Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-11-04
and kew. as you would keep some pre-

and almost menacing air, II were 10
relate what saw to the commandantT
At these words she darted away,
singing, and disappeared like fright
ensd bird. :,
The night came. / told my Cossack
to prepare the tea urn, lighted wax
candle, and sat down at the table, smok-
Ing my long pipe. l was drinking my
tea, when the door opened and heard
the rustling of dress. rose hastily
and recognized my siren.
She sat down silently beside me and
| fixed me with a look which made me
rremble: one of those magical looks
which had troubled my life in earlier
days. Her countenance was pale as
death. In its paleness / though could
see the agitation OF her heart. her
| fingers stuck mechanically on the
table; her body seemed to shudder; her
bosom rose violently and the moment
| afterward seemed depressed.
This species of comedy tired nie at
last, and / was about to bring IL TO an
end In the most prosaic manner oy
offering my fair visitor cup OF tea'
when suddenly she rose, and taking my
head In her hands gazed at me with all
| the appearance Of passionate tender-
ness.
A cloud covered my eyes, and l
wished in my turn to kiss her, but she
escaped like snake, murmuring as
| she did so, Tonight, when everything
| is quiet, meet me on the shore" Inen
she disappeared, upsetting as she ala
so nv tea urn and my solitary light.
"She is the very mischief!' cried my
Cossack, who had been looking out LOT
his share Of the tea. =,
He then lay down on the bench, and
gradually my agitation subsidized.
"Listen," said to him. III you
hear poistol shot, hurry down as fast
as you can to the shore"
He rubbed his eyes, and replied me-
chemically, "Yes, SIR"
placed my pistol in my belt ana
went out. The siren was waiting 1or
me at the top Of the path leading down
to the sea, lightly clad in stuff which
chung to her waist like scarf.
Follow me-" she said, taking me by
the hand.
We walked down the rocky path In
such manner that L cannot understand
how failed to break my neck. Then
we turned sharply to the right, as the
blind boy had done the night before.
The moon was not yet up. Two little
stars, like the fires of lighthouses, re-
lieyed the darkness. The agitated
waves lifted and let fall In regular
cadence a solitary boat close to the
shore.
"Get in" she said. hesitated, for l
confess that | have not the least taste
for sentimental excursions on the sea.
But it was impossible to refuse. She
leaped into the bark, followed her,
and off we went.
"What does all this mean?" said,
getting angry.
ut MEANS" she replied, making me
sit down on a bench and putting her
arms around my waist, sit means that l
love YOU" Her burning cheek was close
to mine and l felt her hot breath in my
face. Suddenly heard something fall
into the water. lnstinctively my hand
went to my belt. The pistol was no
longer there.
A horrible suspicion seized me. The
blood rushed to my brain. looked at
her. We were far from shore and l
could not swim. tried to escape from
her embrace, but she held me like a
cat, and almost succeeded by sudden
jerk in throwing me out of the boat,
which was already on one side. l con-
trived, however, to restore the equilib-
rum, and then began, between my per-
fidious companion and myself, a desper-
ate struggle, in which | employed all
my strength, while feeling that the
abominable creature was overcoming
me by her agility.
"What do you mean?" / said to her,
squeezing her little hands so tightly that
heard her fingers crack; but whatever
pain may have caused her, she did not
utter word. Her reptile nature could
not thus be overcome.
"You saw u.s." she cried at last. 'You
want to denounce u.s." Then by rapid
and violen effort she threw me down.
Her body and mine were now bending
over the side of the frail craft and her
hair was in the water. The moment
was a critical one. l got up on my
knees, took her with one hand by the
hair, with the other by the throat, and
when | at last compelled her to unclutch
my clothes threw her into the sea.
Twice her head reappeared among the
foaming waves. Then l saw her no
more.
In the bottom Of the boat found an
old oar, with which, after much labor,
succeeded in getting to the shore. AS
walked back to the hut by the path
leading to the sea, looked toward the
place where the night before the blind
boy had been awaiting the arrival OF
the sailor. The moon at this moment
was shining in the sky, and fancied l
could discern on the seashore
a white figure. Filled with Gu
riosity, concealed myself be-
hind a sort of promontory, from
which could remark what was going
on around me. What was my surprise,
and / almost say my joy, when / saw
that the white figure was my naiad?
She was wringing the water out of her
long, fair locks, and her wet dress chung
to her body. A boat, which I could just
see in the distance, was coming toward
us. Out of it sprang the same boatman
whom had seen the night before, with
the same Tartar cap. l now saw that
his hair was cut in the Cossack fashion.
and that from his girdle hung large
knife.
"Janko," cried the young girl, "all is
lost"
Then they began to talk, but In so
low voice that could not hear them.
"Where is the blind boy?" said Janko
at last, raising his voice.
HE will be here soon," was the an
swer.
At that very moment the blind boy
appeared, carrying on his back packet
which he placed in the bark,