Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-08-16
THE DUEL

/ trOvna took a letter out of her pocket,
which she showed to GOlubenkO, and
then put it back again.
"She is such dear girl! And so
good"
Ivan Golubenko, listening to her talk
sat as if on red-hOt Goals. He want
ed to interrupt her flow Of words, to
tell that everything was at an end,
that her Vladimir was dead, and that
in one short hour nothing would re
main to her Of all her bright hopes;
but he listened to her and kept silent
Looking upon her good, gentle face,
he felt a convulsive gripping in his
throat.
But why are you looking so gloomy
to-day?" the old lady at last asked.
'Why, your face looks as black as
night"
Ivan wanted to say "Yes!" And
yours will be the same when I tell
you'll" but instead of telling her any
thing, he turned his head away, and
began to twirl his mustaches.
Pelageia Petrovna did not notice it,
and, wholly absorbed in her own
thoughts, continued:
81 have a greeting for Lenochka
writes that l should give Ivan Ivano
witch her regards, and should compel
him to come with Vladimir and pay
her a visit You know yourself how
she likes you, Ivan IvanOvitch!- No,
| it seems | am not able to keep it to
myself l must show you the letter.
Just see for yourself how loving and
sweet it is"
And Pelageia Petrovna again took
out the package of letters from her
pocket, took from it a thin letter
sheet, closely written, and unfolded
it before Ivan Golubenl1o, whose face
had become still gloOmier, and he
tried to push away with his hand the
extended note, but Pelageia Petrovna
had already started to read:
Dear Pelageia Petrovna-When
/ will the time arrive when | will be
! able to address you, not as above
! but as my dear, sweet mother! l
am anxiously awaiting the time,
and hope so much that it will
soon come that even now | do not
mama"
Pelageia Petrovna lifted her head,
and, ceasing to read, looked at Golu-
benko with eyes suffused with tears.
"You see, Ivan Ivanovitch!" she
added; but seeing the Golubenko was
biting his mustaches, and that eyes
too were moist, she rose, placed a
trembling hand upon his hair, and
quietly kissed him on the forehead.
Thank you, Ivan Ivanovitch,' she
whispered, greatly moved. Il always
thought that you and Vladimir were
more like brothers than like simple
friends Forgive mel am so very
happy, God be thankful"
Tears streamed down her cheeks,
and Ivan Golubenko was so disturbed
and confused that he could only catch
in his own her cold bony hand and
cover it with kisses; tears were sui
locating him, and he could not utter
a word. but in this outburst of moth
erly love he felt such a terrible re-
proach to himself that he would have
preferred to be lying himself upon
the field, shot through the head, than
to hear himself praised for his friend
ship by this woman who would in hall
an hour find out the whole truth; what
would she then think of him? Did not
|, he. the friend, the almost brother
!, stand quietly by when revolver was
pointed at Vladimir? Did not this
brother himself measure the space be-
tween the two antagonists and load
} the 'revolvers? All this he did him
self, did consciously; and now this
friend and brother silently sat there
without having even the courage to
fulfill his duty.
He was afraid; at this moment he
despised himself, but could not pre-
vail upon himself to say even one
word. His soul was oppressed by a
strange lack of harmony; he felt sick
at heart and sitting And in the
meanwhile time f1eW-he knew it, and
the more he knew it the less had he
the courage to deprive Pelageia Pc
trovna of her few last happy mo-
ments. What should he say to her?
How should he prepare her? Ivan
He had had already time enough to
curse in his thought all duels, all
quarrels, every kind Of heroism, and
all kinds of so-called questions OF
honor, and he at last rose from MS
seat ready to confess or to run away.
Silently and quickly he caught the
hand of Pelageia Petrovna, and stoop-
ing over it to touch it with his lips,
thus hid his lace, over which tor
rent of tears suddenly streamed down;
impetuously, without another thought,
he ran out into the corridor, snatch
ing his great coat, and then out OF
the house without having said word.
Pelageia Petrovna looked after him
with establishment, and thought:
HE also must be in love, poor tel-
low Well, that is their young sor-
row before happiness!"
And she soon forgot him, absorbed
IL