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Show this counts ricruBB. We wrro'tUtkriftl at tlio ltttlo tllla cf Z. We used tu meet at each oOici'n rooum, fllitro wo never aavr nnythlrjjf tmt one another' uniform. There fl onljr ono man atnony us who tll'l not belirttic to tlio regiment. Ho was about thlrtyflve, auJ, of course, wo lonVeil npon bin i at an oM fellow, lis 1m I tbo ad rant ago ot existence, nmlhU .'..Utuul gloom, stern features anil bis sharp tonjruo gav Mm great Inlltunco vtr bf Juniors. He was surrounded 1 a ccrtalu tnyt trr UU principal recreation wu phtol iboutltiir. Tho wallsof lid room wen rid died wllli bullets a perfect honeycomb. On afternoon nboi ten .-Ulcers were dining with Hilvlo. They drank in usual) thai U to aajr, a gnat tvt After dinner we aVeU our lnwt to lunLo a ioul. Tor a long tlmo lie refused on tho Kroutul llftt be mtUuni iaytil. At lait ho ordeml rnnlt to btirotifcht Itu Ainon Aeon thl occasion was an of-flrcr of-flrcr who lirtd bat lately Joined. Wbllo jlaylntf be nbren tinted! ly acored a jiolnt too much, Hllrlo took tho clnllt and corrected the icoro lu hl own foah-Ion. foah-Ion. Ylir offtcer rnntoslDS him to hard inadojmiUlalto, tifau to cxplnln bit Tto went on doalluj In fciLnw. 'iho bQlcor, loelug palltMiue, touk tho. broth and robbed oat wlat he thought was wrontjf. bilrlo took tho chalk and rcccrrectod It The cfilcer, heated with wlutf and j .)aX Bn'i Irritated by Urn laughter of tho cuinpany, thuiuht hhnwlf atrrleM-d, nnd In a fit of paiiton iwltl a brjwa can dleftUck and threw It at Hilrlo, vt ho only Jait tnntuiKed to at old tho mhttllo. (Irtat wa our confusion, Silvio cot i), wblto with rage, and eald ltU aitirkllu eye: "fair, h tho pood n cm to withdraw, and 3011 inayth.ink Otnl (hat thlaluu Jui 1 pnd lu my own liotuel At tho tldlotf achod next day we wera already nakliitf 0110 auolhcr whothor tho Tourist lifult-nant a atlll nil vo, when 110 appeared nuiou;u. Wo hiVM hint the mo rjuntlon, and wcra told that ho had not yet heard from tiiUlo. Wo wero uilotiUhod. Wowonttobihlu'eitiul found Mm In theconrtyanl pupping bullet after bolltt Into uu hco which he had gumiuod to the hilvlo did not flKht, He accrptM a fliuity ft ptilojjy an 1 becamn rvconclhil to the mail who had In in It til him, Hilvlo'f teller Mwd to Iki addretuod to ourrvKimrnt. and he uitiilly called for than MiuMrlf. On mn ocoailon, a letter having been lnnded tohlin, I aw him Itre.ik tho u.a and, w 1th a look of groat lupntlenc, rend tho contents 'Oentleiuen,H anld hilvlo. "clrcnin-atanees "clrcnin-atanees demand my I m media to deptir-tnre" deptir-tnre" With thete wordi ho hurriedly I went to Bllvlo ihortly after to bid hi in Kodby. "iVrhap we ihall neTer meet attain, lie aald, "lie fore naylnx Koodby 1 want to have a few wurJ with ou. "You thonjjht It odd,M ho continue!, "that I did nyt rrtiulro antUfactloti from that dnuitceit miniac. Hlx mnt nsol recti M a alnp In tho facv, nnd my runny ittlllhcV "Did ) ou not fight him?" I Inquired. ' I d(4ihthlni,"replkd Silvio, 'and here li n tutuenti of our duel." Ho rwe and took from n enrdboird box n ntl can with n cold t-uol nnd cold 1 raid. 'In my t'.mo dJasInntlon was tbo fahtou,N bo went on, "and I was tho moit diiilputed man In tho uriny. 'ily coinrndt. iJortHl mo, while the commander of the regiment, uho were cowUnily blnn chauged, luokvd npon inaanlncurubloci1. "1 waa taluily, or rather lKtsteroti1y, rnJo)lntriuy reputation, w ncertalu Jounjr man joined our refluent. Ho u rich and came of ft dUtluu'utthed fmilyI will not name him. "I took a dUliko to him. HI hkccu In the regiment and In tho society of women broncht me to despair, 1 tried to pick a nuarnl ultti him. "At n ball at tho hoiuo of alMiih Hndvd jroprletor, weln hint rccelro marked attention from all tho ladies und ftpfcUIly from tho lady of tho house, who 'uid formerly Iwen on my friendly tf ruts with me, I whUpered soino low hualtlnhtscar, "Ho flow Into n pnsslon und gnre me n ilap on the check. Wo clutched our iwordij tholidlesfalnted, wowerusepu rat d, mid tho samo nlht uu drove out to flKht, 'It was nearly daybreak. I v. ai Hand Inn at tho nppolnt! f pot w Ith my three leconda. How liopatU ntly I aw nltod my opponent! The spring tun had rl&vu nnd ltwasttTonhnrhot At Ut Iww him In tho dUtanr. Ho n on foot, nccoiupanlod oulybyoito I'jcund. Wo ul autt-1 t.i luui.t him. Hi) aiprowriiM.lu idlntcln hlshnnd hix rest mi utai tup Jlhl full of blaHt t hf rrtes. "The wvoud tmyimroil tw( ho paces. ItWHsfi.rino to (So first. Hut my ex-iit'tmnt ex-iit'tmnt whs n uroitth it I conld not diind upon th certainty of lnyhuudi and til ordir tovmjself tliuetiiK! calm, I ceded thu first atfil to luy udUr-, aary. He Mu1d not accept It.rtnd w decided to rnt lot. The nmnVt r Wt to Mm, conittnt fa-orlt fa-orlt rj fortune that 1Q viut He Aimed, and put u Ui u ; through my cap. "It wm now my turn, Ills ttfo nt Iat wasinniy linmlK. I looked at him tartly, trying hard to dttw,l tome faint ahadow of ntiMtfncM. Hut ho rod beneath lay pistol picking out ripo cherries from I1I1 cap and ttittlng out the stones, aome of hlcH fell mar tnv 'Hislndlffercncocnrae'l me. " 'What In tho two,' thought l, 'of df prlvLnx bim of life, when ho ads no value upon It f As this wage thought flitted through my brain I lowered tho pUtol. ''Voit don't eni to be realy for ilrith,'-! Midi joii are catinrf jonr l)rrakfat, and I don't want to Interfere with you.' ' 'You don't Intcrfrro with mo In the lenatbortpl'ed, 'Ho goxxl enough to fireturdon't fire If yon prefer'Ut the ahot remains with yon, nu 1 1 shall lw at your eetx Ico at any mom ut.' "I turned to tho rcconds. Informing th-m tint I had no Intention of firing that day, and with this the dtul rndid. I nlRUed my commlwion and retlrtd to this little place, tilnco tlicn not n rlngls day has passed tliat I Imve not tliuught of my revenge, nnd now tho boor ha arrhod.7 Silvio took from bis pocket the letter lie had received Hint morning, nud handoil It to me to read. Bomo one (it seemed to Ijo his business agent) wrote tohlm from Moscow, tint a certain Individual wm toon to be married to n ountf And beau tlful girl. "You guetM aald Silvio, "who tlw certain Individual K I am starting for Moscow Wo shall ko whether ho v. Ill 10 ns Indifferent now m ho waa some timongo, nhentu pttsencoof death ho ate hcrrles r Many jears passed, nnd family circumstances cir-cumstances obliged inoto aettlo In the ivorlltllo village of N, IVur vents from my phce was a largo estate Wlonglng to Conut 11, but tho steward alouo lhedtluru. Thocountess had 1 kited her domain onco only, just Aftrr her marrfrge, and sho then only lived there alwut n month. However, In tho aecoudtprlng of my ntlremint thiro WAi m reiort that th counteas, witli her husband, would come to spend tho summer on bir estate, and they arrtt el at the beginning of June. Thu first Sunday after her nrrlval I went to tho vlllagu an 1 preeeutl myself to the count nud count'f-i m their near nelghlior nnd hnrnblo servant. Tho doors oitcnod, nnd n tnun, about thirty two nnd ery bamlmmio, enterM the apartment. I tried to be self pow seasd, nud began to Introduce mystlf, but ho foreetallol me. ' Ills aey and otfreeablo conversation soon dlvliat.'d my itenous timidity. I was already pawing Into my mml manner when siivldenly the countess en. trml and I iKvamo mora contuwl than M.t. Shouaflndeeilbenutirnl. Tlio count insenlel ine. I was anxious anx-ious to npjicar at cao, but tlic in r I tritjd tonumo nualr cf re.trnlnt tht moreankwftrd I felt myself becoming, Mennwhllol walked about thu room examining the book nnd pictures. In i Icture I am no connoisseur, but onrf of the count's attracted my particular particu-lar notice. It reprctinU-d n view of SwItxerlAtid, I was not, however, wtruck by tho painting, but by the fact thnt it a shot through by two ballets, one hinted Just on top of tho other. "A good shot, I remarked, turning to tho count. "Yos," he rrplleJ; "a ery rcmarkablo thot." "Tho best shot I ever knew ued to thoot every day,Taald, "anl at least three tluiin t ery day K'foru dinner." "Ami what sort of a shot wo her asked tho count. "This sort, nouut; If ho saw n fly aetlld mi tho wall yon smile, couutosj, but I assure )ou It is ufact whin ho saw the fly ho would call out, 'ICoutka, my piltolt' Kouska brought h!iu tho lo ided j'Utol, Acmck,aud tholly wascnuhed luto the wall!' "And what w as uls nameT "bilvio was Ms name." Silvio! ' vxclalmed the count, starting f roui his H-st. "You know blh lo?" "How could I fall to know him? Wc were comrades be was rccelw-d at our mess like u brother cfilcer. It Is now abuutfte)earsslncel Uithad tidings of him. Then )ou, count, also know hilar "1 knew him very well. Hid be nevir telt jouof one very extraordinary lucl dent lu his liar "Do )ou mean tho slap In the face, count, that lie rcctlvcd from u black guurd At balir . "Ho did not tell ou the namo of this black guard?'' "No, count, he did not. TorgU 0 rae," I added, guessing the truth, "forgU 0 mo I did not could It really hateUtu onr "It wni myself,1 nplled tho count, griatlyogltatwl, "und tho shots In the plctnro uro a mtmouto of our last meeting." "Uu, mynenr, mui tuecouutesi, "for Clod' sake do not relate ltl It frightens me to think of it. "No. replied the count I "I must tell him ftlL He knows how I insulted his friend. He shall nlio know how bilvio revenged himself," Tho count pushed a chair toward mo, and with the liveliest interest 1 listened to the following story 1 "I'lve ) ears ugo,' 1 g.iu the count, "I got married. Tho honeymoon I spent here iu this vllls ge. To this houie 1 am Indebted for the happiest moments of my life and for one of Its saddeit ro mem b ranees. "Ono ufUrnoon we nsnt out riding together. M wife's hono Iwcamo nst tve. hbe was frlghtenM, got off tho borne, bunded tho reins over to me and walked home. "I rod ou Jtffore her. In Iho vard I saw a traveling currlage, nnd 1 was told that In my study sat u muu who would not giro his nit 10, but btmply said thut bo wunld to fee mo on bulnes, "leutoiod the rdudyund saw In ths darkwes n man, dusty nnd unshaven Hetitood tlitro by th fireplace. I up proached him, trying to recollect his fao. M 'You don't rciiwmhr ine, count)1 b aid linn tainulotu voice ".Sllvioritrlwl.fiiul I confetilfiU that my htdr wai standing on 1 ml. "Exwctly so,' headdwd 'You owe mo a thott I havo cou u to t Isim It M j on ready? A pistol prutiudud froia Ml stdo pocket. "I meu4iirtl twelvo pacts, nnd at oil tin ro lu that corner, lugging him to Eire 1 uutUIy,bfor9 wy wlfjcatnoin, He r i 1 ,ttvlB kul f t a iwhi Candlos wuro bruughUn. 1 loik d tip doiiri, iro ord-iatlut no ono stu nil rnler, and ain caltwl upon him tollre. Hlo took out his pMvl and almeil "I counted Uu kocondl. 1 th ught of her A terrible moment p-usedl Then Sllv to lowered his hand. "'I only regn-t,' ho sail, 'that the pistol Is not IoriIpI with cherry at on. My bnllct Is l-eavyi ntid It nlwn) a arvmi lo me that ti (T ilr of this kind Is not a duel, but nlnurdrr. " 'I am not urc ustomed to aim At nn Armed men. Let ns begin agit. froui the beginning. lt us cat lots ns to who hll fire duf "My head went roun 1. I think I ob-J ob-J t -d. Filially, however, wo loaded mint her pistol and tolled up two piecoi of paper. These he placl lustde his tap) the ouo through with h, nt uur first lueit lug, I hail put tho bullet. 1 again drew tho lucky number. " 'Count, you hnvo Ihe devil' lock,' ho sit 1, with a smile which I shall w 1 1 forg. t. "1 don't know what I was nbont, or bow It happened that ho unccccded In Inducing me. Ilatlhred und hltlliat piclniu. Tho connt pointed rlth hi Anger t tho picture with tho shot marks, Hn face hud bcootno rel with agitation The countess was whiter than her own hsmlken.hlef, nnd I could not restrain an exclamation. "1 flretl, continued the count, "and, think heaven, mlsseil. Then Hilvlo at this momert he was really terrible-then terrible-then bilvio raised his pistol totako aim at me. "Sud lenly tho door flew open; Manha milled into tho rmm. Sho threw Iit Mf upon my neck with a loud shriek Her prwinco restored to me nil my courage. "'My dear 1 said to her, 'don't jou aco tli At wu aro only joking? Hw frightened oti look. Go and drink a glass of crater mil theji ctmie bicki 1 will lulroduu )ou to nn old friend and comrwW "Muhawaaitlll In doubt. 'Ttllrae, Ismyhuibanl teakifilhe truth? she o&kvd, tarnlug to the terrlbln Silvio: 'in It triw that you aro only joking? " 'He U always joking, uotintwrf,' bilvio bil-vio replltf!. 'I I onco in ft joko gavo im n slsp in tho facet, In joke ho put a bullet through this enp while I was wearing it, nnd In joke, too, he lUteed lne whA be fired just now And now I haven fancy for a joke. With those word ho mlsed his pistol a If to shoot lue down bef ore here). "Math t threw bvnklf nt his feet. ' 'I I iso, M una! Tor stntnur I cried In my pawlou! 'and )ou, sir, ueaw tu amuo jo'irwlf nt the expense of an uu happy woman. Will jouflreoritoV "'I will not replied Silvio. 'I am satUnl. I Imvo witnsetl )ouraglta tl'iu, jour terror. I furocd jou toilre at me. Tliat Is ctioughj vou will re member me. I leave Jou to our con clone'.' "Itu was now nbont to go, lint he flopped nt the door, Ionhed roun 1 nt Urn ptrturo which my shot had justed through, llrtd nt ft almost without taking tak-ing aim and dlsapirnre'l. "My wifo hal sunk down fnlutlng. Tlio servants had uot voutursd to step Silvio, whom they looked upu wltti tirror. He passed out to tlio sUi, called his coaclnuin, and before I cuut 1 collect tnystdf drovo off." Tito count was atleuL I hat now heard tho end cf tho story of which tho beginning bad long before eurprl d me. Tho hero of it 1 never saw again. I heard, honercr, that Silvio, during thu rtolng? of Alexander Ipilaull, command cd a. detachment cf Insurgents and was killed fu uctioti.-Trauklated fiom the Uusslau of Alsxaudcr l'luhklu, Hoiton Globe. M( |
