Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-13
; A:POSTMASTER'S TALE.

- called for tea and the samovar was
brought in by fine upright, gray. beard
ed man, whom, from his black velvet
tunic and slashed sleeves, took to be
the postmaster himself He was followed
into the room by noble looking Cossack
woman of about his own age, who said.
"Little husband, why don't you ask the
lord if he will eat partridge and a bit
OF bread2 The kurupatka IS plump and
the day will be long before his troika can
be harnessed to face the storm" she
smiled sweetly as she spoke-he smiled
lovingly upon her; then she left US, look
ing linseringly back. -.
"Your wife's IN love with you STILL and
you with her, Postmaster" said 1. "You
must have beaten her we'll when she was
young for her to love you so. How long
is it since you were married?"
II am CO., he replied; II was married
at rs, IS years ago-fve years before I
died."
sWhat!'' cried:
give years before my death. Is 1t
possible that you don't know my story2
You must have come from long way off,
for have heard that it is told even upon
the Azof."
And, throwing his legs across chair,
without more ado, he spoke thus:
II was born in 1909, and can remem-
Der che return from Paris of nv father
and uncle-Cossacks of the Don. Those
were grand days, when every Cossack was
an officer by birth, and when the Hetman
Platof was King 81, Europe, Conqueror of
the Turks and Of the French, and friend
and equal of the White Tsar. Now this
Petersburg Tsar says that we're no better
than bis great Russian SLAYER, 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
stri ped breeches, I've always hid as much
as could of the straps in my boots, for
I'm ashamed of it now; and they're 60
ing to take away our privilege Of the sup
ply of salt.
Gin 1884, as young postmaster-:for
my father was dead-with good place
and a handsome beard, was the best
match in the two villages round. could
pick my wife, and chose Olga, that you
saw just now"
"There?" said I.
"Ah! wait and see. Wait a little!
Don't be impatient! Olga was as lovely
as she was good. You have seen her in
her Goth year. Her goodness is what it
was; and, though I may he an unsafe
judge. her beauty is not yet gone,"
he looked at me. nodded.
''We were happy at first; but I was
young. felt the chain. l was faithful
to her as far as women went, but not
kind We had no children.
Zone day, in 1889, she was in low
spirits about me, and flung her arms up
on sudden about my neck, with DO
you really love me little, John2'
"You know I do"
"But not as I love you"
ITO tell what thoughts flashed through
my mad mind in an instant would be I'M
possible. That what she said Is true.
That, while I did love her IN kind of
way, was bound to her for life, whether
I would or no. In fit Of wild rage
struck her one short, sharp blow. She
looked at me with despair in her eyes,
and walked slowly into our other room.
ran into our stable yard.
'Harness troiko,' said I to the
starosta. Il leave at once for Kharkof
with dispatches that the courier dropped,
and that I've found upon tho floor. Quick !
quick the best courier horses
"In an instant they were ready. Mer-
rily jingled the bells in the crisp air.
Paul took the relns, and off l whirled.
In twenty hours I was at Kharkof To my
friend and starosta at the great Kharkof
station, who was equal in rank and pay
to most postmasters themselves, I said.
"Do me service, little friend, as would
do one for you. I am going to leave my
wife, to whom have been unkind, and
I am going to enlist in the Guards. But
I wish her to forget me, and she must
think me dead. Write to her in week,
and tell her that Iswas taken with the
cholera and died. Beg her to forgive me
for my unkindness. Say that I 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 con-
tinued to her as postmistress. She was
priests daughter and can write"
''We crossed ourselves; be swore: VIC
bowed to the image iu the corner Of the
stable; and in five minutes I was gone.
at tho recruiting Office enlisted for
the Empress regiment OF Cuirass1ers of
the Guard as fourteen years. volunteer,
and in false name. I'd of course no
papers, but they asked me no questions,
for I was q fine recruit. My beard was
shaved, my hair cut, and when J. got to
St. Petersburg, and was fitted with my
uniform and eagle-crowned helmet, no
one would have known me. rose to lie
sergeant and second riding master. FROM
your padaroina I see that you are En-
glish.
s.Now, in 1853, when I had served my
time, there were rumors of war in Turkey
against you, and tempting offers were
made to stop and drill the new recruits
But I was wretched, and homeslckness
drove me south; though, if I found my
wife dead or married again, intended
to kill myself.
Petersburg is not place for Cossacks
either. By brooding over the past I had
become madly in love with my wife. II
was no use to tell myself that !. had left
her we'll off; that she was A and fat; OF
else, perhaps, a scarcecrow. I was madly
| in love.
"Igot my discharged and pension pa.
pers, and started south. At Kharko1
my friend was dead. What If she toe
were dead las : =
,sWho keeps the Donski post station
nowa" I murmured, crossing myself the
while under my long cloak. ed. "a: = T
I''The widow! 49,, ... ~ -.
"a widow who has kept it fourteen
years7 49,, NJ ....
aThe same .as%7@2 -: - 49, IT,.
ain eighteen hours I was there. re.
tcognized two Of the old men, but they
mot me. ] rushed into the house. She
j Naa At her daYbook writing NOT chang.