Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-10-06
A ROUMANIAN FEUD.

est He suspects Dragomir, a fierce,
morose man, whose family has been at
feud with Paron's for generations, and
retaliated by setting fire to his enemy's
barn, destroying all the winters store of
corn. Dragomir has gentle young wife,
and sister like himself, a handsome,
fearless girl, stronger than any of the
village lads, and dreaded for her sullen
beauty and sharp tongue.
Dragomir revenged the burning of his
barn by mutillating the schoolmaster's
COW. He cut two pieces out of the poor
beasts hide one night, and took them
home to make into sandals. Paron
heard of is next day, and meeting San
da. accused Dragomir of the act. Sanda
did not answer.
"Speak, or shall shake it out of you,"
he cried.
She looked at him calmly.
You cannot shake me; you are too
weak. reader of booksl All you are good
for is to set fire to barns by night, when
no one is by!"
She went on, looking straight before
her. Parcn turned yellow with rage.
"You shall pay for that" he said, be-
tween his teeth.
81 will tell you what" said an old
peasant. ''you should marry that girl.
She is strong and able to work hard and
it will make an end to the old feud."
'Marry her!" cried Paron. 81 will be
drowned in the Otto frstl But l will
leave her such a token that she shall
never forget me to the day of her death!
She shall be so humbled that she will
never dare to open her mouth or show
her face again"
Paron kept his word. He waylaid
Sanda in the forest, as she was carrying
some fowls to market, threw her on the
ground and cut off her beautiful hair
close to her head with his knife Then he
left her. She leaned against a tree and
sobbed-fOr the first time in her life. A
woman who had lost her hair was difig-
ured forever.
She wandered in the woods ali night,
crushed and broken, and came home in
the early morning.
'Since when do you run about by
night like this?" asked her brother an
grily.
"Since have not dared to show my
self by daylight" she answered, putting
the handkerchief from her head. "Avenge
mel" she cried, as she went q, out of the
room, shutting the door behind her.
She never showed her face out of
doors after this. Her brothers wife, the
gentle Anca, whom she relieved of the
hOusework, fetched the water from the
well, and did the marketing. But when
Dragomir suggested any plan of re-
venge, Sanda always had some objec-
tions to make, and never had any advice
to.give.
After awhile Dragomir was forced to
go into hiding. The children OF the VII
lage had thrown stones at him, and pro-
voked him to fetaliate. He had injured
some of them; the parents laid COM
plaint against him; he was fined, and
being unable to pay, was driven from the
place like wild beast.
There was spell upon Paron. He
had not been able to throw away the
long blade of hair he had cut from San
da's head; he kept it and it bewitched
him. He forgot the feud in thinking of
her. He came to the house one night
and knocked at the window. She open
ed it, and he spoke to her. She answer
ed tiercely, disdainfully, but still she an
swered. DragomiI, hiding in the woods,
heard it all, and laughed. He saw his
way to a sweeter scheme of vengeance
than ever, and thought that Sanda
would help him.
But Sanda was changed; strange
thoughts had come to her. And ParOn
came again and again, and at last she
knew that she loved him-the only man
that had ever got the better of her. For
the first time in her life she knew what
fear was. She dreaded Dagromir's ven-
geance, and was worn out with terror
and anxiety. AT last she consented to
fly with Paron across the frontier. She
came out on the night appointed, and
found him waiting by the well, with his
horse. They rode away, and had nearly
reached the Pennsylvania border when
Dragomir came up with them. He esprang
on ParOn and stabbed him, dragging
him from his horse and striking again
and again, but carefully avoiding NOR
tai blow, so as to prolong the agony.
Sanda saw it all, and stood like one par
alyzed, leaning against the horses sad
die. When Paron no longer gave any
signs of life, Dragomir turned to her,
all covered with blood, and said:
"Thanks, sister, for having given him
to me. We have settled with him for
ever. Laugh, Sandar'
And Sanda laughed, so long and ter
ribly, that even he was afraid of her.
"Come! be quietr he said, land think
of what we have to do, so thht l may
not be caught. What good will my
do me, if they send me to
the Ocna mines?"
Sandals look became fixed.
81 know how to prevent it. Come
down to the river and wash your face
and hands"
She mounted and rode back. He fol-
lowed her. The vultures slowly began
to come down.
AL! oetlu uc, DIS uo SelZcu G1t UTlulo,
''let them clean up the place. They will
seek him long enough then"
Sanda did not answer-She stared at
him indifferently.
"Are you not afraid me?"
"Afraid! What should | be afraid OFF"
"Of the punishment am reserving for
you. am preparing foretaste of hell
for you, my dove! that will do you good"
"Come, wash yourself, or you will go |
to the Ocna minesr she said, qnietly, as
though she had heard nothing.
They had left the ravine and were on
The top of the sheer cliffs which over
hung the Otto.
"Can We get down that way?" asked |
Sanda.
"No," answered Dragomir.
He let the horse go and leaned over
,he edge to look.
AGO and wash yourself ~
The words were hissed into his ear.
IL L. Al