A CURIOUS STORY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1041, 30 May 1883, Page 2

A CURIOUS STORY.

A lieutenant in the Russian army, and a Count pardessus le marche, having, paid marked attention to the prettiest girl in Moscow, her father, by profession a dyer, asked him if has intentions were honourable or otherwise. As the yriurig nobleman’s reply was evasive (says an exchange) the worthy dyer naturally concludedthey were otherwise, arid requested- hitri to bestow his attentions elsewhere. The young gallant kept out of the way for some time, but at last passion got the better of prudence, and he re-commenced his flirtations with the ; dyer’s pretty daughter during the absence of her worthy sire. The inevitable occurred; Papa surprised the lovers, and, withoutiinuch ado collared the budding warrior, doused him in the first hancly . vat of dye, and then reasoned with him a posteriori. When the Count got home he discovered that neither cold- water nor hot, neither spirits of wine nor benzine, neither soap nor silver sand, would remove his new complexion —a heavenly azure. The GovernorGeneral jof Moscow was informed of the tragedy, summoned the dyer to his presence, and ordered him to remove the stain at once, but the delinquent proudly answered that the azure was his own invention, and a fast colour, which neither ho nor anybody else could wash out. He admitted, however, that it could be changed to black, and he would do it gratis. The young Count nearly lost his senses. Every chemist in Moscow tried his skill, but without avail.; At last the heroine of this story wormed out the secret from her father. The Count’s complexion is restored to its pristine pink, and she is a Countess.