv
same.
In eory wisli of mind nnd heart
Eacli wns the other's counterpnrr.,
Of nil my dreams of love or hate
Sho owned the perfect duplicate.
The gods had sought to intertwine
Tho purpose of her life nnd mine.
Each of us folt, within tho hoart,
Wo could not live our lives apart.
And so, it scarcely need bo enld
Thnt shortly she und I were wed.
Tho yenrs drag past; I find thnt I
Am tired of a cloudless sky.
I'd like my wife much hotter if
Just now nnd then a littlo tiff
Of storm our calm would disarrange
And alter tilings. I sigh for chnnge;
And she sho feels tho same, of courss
In fnct, she's sued for a divorce.
Town Topics.