Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-04-16
.SATU RDAY PRESS.
The History Of a Dead Man

APRN In. IenI.

ing Oi Tho railroad botwt~n Tnpanrok aud
thatkoi, and I bad 10 mako tho tedious
journey with poathorsca. For tho FIRST
two days the weather was pleasant bat on
tho third morning the heavens woro GOV.
cred with heavy grny clonds, northwoat
wind blow furionAly, thunder, lightning,
upwnAtoa and rain followed, such n
storm m in only to bo found ia southern
Russia, In half mn hour tho roada woro
impaeHabc with black mud md M wo
rcnvhcd tho poat.etation of Donaki wc
found thcro war no moro progroaa for TINT
day. ha entered tho atnton | WINS met
10y tall, dnc.looking, Rrny.hnirod man,
whose black volvot cont with back ward.
falling Grocan sleeves mndo me Judge him
nH holding sOmo military or Official posi-
ton. behind him came bnndaomo
Cossnck woman about hia ago, md both
greeted me kindly In reply 10 my 70.
qucat FOR cup of ton, the woman said,
Husband, nsk tho gentleman If no would
not like ronat chicken with his ton. IL
will be n long timc before ho can mount
his trOikn md continue his journey, mud
lao will find tho chicken tender" IA she
ead this sho glanced lovingly nt the man,
md then left tho room, not before he had
waved n kiss to her M sho closed tho door.
She IL my beloved wife, mud widow,
sir," said bo, turning to mo M took n scat
by tho porcelain stove warming my hands
on its smooth sides. 4" lla ha you laugh,
air but wait until You arc cming your
chicken, and If you wish will tell You tho
history of man who has been dead four.
teen years, and who married his widow"
OF course wns cagor for tho story, and
soon after when my dinner was brought
mo tempting and warm, no drew his arm
chair near my elbow, and began his story.
am nearly sixty years old now, sir ;
my wife nlso. But she was once bcauti-
fuI, good, young girl shc is ns good now
ny then, and perhaps nm partial Judge
yet find her still beautiful"
70 this last statement | nsscntcd and
he continued, :" ! was n wild young fellow,
high.tcmpcrcd, and of n rowing nature. !
was post. master of this station when
married Olga. At first was contcntod, -
she was n loving, good wife,-but ] grew
weary Of my life, and restless for freedom
Ono day, it was in tho year 1913, she
seemed sad, and coming to me, pat her
arm around my neck and said, DO you
really and truly love me, Wnnska p | an.
swered impatiently, oh yes Olga, you
know that do But you don't love mo
ms | do you, she continued. In that mo-
mont evil spirit must have seized mo.
don't know what thoughts passed
through my brain, only it seemed as if she
was right. ] loved her in my way, but it
ncttlod me that | was bound to her for
life and wanted my freedom. AS she
still chung to me, pushed her violently
I.hn c,it ha ,,,.
slowly, she looked at me reproachfully and
left the room without word.
a was wild. / ran to tho stable
Harness mo troika instantly cried to
the hoster. There is n dispatch left hero
by the last courier that | must take to
Chorkon'; make haste In few moments
tho wagon was ready. Paul took the rens,
the bells were ringing clearly in the fresh
air, and without backward glance for
Olga, | was flying from tho station, and in
twenty hours | reached Charkoif. Dismis.
sing the wagon, | went to the post master,
who was my most intimate friend. called
for ink and pen, and wrote letter, which
/ gave to him, saying, DO this favor for
me, and be silent. | want to leave my
wife. In eight days send her this letter,
and ask me no questions. In tho letter
wrote:
"ole. When you receive this letter I shall be
dend Forget mo and marry some man who viii treat
yoq; it was shameful act Keep The station; you can
wASsKA"
"My friend shook my hand, and prom
sod to fulfill my errand, and few hours
later was on my way to the military
bureau Of, where l told them
wanted to enlist for fourteen years in the
Horse Guards, aud gave them different
name from my own. | was tall and
healthy, and they were glad to accept me-
asking me few questions. My hair was cut
short, my beard shorn and in my new
uniform, with glitterng helmet on my
head, rode through the streets of St.
Petersburg, and no one to know me among
the thousands who looked at us as we
passed by. was ambitious, and learned
the routine of soldier life quickly. The
discipline was severe; it was hard to be
obedeut, and as for the freedom / had
longed for, l found | had lost it. Still |
advanced rapidly. ] was soon a sergeant,
and finally became q captain of horse in
the regiment.
Il won distinction in the service. In the
war with Turkey-and later the Crimea-
my time was up, and was seized with a
most terrible homesickness, for of late
years had learned to love my wife
passionately, aud to zee 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 cork.
screw. was offered many advantages if
l would remain in the army, but refused
them all, was honorably discharged, with a
good pension, aud the same day started for
the south, my heart beating wildly between
hope and fear. l reached Charkotf, and
found that my old friend the post. master
WAS dead. My heart tainted with the
thought that Olga too might be dead.
"Who has the post at Donskif' i in.
quired, crossing myself under my long
military cloak.
"a widow was the reply.
1.-The same who held it fourteen years
ago?'
1.-The same came the answer.
"In eighteen hours was there. knew
the two old men who Embarrassed my
horses. They wero former servants OF
mine. But they did not know me in my