The Western advance., 1874-03-28

devilry is this!' thought he, and hurried
| in-but here his legs gave way. The
room was full Of dead people. The moon,
shining through the windows, lit up their
yellow and blue faces, sunken mouths
dull, half-closed eyes, and thin, protruding
noses. Adrian recognized in them, with
dread, people who had been buried with
his aid; and in the guest whom he had
preceded the Brigadier who had been in
TERED during the pouring rain. All the
! women and men assembled surrounded
the undertaken, bowling, and greeting
! him; all except one poor fellow, who had
quite recently been buried gratis, and
who, shy and ashamed of his tatters, did
! not venture to come forward, but stood
retiredly in corner. The rest were re.
specially dressed; the women wore caps
with ribbons; those men who had served
| the State were in uniform, but their faces
were unshaven; merchants wore their
holiday c9ttans "Seest thou, Prohoroff,
said the Brigadier, in the name of this
select company, "how we have all risen
at thy invitation. Those alone have re-
mained at home who could not possibly
come, who had quite crumbled to pieces,
or who had no skin, but only their bare
bones left; but even thus, one of them
could not rest-so anxious was he to see
thee"
At that tmoment small skeleton pushed
his way through the crowd and approached
|>Adrian. His skull smiled affectionately
at the undertaken. Bits Of light green
and red cloth and Of old linen hung here
and there about him, as upon a pole,
while the bones of his feet ratified in his
Hessian boots like pestle in mortar
"Thou dost notrecognize me, Prohoroff,' -
said the skeleton. "Dost thou remember
the retired Sergeant of the Guards, Piotr
Petrovitch Kurilkin, the same for whom
| thou soldest thy first coffin, in the year
1799-and one Of pine, too, for one of
oak" So saying the corpse extended his
bony arms toward him; but Adrian, mus
tering all his strength, cried out, and
pushed him from him. Piotr Petrovitch
tottered, fell, and went to pieces.
A murmur of Indignation was heard
among the dead; they stood up for the
honor of their fellow, threatening and up-
braidingAdrian;a ;and the poor host deafened
by their cries, and almost pressed to death,
losing his presence Of mind, fell across
the bones of the retired Sergeant of the
Guards and remained unconscious.
The sunlight had long been streaming
across the bed on which the undertaken
was sleeping. At last he opened his eyes,
and saw before him the maid, blowing at
the charcoal of the sanovGr. Adrian re-
membered with dread all the events
Of the preceding day: Truhin, the
Brigadier, and the Sergeant ap-
peared dim1y before him. He was ST.
lently expecting the girl to begin the
conversation, and to relate to him the re-
suits of the nights adventures
"How thou hast oversight thyself,
Adrian Prohorof, SIR" said Aksinia,
handing him his dressing. gown "Thy
ne1ghbOrs, the tailor and the watchman,
came to thee with the announcement that
it was the saints day of the Commissary
of Police, but thou vast pleased to sleep,
and we did not like to awake thee"
"And did they come to me from the
late Madame Truhin?"
"Late? Is she then dead?"
Fool that thou art! didst not thou
thyself help me to arrange things for her
funeral?"
Hast thou lost thy senses, sir? or have
the fumes OF last nights drink not passed
off yet? What funeral was there yester-
day? Thou didst feast at the Germans
all day, and coming home tipsy didst
throw thyself On thy bed, AMI didst sleep
until this very hour, when the bells have
already rung for mass"
"Indeed!" said the reioiced under
taker.
"Of course" answered Akslnia.
swell, if that is the case, let US have
the semaova1' quickly, and call my daugh-
."-St. Paul's.