Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-07-02


thought that FIoriora, too, had been murdered
asWell as Lenk. But the love of life was strong
Mitnln MIN; and he had revenge within him.
lie saw ledge of a rock at no great distance
and by desperate leap in spite of his burthep,
gained 1t. The men below stood awestruck
another desperate leap. A shot or two was
nred without effect. Another gigantic spring,
anu ne reached place from which he could
scramble back towards the summit of the hill
In prief, he escaped, and an hour afterwards.
Ionnd himself safe in distant retreat where he
sal down and wept all the remainder of the
day, even until the going down of the sun, for
the loss of his Floriora
ltwas after this incident that Michael became
known In Wallachia as the Mokan. Under that
na"e ne committed many ruthless deeds prin-
eipaily against the Boyards because he soon
learned that the attacking party which had de-
Prived him OF his happiness had been directed
Oy the steward Of the Lord Bibiano. who by
some means not explained, had discovered that
the fugitive slave was living, and had learned
the secret OF the double entrance The Mokan
tried TO learn what took place after he effected
ms escape. lie found the body of Lenk from
which the soldiers had cut the head as trophy
but thore was no trace of Florora. Perhaps the
certainty of her doom would have left him less
miserable. lie tortured his mind with refec-
lions ON what might have happened to her
jealous passion sometimes almost drove him
mad lie inquired of the pcasantry SSme
said she had been killed; others that she had
Oeen taken away to prison; others that she had
escaped. The last supposition, the Mokan
treated with contempt, because he believed if
tl0riora were at liberty she would fi nd her way
u MS SIDE. Thus time passed, and by degrees
Michael hardened and hardened and the terror
oil his name filled the whole country.
Nearly ten years afterwards, when his son
had grown to a tall, 1.-the boy W ho looked much
Iaha
hlm to fair, annually held at village on the
Iransylvanian frontier, at the foot of the Krap-
sacks. convent of women stands at no great
distance from the village, and the Mokan. dis
guised as bulgarian merchant asked per-
mission to sleep in the all of Strangers. This
was readily granted, and the father and son
lay down upon a mat, and reposed after the
fatigue Of the day.
1he inhabitants of the convent had all come
out curious to look at him; many had chatted
with MIN while he ate his supper. In the dead
OF night, woman, nun by dress, bearing a
lamp, cautiously entered the room, and. ap-
proaehlng the sleepers stood over them and
gazed in wonder at their faces-in wonder and
love; Tor moment afterwards his wife was ON
her knees embracing the rough face of the ban
dlt, VINO awoke. Ho gazed on the pale suffer
lHg lace before him and, as he gazed a vision
OF youth and beauty took its place "Floriora.
U, my Floriora, Thou art not SO changed as T
am - Then they fell into each others arms
and wept bitterly
She had contrived to eScane fron ber o,r-
tors; but believing that her husband and child
were Killed, repaired to that convent and asked
Tor hospitality. She had not taken the veil
the piouS ailachIan story y-tellers particularly
insist on this pOint-because only unmarried
and free women were received; but she had
remained for ten years as a kind Of lay sister
doing menial services for the others They had
afnnIFp1 a n lair Ior
that which lord has over a serf 81 shall
not oe allowed to 60 with my lord" said
she, faintly smiling, i" if the morning finds me
here"
Michael arose; and, shaking the boy who
still slept bade him follow They went forth
into the night together. For the second time
the M0kan abandoned the wealth he had
amassed, and thought only of preserving the
iittie Flower Many were the dangers and
suHeIings they encountered in the passage Of
the Carpathlan mountains; for Michael had
resolved to try his fortune in another land.
The pilgrims travelled on foot, but Floriora
never complained Of fatigue. On the contrary,
sue every day seemed to grow younger and
younger; and when they at length crossed the
frontier, she romped with her son who was as
tall as herself, in field by the margin of a
stream, while Michael sat on a fallen tree. and
looked gravely on, through tears of Joy.
Thus they went on and on in good old story
book style, until they came to the Banat of
Iemesawar, In the capital of which the late
bandits son contrved to open a shop, and to
settle down as peaceabe citizen. The lovers
OF the marvellous took the Mokan up at a much
later period OF life, and made him a guerilla
hero In one OF the wars between the Turks and
Russians, during which he espoused neither
side, but inflicted injury Oh both. There is no
reason, however, for supposing that he ever
LETT Iemesawar again. He had enough to do
to make Flower happy after her long period of
misfortune We do not understand him, if be
did not think her beautiful as when the
dawn first revealed her countenance to him in
the forest hiding-place. Michael. the younger
soon grew up, and had brothers and sisters
some OF whose children may be in Temesawar
to this day.-Homsehoid Words.