The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-07-27
THE HISTORY or a DEAD MAN.
FROM THE RUSSIAN.

post horses. For the first two days
the weather was pleasant, but on
the third morning the heavens were
covered with heavy, gray clouds, a
northwest wind blew furiously
, thunder, Lightning, snow flakes, and
rain followed-sueh storm as is
only to be found in Southern Russ 1.
In half an hour the roads were I'M
passable with black mud, and as we
reached the post station of Donski
we found there was no more pro-
gress for that day. AS | entered the
station | was met by tall, fine
looking, gray-haired man, whose
black velvet coat with backward
falling Grecian sleeves made me
judge him as holding some military
or official position. Behind him
came a handsome Cossack woman
about his age, and both greeted me
kindly. In reply to my request for
q cup of tea, the woman said, Illus
! band, ask the gentleman if he would
not like a roast chicken with MS
| tea. 1t viii be a long time before
he can mount his troika and contin-
ue his journey, and he viii find the
chicken tender"
| rs she said this she glanced low
ingly at the man, and then left the
room, not before he had waved a
kiss to her as she closed the door.
"Shc is my beloved wife, and wild
ow, sir, said he, turning to me as l
took seat by the porcelain stove,
warming my hands ON its smooth
sides. "H! ha you laugh, sir, but
wait uatil you are eating your chick
en-, and If you wish l viii tell you
the history of q man who has been
dead fourteen years, and who mar
ried his widow OF course | was
eager for the story, and soon after
when my dinner was brought me
tempting and warm, he drew his arm
char near my elbow, and began his
story.
Il am nearly sixty years old now,
sir; my wife also. But she was
once beautiful, good, young girl j;
she is as good now as then, and per-
haps ! am a partial judge, yet | find
her still beautiful. "
To this last statement l assented,
and he continued:
II was wild young fellow, high
tempered, and Of rowing nature.
[ was postmastcr of the station when
l married Olga. At first / was con-
tented-shc was . loving, good wife
but | grew weary Of life, and rest
less for freedom. One day, It was
in the year 1S4S, she seemed sad,
and coming to me put her arm
around my neck and said, DO you
really and truly love me, Wanska-2.'
II answered impatiently, oh, yes,
Olga, you know that i do. But
you don't love me as / DO you she
continued. In that moment an evil
spirit must have seized me. I don't
know what thoughts passed through
my brain, only it seemed as if she
was right. / loved her in my way,
but 1t nettled rue that / was bound
to her for life, and | wanted my
freedom. As she still clung TO me,
| pushed her violently away, and
she fell to the floor. Rising slowly
she looked at me reproachfully and
left the room without q word.
II was wild. | ran to the stable.
Harness me a troika instantly |
cried to the hostler. There is de-
spatch left here by the last courier
that | must take to Charkoif; make
haste. In q few moments the wag-
on was ready. Paul took the reins,
the bells were ringing clearly In the
fresh air, and without backward
glance for Olga, | was flying from
the station, and in twenty hours 7
reached Charkoff.
"Dismissing the wagon, I went to
the postmaster, who was my most
intimate friend. l called for ink
and pen and wrote letter, which /
gave to him, saving, DO this favor
for me, and be silent. | want to
leave my wife. In eight days send
her this letter, and ask NE no ques-
tons In the letter | wrote:
"OLGA: When you receive this
letter l shall be dead. Forget me
and marry some man who viii treat
You better than I have done. For
give me for striking you, it was
shameful act. Keep the station !;
you can write, and can hold It as
well as I. Heaven bless you.
WANsIA.
@My friend shook my hand, and
promised to fulfil my Grand, ard a
few hours later l was on my way to
the military bureau Of -, where !
told them / wanted to enlist for
fourteen years in the Horse Guards,
and gave them a different name
from my Own. | was tall and heal
thy, and they were very glad to ac-
cept me, asking me few questions.
My hair was cut short, my beard
shorn, and in my new uniform, with
a glittering helmet on my head, !
rode through the streets Of st. Peters
burg, and no one to know me among
the thousands who looked ut us as
we passed by. | was ambitious,
and learned the routine of soldier
life quickly. The discipline was Sc
we're; it was hard to be obedient,
and as for the freedom l had longed
for, l found | had lost it. I was
soon a sergeant, and finally be-
came a captain Of horse in the regi-
ment.
II won distinction in the service.
In the war with Turkey-and later
the Crimea-my time was up, and |
was seized with most terrible
homesickness, for late years | had
learned to love my wife passionately,
and TO see her again, even though
she were the wife of another, was
my only thought. | wondered if
she had changed in all these years );
if she had grown stout as beer
cask, or thin as a corkscre Y. | was
offered many advantages if / would
remain in the army, but I refused
them all, was honorably discharged,
with a good pension, and the same
/ day started for the south, nv heart