The Cairo bulletin., 1911-07-31
"A GREWSOME
REVENGE
By PETER c. DolioNOF
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.


which is very curious. Instead OF
man asking girl to marry him, girl
who wishes Il man for husband goes
to his house and asks him to marry
her. If he declines and turns her out
her relatives will be revenged upon
him. so he may stay on, IL she likes,
till he suceumhs or concludes to take
a thrashing from her big brother.
Peter Hazielvich while living In a
region where 1t was customary for the
man to propose met young girl Mt
dance and afterward courted her, She
listened to his lovemaking, expecting
every day that he would propose to
her. But Peter delayed and, finally
meeting another girl he liked better,
ceased his attentions to the first and
bestowed them on the second.
Five years later Peter was living,
single man. among those people whose
marriages were arranged by the wo-
mans making the first advance, He
had failed to win the second girl he
had courted, and his attentions were
not renewed to the first. Indeed, the
lifted girl, Katherine Dronsky, gave
every evidence that II he came court
Ing her again he would catch tartar,
One day Katherine, while attempt
Ing to kindle n fire BY pouring kero-
sene oil on It, caused an explosion.
She was badly burned, and on recoy
ering her face was a mass OF sears.
One day Peter was at work on his
farm In his new home when he saw
a woman go into his house. She be-
ing yelled, he could not see her face.
At once he suspected that one OF his
neighbors was intending to make him
q proposition of marriage. This dis
concerted him, for he had not seen
any woman In his neighborhood
whom he would like to marry except
one, whom he did not believe wanted
him. But the thought that 1t might be
she filled him with pleasure. At any
rate, anxious to know who had IA
vored him, he threw down his imple-
ments and went to the house.
There, standing in his living room.
was Katherine Dronsky. the girl he
had Tilted.
This is what she said:
"Peter, hearing that you had come
to this country, never having been
able to conquer my love for you,
concluded to come too. We-my moth
err, my brothers and myself have
bought farm near yours, and /. hear
ing Of the custom Of this country by
which the girl instead Of the man pro-
poses marriage. have come to ask you
to be my husband"
Peter quailed before the look she
gave him-a look Of hate. revenge. tri-
umph. sTt froke the very marrow In
bis bones. He stood looking upon the
horrible face confronting him like one
paralyzed by u specter. He knew
Katherine's brothers and that they
had been bitter against him for his
desertibn Of their sister and had she
willed 1t would hove punished him.
Now, doubtless. they were ready to
support her III this revenge she had
evidently set her heart upon.
"You don't seem pleased to See me,
Peter" the woman said scornfully.
I'm not so beautiful rs I was when
you courted me, but have the same
heart At any rate. II there is any
change of heart you have caused 1t. so
yours Is the fault. They tell me here
that when q girl goes to mans
house to propose marriage she remains
there IL she likes till he accepts her.
I have come here to stay"
She took OFF her wraps and. Going T.
the fire, sat down before II. Peter
stood for awhile wondering II 1t would
do any good to throw himself on her
mercy. But he decided otherwise. He
went back to his work.
He had one hope--that since there
was no one but himself In her house.
no mother, no sister, perhaps Kath-
crime would consider 1t improper to
stay there with him, End she surely
could not force him to make ii proper
by marrying her. There was an out
house on the premises used for the
storage Of farm implements, and dur
Ing the afternoon he saw Katherine
carrying bedding and other furniture
there. SO this hope died In his breast
Instead 1t gave him a slight comfort
He would be free from her during the
night.
And so the two entered upon new
| life, the one Of endurance, the other
OF revenge. Peter never spoke to her,
and after her proposal she never spoke
to him. She cooked her own food In
the clubhouse, and Peter cooked his In
the farmhouse. Peter grew lean and
haggard. and his eye after time had
the look of one whose mind ls on the
point of giving way. He worked on
his farm from early morning TIL as
late as he could see, never going into
his house except for his meals. Kath
crime kept In her own quarters except
for about an hour after Peter quit
work, which she spent in the farm
house with him.
One night the neighbors saw lurid
glare in the direction Of Peters house
and, going there, found 1t on fire. Kath
crime rushed out OF her quarters and
seeing the fire, called on Peter to come
ont. He came TO a window, and she
hnUrrnl Sc. A