Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-08-23


nights the weather was lovely, but
on the third morning, soon after
sunrise, the sky became covered
with heavy, torn and Jagged clouds,
a northerly wind arose, and with
thunder, lightning, cold gale and
snow, the winter burst on MS as it
yearly breaks on southern Russia.
In half an hour tho rich black roll
ling plains had become an ocean OF
inky mud, and we reached the post
station of Donski, only TO find the
order; "Impossible to proceed"
called for tea, and the samovar
was brought in by fine, upright,
gray bearded man, whom, from his
black velvet tunic and slashed
sleeves, | took TO be the postmaster
MA&lf.bHe& asfalloxed into the
loplpfg A. poblosloqking .lCossack
woman Of his own age, who said !:
''latuobuAbsnd, Why don't you ASK.
the lord il .bsy will eat partridge
ana III Odf bread q Tho kurup-
sks islaump, aud tho day will be
long before his troilxa can be har-
messed to face tho storm She
smiled sweetly as she spoke-he
smiled lovingly upon her; then she
left us, looking. lingcriugly back.
"Xourwifcsis in love with you
self,~ehd ven withhcr, postmaster
said. "You must have treated
her well When she was young for.
her to love-yon 50. How long is it
since YOU We're marrie'i ?"
81 am sixty" he replied; al was
married at,twenty-fve, thirty-iivo
years ago; eve years before died."
"What z" said L. ~ r
"Fivo years before my death. Is
it possible that You don't know my
story! You must have come from
a long way of, for I have heard
that it is told even upon the Azof."
And throwing his leg across a
chair, without more ado, he spoke
TINS :-
81 was born in 1909, and can re-
member the return from Paris Of
my father aud uncle--Cossacks of
the, Don Those were grand days,
when every cossack was an officer
by, birth, aud when the Herman
Piatoif was King of Europe, con
queror of the Turks and of the
French, and equal Of the white
tsar. Now, this Petersburg tear
says that we're no better than his
Great Russian slaves, and for years
my saber and long pistol have hung
upon the wall unused and when |
have worn my red banded cap and
my red striped breaches, I've al
ways hid as much. as | could of the
stripe in my-boots, for Pm ashamed
of it now !; and they're even going |
to take away our privilege of the
supply of salt.
ain 1884, as young postmaster
for my father was dead-with
good plale and a handsome beard,
was the best match in the two
church villages round. / could,
and | chooses Olga, that you saw just
now"
"There," saidI. fl..-e .t.'
"Ah, wait and see! Wait, little
lord, Don't be impatient. Olga
vss sslovely as She was good
You have seen her in her sixtieth
year may be no unsafe judge, her
beauty is not yet gone.D -i.a.. p
He looked at me / nodded.
'ssWewere happy at, first but I
was young. 1 felt the chain. Twas
faithful to her as far as woman went,
but not kind. We had no children.
One day in '39 she was in low spirits
about me, and flung her arms upon
a sudden about my neck, with
DO you really love me, JohnF
"'You know ! do
"'But not as I love YOU
"At that very moment, lord
the devil must have been unchain-
ed from hell. To tell you what
thoughts flashed in an instant
through my mad mind would be
impossible. That what she said
was trpei That, whileI did love
her IN a kind or way, ! was bound
tolber foslife, whether I would or
no. In fit of wild rage | struck
lier one short, sharp blow. She
lsoked at me With despair in her
eyes, and walked slowly away into
our other room. l ran into the
ssable-ssrd o1ei hrs sci