Year: 1871




would owe his glory to his love for her


Now came the sad news to George
and Prascovia, just as they were pre-
pairing to celebrate their marriage, thai


the eonscription demanded the former


and he was not permitted a single houl


of respite. The poor bride was IL


despair, and SO wrought upon Cathe


rine's heart that she pledged herself tt
find a substitute for her brother for al


least fifteen days The substitute she
had in her mind was no other than her
self. She hurried away to assume {
suit of her brothers clothes, and, a.
the villagers were making merry ove1
the marriage of George and Prascoyia
Catherine stepped OH board the .shis
an enlisted soldier, under her brother,
name George Savourski, and on hel
way to the scene of war.


NJ


The brave hearted Catharine submit
led fo all the riGofs of c8pit life with
the same fortitude and strength of pur
pose that she had shown in conquering
her love for Peter Micaelof for he1
lovers good. She found herself the
| CGtStft1f6STtSs
and had the privilege of more, offers of
drink and more, kisses than she would
have voluntarily chosen. Still, she
would keep up. with all the customs
rather than to run any risk Of betrsying
her sex. One day she thought that this
was certainly discovered, as she noticed
a corporal named Gritzenko, watching
her closely and constantly. She began
to hum the Cars "Sacred March,
the same which George and Peter used
to play together oil th6 fute-wken
Gritzenko stopped her, telling her that
it was forbidden. Then the corporal
made a confidant of her, telling her
how he was complaining bitterly of the
Czar few days before, when an officer
passed by and heard him, This officer
had then given him twenty coppecks, a
sum which had been renewed daily ever
since, and also paper in which he was
told that he would find orders as to
what he was expected to do for the
money. The reason why the corporal
confded In Cathari1le now became APP
parent. He began to think that it was
time the orders were executed, and he
did not yet even know what these or
ders were, as he could not read


Catherine took the scroll and began
to read: "For every soldier that you
can induce in our project, you shall
have ten coppeeks"


"What project2" asked the corporal


Catherine was ahout I'd Proceed with
the reading when the colonel came in,
and at sign from the corporal, she
fastened to conceal the paper.


The colonel and his officers were
hotly discussing an order from the Czar,
to the effect. that the officers of the
army should be subjected to tie knout, !
as well as the common soldiers, for their |
offences against discipline They swore
vengence against the Czar, and it was
evident that there was already d plah I
of action prepared.


Orders now came for the preparation
of a special tent for two officers from
the general staff. and Catherine was
one Of tie s6iifinels placed on guard |
outside She would have been sur
prised enough if she could have seen
Peter and Danilowitz come in with |
other officers, the former in Captains !
and the latter III q fieutenant's uni |
form. The others were soon dismissed,
and Peter and Danilowitz remained in
the tent. They soon agreed upon a
revel, and began to drink long and
deep. Their merry making inside |
aroused Cathe1ine's attention, and |
though she Knew that cdridsity was
crime in the soldier, she felt that it
would be excused if they knew that she
was a woman, and so she began to peep
through the tent. She could scarcely
| believe her eyes, when she saw her two
old friends, so gorgeously attired,
sitting within, but she was satisfied
that it was no other than Peter when
she saw how much and how often he
drank. She watched them with great
interest, until they sent for couple of
the Viuondieres, to whom they began
to make love-after the most disslpated
fashion. This was too much for the
poor girl to bear she felt her heart
breaking at the sight, and yet she could
not tear herself away as she heard the
corporal's guard coming. Thus it was
that her misdemeanor of prying into an
officers tent was discovered. The cor
poral endeavored to drag her away,
when, forgetting her soldiers station
and falling back on her womanly pre-
rogative, she slapped his face.


The corporal entered complaint to
Peter, as a high officer, at once, and
Peter ordered that the soldier who had
slapped the valiant corporals face
should be shot at once. At this,
Catherine threw herself at Peters feet,
exclaiming


"Look, Peter, it is [. For Gods
sake listen to my voice u


But the fumes of the liquor had
already gone to Peters head, and he
ordered the refractory soldier to be
dragged away to death. It was only
after they had dragged her out, and at
the prompting of Danilowitz, that he
recalled the familiar tone of Catnerlne's
voice Then he gave orders for her
immediate return, offering rewards for
| it and threatening death to the corporal
| if he should not succeed. He waited
! impatiently for the corporals return.
The latter reported that he had been III
time to save the soldiers life, but that,
as he was bringing him back, the young
man had thrust paper into his hands,
and then jumped into the river to swim
| across it. The corporal did not tell,
however, that he had fired a shot after
1.-THE swimming soldier. He then deliv-
cred to Peter the papers which had been
confded to him.


Peter read "I've been betrayed by
YOU, and now farewell forever. But l
take my revenge by making your for
tune. Garry the enclosed papers to the
/ Gar, and he will refuse you nothing =


Danilowitz looked them over and
found, indeed, that they contained the
names of the conspirators, and their
plans to give up the battle field to the
| Swedes. He had scarcely finished their
perusal, however, when he saw the con-
spirators closing in about them. The
conspirators demanded to know Of Peter
and Danilowits whether the latter
would join in their cause. They refus-
/ ed, and Peter exhorted them not to be-
| tray their country and their own honor,
' out of revenge on the Gar.


2 IF you viii go and win this battle
as you should, " he said, in closing his
{ speech, "I will pledge myself to deliy-