Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-10-29
sENTENCED TO SIBERIA.

| am Lancashire man and l rose
from the ranks. began life as other
mill hands do, hut my head was set
the right way on my shoulders, and |
GOT TO be over locker. Five and twenty
Years ago, when a great English firm,
whose operations extended over many
parts of Russia, started a cotton mill
at Ekaterinburg, | was offered a post
as manager. Ekaterinburg is, as |
dare say you know, on the Siberian
side of the Oral Mountains, and in the
heart of the government mining dis
tr cts. A man thinks twice before he
transports himself and his family to
such a place, but / had made up my
mind to get on, and this was a good
chance to one IN my position.
l was not disappointed. l looked
after the mill, and it prospered. We
norgh~country operatives are thrifty
folk, and like living in plain way.
! saved money; and as it was the
policy of the FIRM to keep me in my
post and to give me person interest
in the undertaking, | was allowed to
invest my few hundred of rubles in
the mill.
These commonplace particulars
about nv own affairs can have very
little interest for you, sir. | only tell
them because otherwise you would
scarcely understand what has to fol-
low.
One evening late in our short Rus,
sian summer, when the long days were
fast dra wing in, I'VE were in our family
sitting~room, engaged with some of
the ~lill accounts, and nay wife with
her sewing, when Lottie, our eldest
daughter, rushed in. and, without
word, tainted right away on the floor.
This aid not more brighten my wife
and myself than 1t surprised us, for
Lottie was sensible girl, and had
never given away to any hysterial
fancles before. We kRow that 1t must
have taken good deal to upset her IN
that way, and as soon as we had con
trived To bring her sound we made her
tell US what had been the matter.
1t seemed that she had been alone
IN her room, when, turning suddenly
toward the window, she became aware
of face pressed closely against the
glass and glaring at her. WHAT the
face was like she was unable to de-
scribe, but it appeared too ugly and
horrible for human being. If it
could have been called that of man
or woman, she said, she should not
have been so frightened.
| went cut and looked round the
house. Nothing was TO be seen, We
knew Lottie to Oe sensible girl, but
We were inclined TO think that her
fancy must have played her trick
for ence.
After a time my wife left the room
to see about our supper. Ny wife (she
has been dead now these nine years.
had as strong nerves as any woman
ever kueW-nothing seemed to knock
her off her balance. Well, she came
back in a minute or two and beckoned
me to the door. She was calm enough
but | could see by her face that some
thing was wrong. She would not say
what She had to say before the girl
for fear of frightening her again. So
she whispered to me outside: 'Lottie
must have been right, there is somee
tRing about. When l opened the door
OF the kladovoy (the larder that Isl |
heard something at the window.
Whatever it may have been 1t took
alarm and did not let me see it; but it
has left its mark on the lattice"
l followed her silently to the klad-
ovoy. All was now quiet there. |
examined the fortochka-as in Russia
we call the little window of such a
place. In summer time its glass casa
ment was removed, and 1t was now
only protected by a lattice of crossed
strips Of frwood These slips were
slightly displaced, as If some one had
tried to force them out, aad thus to
gain entrance. The fortochka was
about large enough to have admitted
the body of man.
Nothing was TO be seen by looking
out; for though a reasonable amount
OF twilight still remained, it was only
enough 10 show things with any dis
unctness IN the open, and had shel>
Tered the back OF our house by plant~
ing a number of young fir trees.
whispered to my wife that she should
80 back to Lottis and that would
stay where | was for a bit, and see
whether the roboer--if it was a rob
would come again.
1t was scarcely to be called late, yet
u was too late for any of our mill PEG
pie to be Jout, and they were our on
" neghbors Ny mouse and one ad-
joining it Gntended for another em~
p'oye, but at that time unoccupie6
stood partly within the high wooden
,'eence which iHclosed the mill; that is,
TIER backs opened into the Enclosure
he dvor, as we call i), while their
fronts looked on a public thorough
ARE. Thus our back premises were
strictly private after the gates 10 the
MIL had been closed, and the person
III 1t was person-who had got 70
ne windows must either have secret
60 himself within the dyor or have
gained access to it in some improper
manner. Now, however, all was still
as could be.
Down l sat to watch close By the