Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-05-26

my mad mind would be impossible.
That what she said was true That
while did love her in u kind way,
was bound to her for life whether |
would or no. in fit of wild rage |
struck her ono short. sharp blow. She
looked at me with despair in her eyes,
and walked slowly into our other room.
| ran into the stable yard. "Harncss a
troika," said to the starosta. II leave
at once 70: Kharllof with dispatches that
the courier dropped, and that Eve found
upon the floor. Quick quick the best
courier horses :" In an instant they were
ready. Merrily jingled the bells in the
crisp air. Paul took the reins, and off
whirled. In twenty hours | was at
Kharkof TO my friend the starosta at
the Kharkof station. who was equal in
rank and pay to most postmasters them
selves, said: do me a service, little
friend, as l would do one for you. !
am going to leave my wife, to whom /
have been uukind, and am going to en-
list in the guards But | wish her to
forget me, and she must think me dead,
Write to her in week and tell her that
| was taken with the cholera and died.
Beg her to forgive me for my un-
kindness ; say that | was grateful for
her love. and that it was my last wish
that she should marry again some lad
more worthy of her than myself. Make
interest to have the station continued to
her as postmistress. She was preachers
daughter and can write.
eve crossed ourselves; he swore; we
bowed to the image in the corner of the
stable, we kissed, and in five minutes |
was gone. At the recruiting Office en-
listed for the empress regiment of cut
rassers of the guard as fourteen years
volunteer and in false name. I'd of
course no papers, but they asked no ques-
tons, for | was fine recruit. My beard
was shaved, my hair was cut, and when
| got to Petersburg and was fitted with
uniform aud caglecrowncd helmet no one
would have known me | rose to be
sergeant and second riding master. From
your padarojna | see that you are Eng
lish. Now, in 1858, when had served
my time, there were rumors Of war, in
Turkey against you, and tempting offers
were made to me to stop and drill the
new recuits But | was wretched, and
home sickness drove me south, though
if ! found my wife dead or married
again intended to kin myself Peters
burg is not a place for Cossacks either
BY brooding over the past bad become
madly in love with my wife. 1t was no
use for me to tell myself that had left
her well off; that she was married again
and happy, that she was forty-four and
fat; or else, perhaps. a scarecrow. l
was madly in love. [ got my discharge
and pension papers, and started south.
At Kharkof my friend was dead
What if she too were dead who keeps
the Donski post-station nowY l muir
murod, crossing myself the while under
my long cloak. The widow A widow
that has kept it fourteen years )? Tho
same"
"In eighteen hours / was there
recognized two of the old men, but they
not me rushed into the house. She
was at her day-book writing not changed
Only grayer, and with silver in her
black hair. My own litlle 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 to her and felt her heart, with
mine, too, all but ceasing to beat. In a
moment she came to herself-our lips
fast glued together. That was in 1853
This is 1869. Sixteen years gone like a
day We have made up for the past, lit
tie lord.
"But would you believe it? That
wretched government at Petersburg in
sists that am dead, and that the Don
ski station is kept by my widow Or
else they say the cuirassier riding mas
ter must be dead, and with him bis pen
sion My widow accepts the situation
with a smile, for our neighbors all know
better than to believe the government,
but she keeps the books, signs the re-
ccipts and pays the taxes. ! draw my
pension in my cuirassier name.
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