Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-09-18
EVENING STAR.
DEAD-ALIyE

called for tea, and the samovar was
brought in by a fine, upright, gray bearded
siashed sleeves, i took TO be the postmaster
himself He was followed into the room by
woodworking Cosssck woman OF his own
age. who said: Little husband, why don't
you ask the lord II he will eat a partridee
and bit of bread? The kurupatka Is plump.
and the day will be long before his troi ka
smiled sweetly as she spoke-he smiled low
ingly upon her; then she LEFT us, looking
lingeringly back.
"Iour wife's In love, with you still, and
you with her, postmaster" L said lyon
must have beaten her well when She was
young for her TO love you so. How long Is il
since You were married?' 81 am co /" ne
replied; 81 was married at 2S, IS years ago
five years before died" "whatY" said r
Five years before my dealt. Is IL possible
that you Cont know my story? You must
have come from q long way or for have
heard that II is told even upon the Azofm
And throwing his legs across chair with
out more ado he spoke thus 81 was born In
lstS. and can remember the return from Paris
OF my father and uncle-CoSsacks OF the Don
Those were grand days when every CosSack
was an officer by birth, and when the Het-
man PlatoI was king OF Europe, conqueror of
the Turks and of the French and friend and
equal OF the white tear. Now, this Peters
Dprg tSsr say That were no better than his
oTeat Russ an slaves, and for years my saber
ana long pistol have hung upon the wall
unuseds aud when have worn my rsd bapd
ca cap anu my red-striped brooches I've AL
ways MA as much as could of the Strfpe in
my boots, for I'm ashamed of IL now and
they're even going TO take away our nriyi.
iege OF Tue supply OF salt. In lisa, as young
postmaster, for my father was dead with a
good place and handsome beart I was the
best match in the two church village rnund
could PICK my wife, and chose Olga, that
you saw just Row."
There said /.
"Ah, wait and see? Wait. little lord. Don't
BEN be imfratient, Olga was As lovely as she was
goodness is what IL was, and, though may
be an unsafe judge. her beauty, think, is not
yet gone"
He looked at me. nodded
We were happy at first, out was young
felt the chain. was faithful 10 her as far
as women went, but not kind. We had no
children: One day, in 1859, she was in low
spirits about me, and flung her arms upon a
sudden about my neck. with DO you really
love me, little John@ You know 1 do
moment, lord, the devil must have been
unclaimed from hell. To tell You what
thoughts flashed in an instant through my
mad mind would be impossible. That what
she said was true That, while did love her
IN a Kind of way, / was bound 10 her for life
Thether would or no. In ut OF wild rage
looked at me with despair In her ewes. and
walked slowly into our other room 1 ran
INTO the stable yard. Harness a troika.'
SAID l 10 the starosta. Il leave at once for
kharkof with dispatches that the conrier
dropped, and that I've found upon the do,r
Quick! quick! the best courier horses In
The bells IN the crisp air. Paul took the
Te1ns, and off i whirled. In twenty hours I
was at kharkof To my friend the starosta
at The great hharkof station, who was e0uaI
In rank and pay 10 most postmasters them
selves. said do me sci vice, little friend
as would do one for you. / am going 10
ledNe my vile, 10 whom ha We been unkind
and am going 10 enlist in the guards Rut /
wish her 10 forget me, and she must think
me dead. Write TO her in a week aud tell
Der that was taken with the cholera and
died. Beg her 10 forgive me for NV unkind-
ness; say that L was grateful for her love
ana mat IL was my last wish that she should
marry again some lad more worthy of her
than myself. Make interest 10 have the sta
uon continued 10 her as postmistress. She
was priests daughter and can write' We
crossed ourselves; he swore; we boyai 10
the image in the corner OF the stable. yve
kissed, and la five minutes / was gone
Al the recruiting Office / enlisted for the
Empress's regiment of cuilaSsiers OF the
guard as fourteen years volunteer and
In false name. I'd OF course no papers buf
they asked no questions, fof was a fine re-
cut a. NY nearI was shaved, my hair was
htted with my uniform and eagle-crowned
helmet no one would have known me. rose
10 e ne sergeant and second riding master.
from your padarojua see that YOU are Eng
Ilsh. Now, in 1853, when / had served my
time, there were rumors OF war in Turkey
against you, and tempting offers were made
10 me 10 stop and drill the new recruits. But
1 was Wretched and home sickness drove me
south, though If found my wife dead or mar
again iuJeLuSu 70 XIII myself. Peters
burg Is not place for CosSacks either Ry
brooding over the past j had become madIy
IN love with my wife. IL was no use for me
10 tell myself that had left her well of: thar
she was married again and happy; that she
was "A and tat; or else, perhaps. a scare
crow. was madly in love. / got nv dis
charge and pension papers and started SOUTH
AZ hnatkof my friend was dead What if
she, 100, were deac? who keeps the Donski
poststation now? L murmuIed Crossing
myself the while under my long cloak. sThe
WldoW.' "A widow that has kept il fourteen
years. The same IN eighteen hours was
there. recognized two OF the old men, but
they not me. rushed into the house. She
was at her daybook writing, not changed
only grayer, and with silver in her black
halr. MY own little Olga in the best style
OF old days. She did not turn to look at me
but threw up her arms and fell forward ON
The table. rushed 10 her and felt her heart
with mine, too, all but ceasing to beat In a
moment she came 10 herself-our lips glued
together. That was in 1s53. This is lSll9
Sixteen years gone like a day. Wehaye ma Ia
q p for the past, little lord.
But would you believeit? That vretcbed
government at Petersburg insists that am
dead, and that the Donski station Is Fept nv
my widow. Or else, they say, the cuirassier
rldlng-master must be dead, and with him
his pension. My widow accepts the Situa-
ton with smile, Tor our nei gibbons all know
better than 10 believe the government, but
she Keeps the books, signs the receipts and
pays The taxes. draw my pension in nv
culrassler name. A great Petersburg noble
who was passing here last week told me
that the postmistress and were souits i'm
the fashion, WDat did ha raaao