The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-02-05
Pvc found upon the floor. Quick! quick
the best courier horses" "

I've found upon the floor. Quick quick !
the best courier horses"
''ln an instant they were ready Merriy
jnglcd the bells in the crisp air. Paul took
tho rcins, and of | whirled. In twenty
hours was at Kharkof. To my friend tho
starosta at tho great Kharkof station, who
was equal in rank and pay to most post
vice, little friend, as I would do one for
you. l am going to leave my wife to whom
| ! have been unkind, and am going to enlist
! in the Guard. But wish her to forget me,
and she must think me dead. Write to her
| in week, and tell her was taken with
the cholera and died. Beg her to forgive
me for my unkndncss. Say that l was
| grateful for her love; and that it was my
last wish thtt she should marry again, some
lad more worthy Of her than myself. Make
| interest to have the station continued to her
| rs postmistrcss. She was priests daughter,
and can write.
owe crossed ourBcves; he swore; we
| bowed to the image in tho corner Of the sta
bic; and in five minutes was gone"
"At the recruiting Office enlisted for the
Emprcss's regiment of Cu!rassicrs of the
Guards aa n fourteen years. volunteer, and
in false name. I'd of course no papers,
but they ask no questions, for I was fine
iSSio uhy bCulh Was SlluSCu, lily ualr
was cut, and when got to ST. Petersburg,
and was f.:cd with my uniform and eagle
| crowned hcmlct, no one would have known
me. rose 10 be sergeant and second rid
ing-master. From your padarojna l sec
that you are English.
''Now, in 1868, when l had served my
time, thcro were rumors Of war in Turkey
against you, and tempting offers were made
to me TO stop and drill the recruits. But
was wretchcd, and home. sickness drove me
South; though, if found my wife dead or
married, again, | intended TO kill mvsclf"
Petersburg ls not q place for Cossacks
either. BY brooding over the past, ] had
become madly in love with my wife, It
was no uso for me to tell myself that had
left her well off; that she was married
again and happy; that she was four,y-four
and fat; or else, perhaps scarccrow. |
was madly in love. l got my discharge
and pension papers, and started South At
Kharkof my friend was dead. What il she
too were dcad2"
"'Who keeps the Donski post station
now? l murmurcd, crossing myself the
while under my long cloak.
The widow
"A widow that has kept 1t fourteen
years2'
"In eighteen hours was there. recog-
niscd two of the old men, but they not me.
l rushed into the house. She was at her
day book, writing, not changed; only gra-
yer, and with silver in her black hair. Ny
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 to her and felt her heart, with
mine, too, all but ceasing to beat In q
moment she came to hcrsclf-our lips press
cd together. That was in 1853. This is
| 1869. Sixteen years gone like day. We
have made up for the past. little lord.
"But would you believe it2 That wretch
ed Government at Petersburg insists that
am dead, and that the Donski station is kept
by widow. Or else, they say, the cuiras-
sier riding-master must be dead, and with
| him his pension. My widow accepts the
situation with smile, for our ncighbors all
know better than to believe the Government,
but she keeps the books, signs the receipts,
and pays the taxes. draw my pension in
| my ouirassier name. .....