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, , : . , DARKEST RUSSIA
" , , < , , ' uy I ( . GRATTADONNELLY. ,
t : : ; . ' : CopyrlFbt , 181H1 , by Street Smith AU rights rCI/Cnclt
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! j : : . . r # : , " ; . - CHAPTER XIV-Continued
/ : ' Humors of IlIla' comparatively ) hap
py lot In the ISllrl\\'nll's house Ilt
Strnlensl had reached them , and hall
relieved them of apprehension as to
her whereabouts and condition. As
long as she was so near and until
nome word waR heard regarding Olga ,
they determined to make no effort : to
- escape. The time they remained they
J felt was not wasted , for Alexlll : was :
convinced that Cobh was : not Idle ,
and that he would soon gel tidings
from his friend.
Mallei's were In this coalition when
I\n event occurred which changed the
f
whole aspect of affairs , and which had
a momentoulI : hearing upon ) the lives
and fortunes of the exiles.
. , , : , :1 : { : ' ; The work on the roads to which
.
4. . - ' , ' ' ' ; , assigned
. , , : Ivan and Alexis had been
' was In charge of an officer named
, Onasoff-a coarse and brutal man of
no education The fact that Alexis
' lI ' of their attainments '
" ' . . and Ivan , by reason
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-r \ n. ment8. had been excused from mann
. , . . .
' ual labor , and hall : been detailed as
J petty overseers , rankled In his heart .
, , ; ; . . ; ; . ' : t He hated them for their superiority
_ ' over the class he was accustomed to
commnnd , and lost no opportunity ) or
venting upon them his spiteful natmc
nut It WitH only after the party of exIles .
Ile left Chlta and Onnsoff was placed
in command , when for the time lIellll
he was supreme , that he hall the full ,
opportunity he craved to show his
hostility to Iran and Alexl ! A failure
; to salute him when he passed-and
- : ; ; : ' of passing a dozen
--:7 : ' , , - ho made a point }
_ . ; , , times an hour ; the slightest cessation
lu their work , even their con\'ersa'
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- . - - "CCYI INL" L/STE7V D
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. . . ZAGA'PLY TO EV PY FYQPD"
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i : ) tion , was made a pretext ) for venting
his brutal rage upon the helpless ex'
lies They well knew that remnon- .
trance or resistance were equally futile . I
, tile , and submitted in silence to the
insults and jeers and Insulting epi
thets launched at them by the brute
who hall them in his po\.er.
,
' But there was It limit to their en'
durance
One morning a poor } fellow named
, Helmanoff found himself ! so ill that
" when the orders were given to fall In
ho was unable to respond The ofih- I
cel' ran to where the prostrate man !
:
- lay suffering , and with the remark '
_ ; . - that he would allow no shamming In
r , his command , kicked the helpless sufferer .
ferer in the face
Alexis sprang forward
"Well ! " said Onasorf , "what rIo you
want , ? "
. "The man Is ill-do not treat him
- . - , ' like that. "
; : Onasof drew his hand and struck
. . ! ' : . 'r' at Alexis Ivan sprang up at the same
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1 > ft : ' , , ; moment and stopped the 1I10w.
.
- . " ' It was enough
. ' . Onasoff's orer8I'e gl\'on The
- : - soldiers ; rushed upon Alexis and I wan ,
. minute bruised and bleed
' J and In a ,
\ ' . . . " - ( ins , they were borne to the ! earth and
placer ! .In irol1s Then under a strong
guard ! , they were nut relied to Chltlm
and charges preferred against them.
'fhcl.r punishment In the first place
was to be deprived of all privileges ,
and to he compelled to lake their
I
places with the common convicts , .
while ! awaiting the decision of the governor - !
ernor or the province on the charges
which Onusoff hall fOl'Wal'llel1.
When these chargeR were rehu ' ned ,
after examination by the governor , he
hall endorsed thereon the punishment
of the exiles
The sentence was that Alexis and
Ivan were to lie sent Immediately to
hard labor ) In the dreaded mines or
Karcl I
CHAPTER XV.
A Mutual Reco1nltlon. !
It was the close of a winter day-a
winter day In SllIerla Heavy snows
had been prevailing for R week ) , and
the roads were , In Homo places , al
most 1 impassable from the drift/ / The I I
winds howled mournfully through the
pines , and ever and anon there was
borne the sound that of all others
sends the most fearful dread to the
heart of the 1o&e < traveler In SllIerla-
the bloodcurdling cry of a pack or. .
famished wolves. )
But the howling of thc wolves and
t he piercing blasts of the wind had no
terrors for two men who sat In the
large hall of an etape or exile station
von the road from Chlt1ia to Nertch
IIISI Copious draughts of steaming
hot \ 'odIsat ] on the table before
them , while the warm atmosphere of
the apartment waR In decided con
tract to the bitter temperature which
prevailed out of doors
"Go on with the letter , " said the
elder of the two men , addressing his
companion , who had stopped reading
some communication while he swallowed .
lowell n generous supply ) of the fiery
\,0111\1\
Nicholas ! Karslcheff-for the two
men were Constantine Karslcheff and
his son-lifted the letter which was
on the tallle before him and resumed
the reading of Its contentsConstan' /
tlno listened eagerly to , . every word
"Three months after your departure
from S1. Petersburg , " so the letter ran ,
"that irrepressible American , whom
\\'a met at the Nazinloff fete , was married -
I'lell to the Baroness von Hhlnehel' !
The ceremony tool place at. the American .
Ican mlnlstm"s residence , and was one
cf the hrllllnnt social events of the
seafon "
"Curses on them both , " Haiti Nicho-
hw "I alllays thought that time ha
! 'Ones : : ! was a fool-now I know It "
Nicholas dill not explain that once
he had tried to make matrilllonial
overtures to the baroness : : hlllljelf , hut
hall been 1'0 qlllcll hut effectually repulsed -
pulsed ) that he never renewed the at-
temllt.
" 'Vhat else ? " said Constantine . Impatiently '
patiently , "Read on "
"Count Nazlmoff , as I suppose you
have heard , " continued Nicholas , readS
lng , "I'eslgned his position as mhnis-
tel' of police ) within a few months
after taking office He secured the
sworn confession of one Kishkin a
Nihilist who had beets captured during ,
'
Ing your memornhl raid on their
rendez\'ous This confession , I am
told puts au entirely different lighten
on the guilt oC Alexis Thc story goes
that Alexis merely went there to see .
the girl llda , and that ho refused to
take any oath of secrecy , and de'
uO\\I1c'd \ the conspirators , even going
so far , with the aid of Ivan Barosky.
as to attempt to capture them These
facts have been laid before the czar ,
apd I should not lie surprised to hear
that their pardons were Issued at any
time "
"Damnation ! " Constantine could
Maud It no longoI' He jumped to his
feet and strode HI' ' and down the
room lIe had aged perceptiblywith. .
in the year. and the hard . cruel lines
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, : boat h5 ! .U1outh were deepened amid
Intensified by what he had endured.
For , "Inco 1\0 last saw him In St.
Petersburg , he had suffered cnon11 !
humiliation to make 111m a biller man ,
On his way to assume the post to
which the czar had assigned him on
his deposition ( rout the ministry or
lOlIce ho had glvon expression to his
feelings In no unmeasured language ,
One remark-that the czar should get
dictionary containing a definition oC
the word "gratlhHlc"-bRc\ \ rev
Ported back to St. Petersburg , anti
came to the ears or the czar hlnuelt
The result wad ! that when Iarslchet
reached his destination he found his
commission af ! civil and military gOY'
error revoked , and received an order
degrading him from his I'auk. He was
detailed to take charge RS c.ol11mnnd.
" : t rf an cavil' : i , GI' exile station , on
I limo road to the mines , and warned
hat any further expression ! deroga
tort' to the czar would he followed by
Imprisonment at hard lallor ,
The etape at which we find icarsi
chert and his son was a large one It
consisted of the commanl1ant' house ,
R rather commOllioutl building , which
stood on one side of the road. On the
opposite Hide was a large enclosure
snrroundf'll hy a stockade about
twelve feet high made of rough hewn
logs Within this enclosure stood
three long low bulldlngs-t , the
cameras ! ! ! or sleeping places for the
r.xlles 'rhe furnishing of the Imrerns
was of the simplest description , consisting ,
slstlng of n. long row of nares ( sleep'
ing benches ) and A. couple of rough
tableR There ass no bedding of any
description. BeRt was supplied ! 11) a
large oven , like stove ; and , wrapped UII
f In their great coats , the exiles were
obliged to pall the night on t he bare
boards , to get sleep I\S best they
could.
,
Up and down In front of the great
gate which admitted to the stockade
were the guards , and their orders
were or the simplest description ,
when the kamet'as were occupled-"ln
the event or mutiny or attempt to escape '
cape , fire , and fire to kill ! "
"What does your mother say of the
letter ? " at length asked Constantine
of his son
"Nothing-but she keeps thinking , "
was the repl ) ' .
Even aH they spoke the door ! lcad-
Ing to the private apartment of the
house opened. and Katherine Karsi
chef apiearec1. ) She , too , had aged
considerably since we last saw her
Her hair had begun to turn gray ; , and
the face had a larder } expression than
ever before ,
Katherlne' eyes lighted on the let.
tel' which Nicholas still held In his
haud IeI' brow darkened as she
caught sight of It , for the ' news It
contained had given her n'nythln hut
} llea me. She took } the chair vacated
by COIIHtantiuo and with a hard , hitter
laugh said : "Pleasant news for IIH tf
heRr , hm'l It ? "
ConHlantine said uothln ,
"What are we going to clo ? " continued ,
ued Kathel'1ne Al'c we to remain
Cor life In this accursed place ? Can.
not something be done ? The thought
of our fate drives me wild I could
almost he persuaded to become a Nihilist .
list myself : If I had a chance to drive
a knife Into the heart of that pallcl"
hug Cool , the czar ! "
lIush , for God'ft sake , Katherine , "
exclaimed Constantine , tunaing { perfectly -
fectly white with fear , "Suppose you
should be o"erheard. Think of what
we have already suffered for one . . rev
mart "
Katherine turned on him like a
tigress
"The remark ot a tool who was
afraid to say all he felt , and yet had
not sense enough to say nothing Your
Idiotic babble brought tins here , " she
continued , looking daggers at her hus } ,
band , "and here I suppose you : would
b& content to stay forever. Well , I
am not ! "
Constantine bit his lip , turned to
the table and swallowed the great
goblet of vodka ) al a single Rulp He
had jUt ! placed the glass on the table
when a loud knocking vas hurt ! at
the door.
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"See to It , NIcholas , " tinld Constan'
tine.
Nicholas rose , went to time door and
tmnv ! It open
Cossack , nlU led 1111 lo the throat ,
appeared ) nt the depot ) and , Imlllt\n \ ,
laW ! : "A convoy In approaching , your
exelllencr.'n stop ) here to , uiglll . "
"Not hcro- ' ( ) u must IlIIsh on to time
Holoo' ) ' lulc. ) Our provision for pris ) .
OUCI'S IIIllmlng ! \ low " It was Nlcho ,
Ins who speite ) ( .
"Pnt'llou , excellency , " said tho' Cos ,
sack soldier \ , producing n paper , "hilt
night Is coming on There ago not
ninny prisoners ) , hut wo have hud 1\
hard time of It In the heavy snow ,
and to make the 1I00100elul1e Is next
tn Iml ) ( ) lIlbh' : , Besldes-- "
"That will ItO " ' ' .
, 1ICI'emlltOl'Ily ex
claimer ! Nicholas , "tho commandullt
Ig the hest Judge or what Is loBHlblo. "
The Cossack saluted and was fillont
Constantine 1\Iu'HIcheff olsurely )
opened the paper handeti to him hy
Nicholas , which the latter hud 1'0'
1)1.1\011 from the COHHuck. .
11. was the official list of 1II'lsOIICI'H-
a list furnished hr the Nachulinl to
lime commnnllunt of each etulle front
'Which to call tilt } names of time prison-
em's ! 1.\0 as to he assured tint all were
present.
Constantine had barely glanced ut
the list \ when he lumped to his feet
with I\n exclamation of SIII'III'IHO.
"Outsirlu anti halt your H'IHOnCrfl )
when they come 1111 hel'e 'rhey stop
' . Yon , ' 11:1 too
here tO'lIlght. lire 'Ight-It :
far to the lIooloo.ctallo ! Jlall ! ! 1111'11I
here anti march them In before they
go to the lcnnllJra 1 will inspect them
here quid give you your I'ccelpt-thlil
Is all : "
The Cossack saluted sold withdrew ,
und In another mOlllent the hoofs of
his horse were Ilea \ rd , us he gullollod
over the crisp : ) surface of the snowy
Iu I
I :
wwi ,
Z3II
U ms
_
7/ZLY STOP lam' 0'c ffl "
road to rejoin time convoy even then
In sight.
Katherine and Nicholas regun1erlr
Constantine with surII'lsc ) Time arrival .
rival of n convoy was nol of filch
unusual occurrence as to cause him
.Iuch excitement
"What Is the multel" ? " .lelUaJ1IlClI
KathCl'lne '
" \Vhy. " returned her husband with
a strangely triumphant rilig ! In his
voice , "the3c convicts Image : arrived ! "
\\Tel1 , " said Katherine , "what of
it ? Convicts 110 arrive hero almost
rlai1 ' . "
( To he continued )
Put on Tan at Seashore
The New York Brownlllg society !
takes its outing ! at ? fnnhattall Bcnch ;
: his HUmmel' Its chief purpose \ Is 10
enable its members to get as SlUthul'IIl
as Iosslhle ) This develops IntelllH [ !
rlvalry ! In the lIegree of tan that melt
takes on The study of the poet li !
strictly confined to the physical , a5
none of his works are permitted ) to he
opened during the nesHlonH . . .
- - - - -
Shoes Have Seen Long ServIce.
James Smith of Fulton , l1o. , owns
a. pair of bootH that have been worn
for seventeen years without being
latched or mended in mummy wa3 '