The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-02-07
THE SLANDERER.
BY ANTON CHEKHOY.


history and geography, Ivan Petrovich
Loshadinikh. The wedding feast went
| on swimmingly. They sang, played and
danced in the parlor. Walters, hired for
the occasion from the club, hustled about
hither and thither like madnen, in black
frock coats and soiled white necktics. A
loud noise of voices smote the air. From
the outside people looked in at the Win
doWs-their social standing gave them no
right to enter.
Just at midnight the host. Akhineyev,
made his way to the kitchen to sec
whether everything was ready for the
supper. The kitchen was filled with
smoke from the floor to the ceiling; the
smoke consisted of the odors of geese,
ducks and many other things. Victuals
and beverages were scattered up OH two
tables III artistic disorder. Maria, the
COOK, stout, red-faced woman, was
buSy1nS herself near the tables.
Show me the sturgeon, dear" said
:Akhlneyev, rubbing his hands and lick
ing his lips. What fine odor! | could
Just devour, the whole kitchen! Well,
let me see the sturgeon!'
Mar1a walked up to one of the benches
ana carefully lifted greasy newspaper
Beneath that paper, in huge dish, Law Il
big fat sturgeon, amid capers, olives and
carrots. Akhineyev glanced at the stur-
geon and hcaved a sigh Of relief. His
lace became radiant, his eyes rolled ur-
der He bent down, and, smaclSing his
lips, issued sound of a cracking wheel.
tie stood awhile, then snapped his:
lips once more.
wv, bah; The sound Of hearty kiss.
Whom have you been kissing there, Mar
1usha: someone's voice was heard from
the adjoining room, and soon the closely
cropped head of Vankin, the assistan.
school instructor, appeared in the door
here? A-a-ah! Very good! Sergey Kapi-
tonich: A fine old man indeed! With
the female sex tete-a-tete!'
Il wasn't kissing at ALL said Akhin-
eeyev, confused; "who told you, you fool?
only-smacked my lips with regards to
sight of the fish,
"Tell that to someone else, not to me-
exclaimed Vankin. whose face expanded
into a broad smile as he disappeared be-
hind the door: Akhineyev blushed
'"The devil knows what may come out
of this'' he thought. Hell 30 about
tale-bearing now, the rascal. He'll dis
grace me before the whole town, the
brute"
Akhineyev entered the parlor timidly
and cast furtive glances to sec what
Vankin was doing Vankin stood near
the piano and, deity bending down,
whispered something to the inspectors
sis STR n; who was Laughing; i:
'".About me, the devil take him! She be-
lieves him, she's laughing. My God! No.
that musH't be left like that. No. Ill
have to make it so that no one should
believe him. I'll speak to all of them,
and he'll remain foolish gossip in the
Akhineyev scratched his head, and,
still! confused, walked up to Padeko i.
IL was in the kitchen little while ago,
arranging things there for the supper"
he said to the Frenchman. "You like
fish, l know, and have a sturgeon of
that length: About two yards. Ha, ha,
ma! Yes, bXy the way, l have almost
about that sturgeon in the kitchen. CHI
tered the kitchen little while ago and
wanted to examine the food. l glanced
at the sturgeon, and, for pleasure, l
smacked my lips-it was so piquant! And
just at that moment the fool Vankin en-
tered and says-ha, ha, ha-and says:
'A-a! A-a-ah. You have been kissing
here with Maria; just think of it. with
the cook! What he invented that block
head. The woman is ugly. she looks like
What queer fellowv'
who's a queer fellow?" asked Taran-
tuloy, as he approached them.
Il refer to Vankin: I went out into
The story of Maria and the sturgeon
was repeated.
THAT makes me laugh. What queer
fellow he is. In my opinion it is more
pleasant to kiss the dog than to kiss
Marfa," added Akhineyev, and, turning
around, he noticed Mzda..
I'VE have been speaking about Van.
kim" he said to him. "What queer fell
low. He entered the kitchen and noticed
me standing beside Maria, and immedi-
ately he began to invent different stories.
'What?' he says, you have been kissing
9 Sa S %aen He was a,n1k 50 he
would rather kiss duck than kiss Mar
fa.. And l have wife, said I, you
fool He made me appear ridiculous"
'Who made you appear ridiculous?" in
luired the teacher of religion, addressing
Akhineyev.
''Vankin. 1 was standing in the kitch-
en-, you know, and looking at the stur-
geon,'' And so forth, In about
half an hour all the guests knew the
story about Vankin and the sturgeon.
''Now let him tell" thought Akhine-
yev: rubbing his hands. Let him do it.
him short: Don't talk nonsense, you
fool! We know all about it. 80
And Akhineyev felt so much appeased
that he drank, for JOY, four glasses of
brandy over and above his fill. Having
escorted his daughter to her room, he
went to his own and soon slept the sleep
of an innocent child, and on the follow
ing day he no longer REMEMBERED the
story of the sturgeon. But, alas! Man
proposes and God disposes. The evil
tongue does it's wicked work, and even
Akhineyev's cunning did not do him any
good. One week later, OH Wednesday,
| after the third lesson, when Akhinevev
stood in the teachers room and discussed
the vicious inclinations of the pupil Wis
yekin. the director approached him, and
reckoning to him. called him aside.
'See here, Sergey Kapitonich," said
the director: pardon me. 1t isn't my
affair. yet I must make it clear to you.
nevertheless. 1t is my duty. : :
You see. rumors are on foot that you
are on intimate terms with that woman
with your cook. r It
isn't my affair, but You may
kiss her. You may do whatever
you like, but, please, don't do it so open
ly! beg of you. Don't forget that you
are a pedagogue."
Akhineyey stood as though frozen and
petri6ed. Like one stung BY a swarm of
I@o "