The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-10-27
CHAPTER XVII-coNTINUED.

OI1A1 In AN 1I-CONTlNUEDs
From this point Rachel would if she could
so, have have donecontinuedh her journey by
the lonely northern route that would have
carried her over the weird, desolate wastes
of the tundras, which are swept by thepiti-
less Arctic blasts, and frozen into world of
white death by the intense cold. In these
wild and pitiless regions, almost entirely
deserted alike by man and beast, shewould
at least have been free from insult and
molestation. But as one travelling on
sufferance as the daughter ola convict, she
was compelled by the law to keep main
exile road. Therefore she had no alterna-
tive and so forth she went but little
while before reaching the town of Tiumen
she was seized with sudden illness, and
was compelled to seek shelter and care in
lonely village. For several days she lay
seriousness. But at last she began
to recover. only to find that she had been
robbed of nearly all her money. 1t was an
aw III blow.
To travel alone and travel quickly money
was imperative, and without money there
was but one alternative, and that was to
seek permission 10 go forward with an exile
party; though that necessitated prison fare;
prison regulations, aid conforming to all
the stern and rigorous rules by which the
convicts are bound. The prospect was
truly appalling. But love is u strong
passion; and revenge is even stronger one.
To remain there was out of the question:
To turn back was impossible and so Rachel
went forward and reached the important
town of Humen; important from the fact
that it contains the chief forwarding prison
in Siberia, and is the seat of the Chief
Bureau of Exile Administration in Siberia.
From st. Petersburg it is about seventeen
hundred miles 10 the east and it is in this
place really that the machinery OF the gi-
gantic exile system works.
To Tiumen Rachel came weary and out
of health. but not disheartened dark as the
prospects were she had to face, and boldly
she presented herself before the high and
mighty official ofthe bureau, and told her
story; and when the chic, bedizened in
her tale and read her passport, he
shrugged his shoulders contemptuously,
pulled great volume of smoke from the
cigarette he was smoking, and muttered:-
"Umph, Jewess, and daughter OF con-
vict"
Rachel shuddered as she always did
when she heard her father spoken of as a
convict and her face Redeemed and her eyes
frightened with anger, but she held her
peace, for she had come to understand how
important it was that she should be
cautious lest her scheme be thwarted.
Then coarsely the Chief addressed her.
why. do you wish to go to your father,
Jewess?"
"Why?" she asked, looking at him in
surprise Because the Great God, our
Heavenly Father, has planted in my heart
a powerful affection for my earthly father;
and / ain would comfort him in his mis-
cry, tend him in his old age and when he
dies, die with him."
'Ah, pretty sentiment" remarked the
official, with sheer. '..You father has
been exiled to Sakhalin, has he not2"
Yes"
The Chief of the Exile Bureau was evil
IDENTIFY interested in Rachels story.
Know you, then, that you will not be
allowed to live upon the island?" he en-
quired,
$50 l was given to understand. But
occasionally | can visit my father. And
some day, inayhaps he will be allowed
freedom as an exile colonist. Then he
can come to the mainland, and j shall be
with him."
What crime was he condemned for"
He was guilty of no crime" answered
Rachel, her indignation showing itself in
her eyes and tone. For some moments the
Chief looked at her sternly and threaten
ingly. Then he struck bell, and an at
tendant appeared. He told his man to
bring certain book, which he designated
by a number and letter. The man re-
tired, and the official turned his attention to
some government documents that lay be-
fore him, and he seemed to ignore Rachel's
presence altogether She had up to this
moment stood before this great man. but
being weary and exhausted, she seated her
self on form that was PLACED against the
wall. Then did the great one look up from
his papers and thunder forth:---
woman, know you not that you are
guilty of an offence in sitting in my pres
ence? Have you no respect for the uni
form / wear and Tor my position as rep
resentative of our Little Father---the Czar2"
Rachel rose slowly The words she
would have uttered-the words that would
have expressed her digust and contempt
for this arrogant fool-she restalned
from finding expression, though with great
difficulty. And trying to appear meek and
to speak meekly, she said
Forgive me, your nobleness, / am al
most ignorant of the ways of the great
world. At least / was so up to COM
paratively short time ago. am my faith
derby, guarded jealousy, and those who
loved me paid homage to me, and tried to
anticipate my wants. But alasl times
and things have changed / am suppl
ant for your favors / will sit in your
presence no more"
The official regarded her with some Gu
riosity, not unmingled with anger begot-
ten of wounded PRIDE for he was not indif-
ferent to the irony of the latter part of her
little speech; and in his overbearing AFRO
gance he considered it little short of
crime that anyone-especially Jewess-
should treat him with what he was pleased
to think was disrespect But now there re-
aud his entry diverted the current of the
great mans thoughts, and SO put an end to
the strained relations between him and his
visitor.
The tome was laid upon the desk. It
was an official record Of every exile who
u L.. T. l. H.
contained the most exhaustive description
of the exile; stated whether he had been
tried by court or simply condemned by
an order of the Minister of the Interior the
nature of his offense, where he had been
imprisoned before being sent to Siberia,
and SO forth; The, Chief ran his finger
wanted, and he read out slowly:
Aaron Arama, Jew, Born in Russia.
Age sixty-two. A dangerous POLITICAL;
conspirator and revolutionist--"
otis false!" cried Rachel, in choking
tones, feeling that she must give the lie to
that false record.
"Silence woman, roared the Chief, brist-
lin with anger; and though Rachel hated
him, and would have liked to have spoken
her mind freely, she remembered the object
that had brought her to Siberia, and she
said no more. So the official continued
his TehulHg, repeating as II on purpose 10
still further wound her.
"a conspirator and revolutionist, con-
demned for Staying amoujik. Imprisoned
first in ST. Peter and Paul, afterwards in
Schlusselberg. Transported thence to ST.
IBERIA. Destination, Sakhalin. Sentence,
life. Condition, hard labor. Reached
Tiumen on the 18th Of October Forward
ed with all exile party ola hundred and
ten on Both of December same year. Med
ical report, health feeble. Police report,
conduct good
He closed the book as he ceased reading
the particulars, which were pitiless in their
circumstantiality. Rachel had listened
with bursting heart She tried hard,
very hard, 10 keep back the tears,
which would flow, however, in spite oil
her efforts. Indeed, she would have been an
entirely different woman to what she was
had she been enabled to listen with dry
eyes to that cruel record especially to the
part that described his health as feeble.
Perhaps. she thought. "he is already
! dead" Then she closed her eyes and set
her teeth, and her face seemed to change
The sweet, womanly softness faded out o.
It, and an expression ofsubdued fierceness
took its place.
The chief was not affected by the tears
He was used to tears. They were wo-
mans weapons, but he had hardened him