The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-11-17

1t was hard, very hard to have to wait
ihere inactive, and witness the daily scenes
of human suffering which she was bound
to witness, and to see men treat their fellow
men as they might have treated the wild
beasts of the jungle, by claiming them, and
lashing them into subjection. and exercis-
ing o sleepless vigilance over them, ready
on the instant to shoot them down if they
showed the slightest disposition to be re-
tractory or to rend their bonds.
One day poor Rachel did actually see
young man barbarously shot because his
outraged pride getting the better ofhis dis
cretion, he resented with a blow some
dastardly insult of petty officer. On the
instant, at the officers command. the rifles
of the sentries were raised and the hapless
and chained victim was shot with no more
compunction than they would have shot
mad dog.
Rachel saw this inhuman no, this very
Auman-scene with her own eyes; and she
Nept, and weeping, she thought
''Oh Lord God, in Thy wisdom Thou
hast made all men; but Thine enemy, the
arch fend, has put a demon into their
hearts that they may outrage Thy glory
and insult Thine own image"
Slowly, slowly, the winter passed. The
days began to lengthen, and the Artic
Frost Kings hold upon the land grew
feeble. In the sheltered spots the snow
disappeared, and the blades of grass were
been pushing their way up towards the
light and heaven. Rachel reioiced for an
other phase of her misery was drawing to
close,
She had allowed Peter .Balakhn to sup
lose that he was winning her affections,
although her senses revolted against the
deception she had had to practise. But the
end justified the means. Through that
deception her own position and the
position of her friend Catherine had been
rendered much more endurable, tor Peter
had supplied them with many things that
| they could never otherwise have got; and
| through his influence Catherine had been
enabled to frequently see and converse
with her husband Paul; and during those
| interviews they plotted and planned for the
| future, so that Peter was fooled to the top
| of his bent, though he knew it not. Truly
| :tWo desperate women can do much for
| those they loye."
AS the spring approached Peter began to
press his attentions more assiduously upon
| Rachel, and when she met him with the
argument that she was Jewess and he a
| Christian, and that he wearing the Czar's
uniform as he did, would bring himself in
| 10 bad odor with his sdperiors if he mar
ried her, he answers that love could ex-
ist hoat marriage Then did she feel
| that she hated him with a hate beyond
| words but still it was important that she
| should still continue to deceive him tor yet
|
One afternoon She had been to the prison
with Catherine, who had received permit
| to see Paul. AS they returned the day was
| closing, and Balakhin met them on their
way. He told Catherine that two was COM
pany, three was none, and she, taking the
| hint, proceeded alone, and Balakhin and
Rachel walked round by the free convict
settlement. Overhead the stars shOne with
| dazzling clearness, and away to the north
| the aurora burned with splendor that
was like the spIendor of heaven.
Balakhin began to speak in impassloned
language of the 'love, as he called it. that
| he bore for his companion. He alluded to
the near date when she and those who
were to be forward ed on would take their
departure for the east, and he tried to per.
suade her to remain behind with him. and
at last, carried away by his feelings, he
seized her in his arms and tried TO kiss
her. But at that moment, out OF the deer
shadow of a hut, a man rose up as il he
was phantom and had sprung out of the
earth, and with a terrific blow he felled
Balakhin to the ground, where he lay stun.
ned like an OK that is smitten with the
slaughterer's axe. Rachel would have
cried out in alarm, but the man seized heI
by the wrist and hissed into her ear
Hush; be silent as death. am Moshka
! UmanSki."