The morning call., 1891-03-01

F=the tap-room with number Of the wedding
quests Fearing lestlle might be-per=uaded
Ia drink more than was good for lin she
hadjust dispatched a messenger to call him
To her-when Nikita made his appearance
n He started back with cry.o surprise as
ms eyes feil*.upQn Marina. HIS mlnd was
reeEtiig under It's load of%remorse and his
.,spnsTs were :stIfDefed with liquor, but the
sil,lit- of The Young woman, so neatly clad in
hers furs :and SO rosy and pretty, set his
scattered thoughts in order, and he stretched
our iiS.uDsteady hand - r
NlAfinai, he exclaimed. Marina. little
Sfafinq!> Then you'll come to the weddIngs
Iitdn't think it - =. ;:' Il =
NV husband is the bridegroom's uncle.
LINK ia said Marina quietly: :" II was my
tts1ih little Marina, murmured Nikita,
stryingt0 lay his hand on her shoulder,
'.ilaye you no word OF pity for me p =.
- ''Pity?7 repeated the young woman in
surprise, as She gently #repulsed him.
f.PitV? Why have younot your rich wife. =
erich wife," repeated Nikita bitterly.
''Oh, Marina, why did you.not save me from
myself p" =. ri
II tried to, Nikta,,Hn. murmured theyoung
woman sadly, as she crossed herSelt,and be-
gan to pray.as her gaze. rested upon Niklta,s
ne was terribly changed: Deep lines
furrowed his cheeks and his eyes looked out
OF their holloYs with the dull glimmer OF
desIair :.:.,.. :. =
80 I'D moi III. 10 1--we, Ihdliud.. BlOdUeu lb
wretched man. ''Oh. Godl If / had only
listened to you. Where shall / go to get
/ away from my sins .? Specterike they fol-
slow me night aud day. This very instant
T hear the demon of darkness whispering in.
E:nly ear, chucklng over my ruin. My life is
Il burden to me, Marina. ! must putau end
F to it or / shall GO mad: Oh, those terrible
| voices. those hdeous forms! Where shall L
g0? Where shall | go?". -: z: = -.
=. With her beautiful eyes raised to heaven
/ ana her lips moving in prayer, Marina stood
/ like an angel Of mercy CONS too late to save.
| suddenly, with a low@cry of horror, Nj
! kita .sRatched up a piece OF rope lying in
E:the straw and began to knot It about his
throat :: T.; =.
Marina uttered shrek of terror, and
| fled toward the tavern crying for help =.
!: Several people rushed to the spot, Anis-
/ sjr among them. -. II. 3: e. :--. a.
/ IT was plainly to be seen that she was
under the influence. of drink. Hurredly.
l#untying the rope, she began TO caress Nlklta.
/ and to heap terms .of endearnlent upon
| him, but he turned from her IN horror ~
1.:@"EOak. look" he burted out "lOok at
! her. What a spectacle! NV drunken. Wife!
! on. God can L not get away from herl
| Must | kill her, too! 1t looks like 1t. L
feel it in my heart"
f. "NShats this nonsense you're talking?"
whispered AniSsia, clutching him by the
| arm DO you want to disgrace us all?
| Come back to the wedding. Everything is
| going Splenululy' every oouN. Is urunE anu
! Happy. Come back and give the blessing.
| It's almost time, you 10 i; can't you see
I.tnat- your nonsense is running matters.
| Come, Pm bit unsteady myself, but | can
| help you along. !,
! drew back as II he dreaded 10 nave AnlsSla
NO. no." he cried out. Pm not so
/ drink as that. You go hack alone. I'll
come presently and give the blessing. Go,
| l tell yOuW
| was somewhat startled at not hearing the
! singing and the notes of the concertina. A
| strange and sudden silence seemed to have
| fallen upon the place. What could it mean !?
| with a wildly beating heart she burst into
| the house There on her knees in the GEN.
| fer of the room was the child Aniutka, her
ewes wandering with wild, vacant stare.
| Her hands were claSped as if in prayer, and
| the bright-colored ribbons which had been
| tipd in her hair hung in disorder upon her
| shoulders. 1t was heartrendng sight, and
/ some of the younger guests had even rushed
| horror-stricken from the room. The moment
| Aniutka set eyes upon her mother she
sprang up and made wild dash toward her,
| encircIing her with her arms and burying
| her face in the folds of her dress, crying out
as she did so in tones so agonizing as to
| hIanch the faces even of the men present.
| "Oh mother, mother, hide me, hide me,
for God will not listen to me- he will not
! fake pity on me! Oh, look, look! It's COM
| ing again-up out of the celar-the ghost,
| the ghost! How pale and white it is 1t
| lives in the hole that papa dug down there.
| Save me, save me, motheri Don't let it
touch me! I'll die if it touches mo! My
| dear God, drive the ghost out of our house;
| drive it away!"
| trjona "A little warm wine Will bring her
out of the fit"
The child was led into another room and
| taken charge of by several of the older
women, while Anissia and MatriOna eX-
erted themselves TO the utmost to bring
mirth and gayety back TO the wedding
feast
BY dint OF Igenerous draughts of wine
and by calling upon the guests to sing the
merriest song that could be chosen, all
thoughts of Aniutka's ghost were soon
| chased away; but curse seemed to be set
nnon the house built by Farmer Peter, and
as fast as one terrible scene came to close
another was ready for enactment.
Scarcely had the old women succeeded
in drugging the child Aniutka into silence
when Nkita's voice, sharp and angry and
yet strangely measured and determined,
sounded In the doorway.
NAY, nay. father" it cried. 81 will not
listen-you must go in-I will not give the
blessings unless you are there. Come along,
come along" and Nikita burst in upon the
astonished guests. dragging his old father by
the arm.
"Its high time yo4 showed YOURSELF" said
one of the guests presenting the holy image
to Nikita, who had halted in the center of
the room, and was glancing from one guest
to another. Come, give your blessings like
sensible man."
But the words seemed to ALL upon deaf
ears;
then his face lighted up and there was a
strange sadness in his voice as he added: =