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To-day's Short Story.

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To-day's Short Story. A GRAVEDIGGER'S DAUGHTER I A rattle of musketry came from the direc- tion of the village. The old gravedigger, Boloste, wakened by the noise, sat up on his miserable pallet, listened a moment to tibe sharp, quick reports, then called aloud: If MilffiJla.! Milena!" Coming, father, coming!" she answered, a.nd already the little naked feet showed theme-elves upon the rounds of the ladder which led from the loft. Did you hear them, Afilorta?" he cried; the soudicbs of the g-unahotis. They are fight- ing in the village- A violent fit of coughing interrupted his words and another rattling volley. Milena had descended just as she quitted her couoh of straw-a young girl, tall, vigorous, and scantily da,ped in a brief chemise. She had thrown about her shoul- ders a short pelisse of sheepskin, but her Amazon hips showed themselves firm and beautiful under their light covering, and her virginal breasts appeaa-ed an instont, white as polished marble, against the black far. "It is true, then!" said she, leaping the last steps; "it has come at last!" "What, my child?" demamded the sick one. "The revolution has broken out to-night which has been expected so long. "Yes, and a great misfortune it is, too, mumbled Boloeki, and he ctrouohed again upon has oouch. ititena, meanrwhile, hur- riedly arrayed herself in a wadded petti- coat -and. beor father's IMC boots. Binding a scarlet handkerchief about her abundant looks, she went oat to learn what was pass- ing. The cemetery was situated upon a bill sur- rounded by a low earthern. wail, with the hut of the gravedigger standing at its gate. It was an excellent post of observation, yet Milena did not stop there, ba-t passed on into the darkness, beneath the bare branches of the willows, upon which the ravens were already croaking, and with a single careless glance upon the files of tombs, with their leaning crosses. Everything was mournful- a-nd desolate, everything covered by the melancholy shroud of the winter. She ner- self walked in snow so deep and thick it mounted almost to her knees. The cold was terrible; the frozen breath of the night whipped and stung the akin like red- hot needles, but Milena only rubbed her face with a handful of snow, and buttoned the openings of her pelisse cloeer. Below, in the heart of the valley, the vil- 1a,ge had delivered itself to strife and blood- shed, yet hexe upon this sacred ground all was peace. A large croes pose in the middle of the enclosure, to which was attached vthe figure of the dying Saviour. shining icicles pendant from the thorns which crowned His brow and from the nails which pierced His hands and feet. Milena listened intently; not a murmur for the moment broke the stillness. She stopped and gazed up at the heavens, the vast blue vault which seemed to her a satin canopy^ retained in place by golden nails, which sparkled and scintillated above her, while beyond there, on the other side of the forest, rode the red disc of the rising moon. All at once a gliding, crouching form passed her like a flash; a pair of glowing eyeballs glared into her own. "A wolf!" she murmured, and with a't. energetic movement, wherein shone all the savage strength of this phild of Nature, she seized a stone from a neighbouring wall and threw herself forward. A long howl responded to the stroke of her arm, and the hungry beast had gone as it had come a shadow-through those files of tombs and spectral crosses. A fresh crash of musketry sounded 'nfbe distance; another, and still louder. Mileun traversed at a run the slope of the road which led to the viliage, and at the begin- ning of the first houses met a neigtiDoar and a wounded man, the wife, whom ,he knew well, supporting tihe husband, whose blood dyed the snow at every step. What is We matter?" demanded Milena. The peasants of our village," replied the man, and of Makouloff are struggling with the insurgents down by the cafe atnd the little wood. All goes well, however; the ( eeqtbes are sharp, and do their bloody mowing; the heads of tihe rebels fall like grain!" So!" said Miilema, and aha aided the peasant to place ihfer husband in bed amd to bind his wounds; then retraced her steps to tranquilise her father. An hxxur later a loud knocking Bounded upon tbe gate of tibe oemetery. See what it is, Milena," said the grave- digger again, and Milena, obeying the com- maud, opened th-e wicket obstructed by frost, to oodbafore it at row of sledges encompassed b-y,horc,emen,l tb,& barrels of their toUgfceta an,d,rtboa-tUCeEf"Of their sickles sparkling? m the rays of the moon. Came, open the gate, old molef" shouted a voice from tihe crowd; open the gate, and open quickly. We bring yoa & score of ddstiarguietoed guests f" "But I want no guests," replied Boloeki, from the interior; I am ill, as you know well; I dare not go out on a nri&fet like thie." 111 or no," cried the voice again, the work must be done." "Well, bury tihem yourselves, then." We cannot; we have (not time." In that case," said Milena, brusquely, Shutting the wtoket to end the discussion, tis I will who will bury them for you/t And she went out to open the gate to the four loaded sledges, bearing the bodies of the dead insurgents, and to the conquerors, armed with their Noody sickles amd gleaming scythes. "Throw them there, upon the snow," said she to the mayor of the village, who greeted her as she appeared with a friendly nod. I'll start the business for you aA the rising of the sun." No," staid the Ma<yor, that would not be Christian; the wolves and ravens are already waiting to -do their work; they must be burled now. You will receive for the job the usual sum; to addition to that, two quarts of brandy, and, for your back, a new pelisse. Is it a bargain ?" "A bargaiin." she answered! "I'll begin when you say, and with arms akimbo and robust fists upon her hips the regarded the defile of peasants and sledges rapidly discharging their score of dead. Her beautiful face remained impassible; pity seemed a stranger to those ibam-d features, and yet what charm, what passion, in those great bliack eyes, in that sensitive nose, in ttoat firtm, severe mouth! The mayor counted the money into her hand, placed the bottle of brandy on the snow beside -her, and the sledges slowly drew on again, the peasants following in tiheix wake as silently as they had come. But the pelisse?" demanded Milena. To-morrow, when the work is done." And the mayor also quitted the cemetery, and Milena took up her spadle, and with a great swallow of brandy commenced to dig the first trench, crooning as she worked the words of am ancient gravedigger's eoog. The sad melody, monotonous and slow as befitted the scrag of the dead, was accom- panied by the dull ringing of the iron upon the frozen ground, the distant howling of the hunrgxy wolves. Another swallow of brandy, another swing of her muscular arms, and so it went till the trench was done, and Milena, waiting a [" EVENING EXPRESS" PHOTO. ST. PETER'S BOYS' SCHOOL, CARDIFF.-CLASS IV. A beautifully-printed photograph, mounted on cardboard, ready for framing, of any of the School Classes which have appeared in the Evening Express will be Given free in Exchange for 24 Front Page Headings, not more than six weeks old, cut out and sent to this office. This offer applies only to groups marked Evening Expraos" Photo. moment to regain her breath, gazed on the corpses. Twas doubtless you," said she to an old man with long white surls, clad in rich clwak trimmed with zibeline, and in whose girdle I sparkled a superb yataghan, 'twas doubtless you who led the band. Well, this time, too, you shall go before." And she took hiim in her arms like a little child, descended into the trench herself, and gently laid him upon the ground. With the Others she was not so ceremonious; an arm a leg, a shoulder, anything, in short, that helped to lift and toss them to their bed in the ditch served her purpose. "But, God help me!" she cried out sud- denly, as before her in the snow my stretched a bleeding trunk; "God help me, if it isn't the Lord of Kamiez, ttoat cursed Tmrk and oppressor of the poor!" And she struck the face of the head that lay beside the trunk a blow which sent it rolling like a badl to the depths below. Another swallow of brandy, a new body in the hole, then, securely closed, Milena was ready to begin a second. In the meantime the moon, rising Me-ner and higher in the heavens, wrapped iti its wan light the silent graves, the crucifix, the thatched roefs of the now sleeping village and the vast and soundless plain. And again, the second trench ready, Milena approached another group of the dead; the face of the first one was covered with blood which had run from a cut in the head. At the same instant she heard a sigh, a long, shuddering breath that came from his body. Milena drew back hastily. Courageous as she was, she felt her hair rise upon her head, and soon she saw that rigid body begin to stir. — He stall lived, then- There was no Km'ger' a doubt of it! She caught him in her arms in order to succour him, rubbing with snow that face begrimed with blood and powder, and ohafing his frozen hands. In a moment bis eyes unclosed. Valerian!" The name upon Mlena's lips was- tialf a scream and half a qrry of menacing anger. "Yes, Milena, 'tis I, VaJerian! Save me! I beseech you, by the wounds of the Saviour, save me!" She shook her head brusquely, thrust him from to ijiier feet. ""Save yeoat" aatid she; with a calm more terribl-e than either rage or the joy of a glutted vengeance; when it is God that has delivered, you into my bamas! You betrayed me; you now belong to me! Piray to your God, Valerian; perhaps he will be merciful, but from me erpoot no pawdon "You home forgotten then, Milenia, forgotten lw>w I loved you!" No, I have forgotten nothing: but you, what ¡have you done with ail those vows? You, who ruined me, who then in spite of everything, left me for another ? I shall not spate you, b6 of that!" "You will' not kail me?" nwirnrured the, unhappy one Kill you? No!" She smiled with aglecdal irony which made mm shudder. I shodl only do my duty-I slsall <bury yoa, as I have received ttte order!" "Bury me?" cried Valerian; "bury me- living?" "Why not?" responded .Milena, with a. burst of cruel lougihter; I must earn the Sheep- skin far my .back which, tibe 3notyor promised me!" Have pity, Milena, for God's sake, bave pity!" "Did you have pity upon, me?H she axl*wered sternly; you, who have vowed me to sorrow- and shame! This for your beautiful love, behold it!" And she seized him by the shoulders and sought to thrust 'him in; but be, with that frightful death 'before him, had risen to his feet, and a turions struggle began between them; a. hopeless struggle, too, for soon Valerian renounced all thought of wresting laimself from the embrace of this savage area/ttire. From loss of his Mood his strength was goTie from him-be was but a child in her cruel grasp! Mercy, Milena, I beseech you, mercy!" Shoe responded with a. disdainful foot thrust which sent him rolling into the gaping hole. A last time he struggled to his feet, his airms outstretched and clasping her knees with supplicating gesture. But his prayers only Tendered her more ferocious still. She caoght up 'her spade and struck his (hands; their graep relaxed; she struck again, a second blow, a third blow- he fell! And Milena? Milena, with one hand clenched upon ber spade, the other doubled upon her hip, stood there a.nd heard him -groaning; stood there amd oomtemplated ihimwith. cold fierce eyes and voluptuous pleasure. -now, Vzlerian. M Now," said ahe, at last, now, VPierian* you are mine!" Then she began to crumble the earth .between her fingers and to fill in the ditch, to fill it in and stsmp it down, as she had filled &nd stamped the 6rst, her voiœ, firm and oleo-r as ever, risiB? always in the chorus of her sinister &on?, and always aocompairkd by Nile sound d the clods faHing one upon the other, by the ring of the spade, by the caw ing of the crows circling hungrily above the heap of yet unourkxi dead! And in the eaft the first grey ligilits of the coming morning slowly spread themselves across the heavens, pale and cold as the smile upon the faces of the frozen day.

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