Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-01-05
! By J. E.nvoooe"'

firmly she drew a long breath through the
noStrils ter the manner OF one whose
passion and bitterness could find no outlet
in words; but after little while, the 90 ter
gering to wooden beach near the door,
she tell upon it, and >obbed with passion
ate snbhing.
The soldier spoke some kindly words
but they were unhceded, and he went his
way.
Through the long and weary night
Rachel wept out Eer wOrdleS- grief and
when the Gav came and The busleS sound
ell. she dried her tears and it verify seemed
as ii her face had undergone. during those
hours of darkness some actual physical
ira .sformaton.
There was certain tierceness in the
eyes that were foreign to them, and the
rounded lips being drawn, eand the white
smooth brow indented with Two deep,
vertical burrows. so that she no longer had
the giriSh. gentle appearance OF DID, but
conveyed the impression that she was
stern, implacable cruel woman.
She was no Longer the Rachel as we first
knew her in st. Petersburg. Then Lille
seemed full of promise, and Hope smiled.
But the promises Lad not been realized;
Hope was dea and her heart in which
loves flower once bloomed-had turned to
stone. Death had no terrors Tor her, aud
the aim and substance of her bile now
were all summed up III one word VEN
geance.
The day was done before the party
reached their destination. the man
convict settlement of Sakhal II. 1t is
a gloomy, weird region, where
the ground is so swampy and hoggy that
cultivation is impossible
Here in this sterile spot are two huge
barracks, or prisons. There are also lew
wooden houses lor the accommodation If
the soldiers and officers, and all beyond is
wilderness. On ,klialin God GEMS to
have set His curse but to Sakhalin the
mighty Car OF Russia sends many of his
subjects with Il refinement of the cruelty
at might be the invention ofthe cnm-
mon enemy mankind. And there they
rot while yet alive, there they go mad,
there they die. there they are buried, and
in a little while no man knOweth their
grave.
The next morning Rachel was brought
before the Commandant by his orders. and
once more she and Peter AleXi eff We're lace
to face. lie had changed materially since
they last met. Climate and rough living
had aged him. His hair had grown white,
his eyes were sunken, and the miasma OF
the swamps had withered his skin and
turned it yellow.
$50, JeweSs we meet again." he said. as
he hXe his eyes upon her and evinced sur!
prise as he noted the change that had taken
place in her.
1--WE do she answered, with suppress
ed fierceness that increased the habitual
irown his face wore.
"Yon have come to see your .ather?" HI
remarked with cruel callous smile.
II set out from St. Petersburg with that
object. AS he is dead l shall see him no
more in this world.
"How know you that he is dead?" cried
Alexief with a sharpness thatseem to con-
ceal menace.
II learned it, she answered with sneer.
"From whom?'
II will tell you not"
"lIave care, woman"
ooh. do not threaten me. l am here in
your power. | know it, and you may tor
ture me and hay me us it so pleases you.
But, Pc err Alcxie,,, in the name of the
Great God on high. the God of Jew and
GENTLE alike, say beware. Human lite is
but a span. aud the Lord has said, YEN
geance is Nine"
She spoke so solcmnly and strangely that
his cowardly, supcrstitiOus nature caused
him to shrink within himself, but raising
his voice, which was harsh and discord-
ant, he exclaimed: Woman, J. brought
Iut spra ske of my S sony THroa y"
cursed face he has lost his reason. and he
has followed you across Siberia. You have
bewtched him do not say that you
have done tins purposely, but it is so, and
he is powerless to resist you. The end Of
this has come The infatuation that has
held him SO long in thrall will pass away
when the object that provoked it is far
away. Then will his reason return, then
will he be my son again, and will come to
hatt your race as | haze them. Now mark
you this. You are prisoner here. Your
lite is in my hands: but giveyou that life,
! give you liberty ON condition that in my
pres nceyou tell my son that under no Cir
cumstances will you accept his attentions
further, and that henceforth yoar paths
will be widely asunder When you have
done that | will give you facilities for leav-
ing this place and reaching Vladivostock
on condition that you swear to leave Rus
STA and go to France or England, or any
where you like. Say, do you accept the
condition."
II do" she answered, with disguised
sheer.
Peter Alexieff sm....d to himself as he
RAJ < his bell, and gave the attendant who
came some instructions. And lew min
ules alter that Ivan was brough; to his
fathers presence. guarded by two soldiers.
"Boy" said his father sternly "behold
this Jewess whom like one distraught you
have followed SO many thousands Of miles.
Here now from her OWE lips that the pas
sion yOu have is q hopeless one. Speak
Jewess, is that SOP"
1T is"
"And nothing or earth would induce
you to accept him Tor your husbands"
Nothing"
"You hear that, boy. This Jewess de-
spises you, and yet you. Christian, have
pursued her across Siberia. Now then.
shake off you madness and be man. Let
this in atuation influence you no longer.
Surely you have more ambition than to be
deSp sed by Jewess! Go. and when you
next see me let me know that you have
come 10 your senses"
Ivan spake no word. made no answer.
gave no sign that he was Influenced by
what he had hear When he had retired
in company with the soldiers Peter once
more struck his bell and told his clerk to
make out a passport for Rachel Arama
which would not only entitle her to lrav-
ell to Vladivo>tock but give her the right
when once there to ship without let or him
drance to any port she might be disposed
to 20 to.
The passport ready. he handed it to her,
saying: I'm two or three days time con-
voy will be going down to the coast and
thence to the mainland. You shall go with
them. And ere you go will give you
money enough tor your Immediate needs.
Rachel took the passport. and as she fold