A FAIR ADVENTURESS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 42, 17 October 1891, Page 485

A FAIR ADVENTURESS.

About fifteen years ago a young woman of noble birth, Miss Goolak-Artemovskaya, went from Volhynia to St. Petersburg, and soon became a figure in the leading social circles of the capital. Her youth, beauty, refinement, and sympathetic nature, as described, attracted to her drawingroom a host of adhrirers. Officers of high rank and young nobles paid homage to her. Miss Goolak-Artemovskaya lived in high style. Stories were current in the city about her vast possessions in the Crimea and Caucasus, which she had inherited, to account for the luxuries in which she indulged herself. But her days of glory were of short duration. One morning several military officers ot high rank discovered that they had been taken advantage of by the beautiful Miss Goolak-Artemovskaya at the innocent game of dooratchky, a most simple game of cards which is very common in Russia, and that since they had been acquainted with her they had lost many thousand roubles. They reported their case to the police authorities, who found that the lady possessed no property, and that she derived her means of high living by fraud. Not only fleecing her admirers at the card-table, but even forging was traced to her. She was condemned to deprivation of all her personal rights and exiled to Siberia, in the Government of Irkutsk. A romantic incident was connected with her fate. A young noble, one of her admirers, to whom she had paid but little attention in her palmy days, attested his true love for her. He married her in prison and followed her voluntarily to the place of her exile. He devoted his life and money toward making her comfortable. She, however, wearied of the dulness of her life and determined to escape. She played the pious woman and so successfully carried on her religious hypocrisy that she became widely known for her godliness and was finally allowed to settle in Irkutsk. Here, at last, she and her husband appeared quite happy. They set up a respectable little household and lived comfortably together, for a time. Their little parlours soon became the centre of attraction for the jeunesse doree and military dignitaries of the city. But reports reached the Governor that the penitent Goolak-Artemovskaya, who indeed visited the churches during the day, amused her guests in the evening with the game of dooratchky. Notice was sent her that under no consideration should cards be played in her house, or she would be sent back to the village where she had been located before. So card-playing had to be given up. The husband of the tricky woman found out after awhile that she conducted her household on a larger and more luxurious scale than he could afford. He discovered, moreover, that she had dresses and jewellery which he bad not bought for her. At last he learned that she had become too intimate with a rich merchant, who owned the house in which they lived. He remonstrated with her, but could get no satisfaction. Having convinced himself that the woman was incorrigible, he abandoned her, but she continued living in her accustomed fashion. Her charms were great, and she never lacked friends.

It seems, however, that her last trump was played this winter. Among her friends was a governess who had been brought from Moscow by one of the rich merchants at Irkutsk for his children. The lady was highly educated and refined, and in stature and appearance resembled GoolakArtemovskaya. After her arrival in Irkutsk the wily Artemovskaya became her intimate friend. Last autumn both Artemovskaya and her friend, the governess, disappeared from Irkutsk. Searches were made,but the fugitives could not be discovered. At last a peasant reported that he had found the body of a respectably dressed woman near the river a few versts from Irkutsk. It was the body of the poor governess. As she had disappeared from the city together with the convict Goolak-Artemovskaya, suspicion arose that

the latter had played her foul in order to git possession of her passport. Searches for the fugitive convict were made with increased energy. She was discovered in the town of Maryinsk, in the Government of Tomsk. She bad assumed the name of the poor governess and used her passport. She was arrested and taken to Irkutsk for trial.