The Dickinson press., 1893-01-07

c CHAPTER XNV1IG.
THE COMPACT.
AS Rachel set her foot upon the drca,
island of Sakhnlin she felt that at asst tw,
things were about to come to pass, tw,
things for which she had suffered so mucI
and travelled SO far. She would see he
father; she would accomplish her purpose
and now it may be stated what that pur
pose was. 1t was revenge: revenge on III
man who had wrought such misery an,
ruin in her tamily-thc hateful and hate,
Peter AleXictf
Such n man, so she thought, was but al
outrage on Nature, an eXcreScence on tn,
earth. and she had resolved that lie shout,
die. The mode OF accomp ishing his dcull
she had not yet thought OF; what she di,
think was, that once she was in Sekhalil
some means and some opportunitv woul,
present themselves. And though. wa
o On the island by the Govcrnor's ex
press command and as his prisoner, sh'
was not downcast, not dishearlencd. Tn,
end as it seemed to her. was in view, an,
the end would crown her work.
AS the cNiics landed on the dcsolatc
barren shore, they could scarcely rcprcss /:
sllndder. Great masses OF ice were still.
piled up there, and the whole islam
seemed wrapped in 4 dripping mist.
~ strong convoy waited on shore to
escort the prisoners to their destination,
anu us soon us al were lanueu, tne Warct
inland began, tor the settlement was many
miles away towards the east. The route
was through a narrow, dreary valley, the
bottom OF which was a marsh, and made
travelling exceedingly disagreeable and
difficult. There was no Ioad only q track
und conNicls. AnNtln.tI ii'rr mel inahoiy.
more deS"latc and >adlenin- Than the
whole valley presented it would be no
easy matter to imagine. aud the cianking
chains ut tl.c ltnpr rp'iNlrtS seemed suited
to the scene. cultivation I'll re was none;
the vegetation consisted ot Il course marsh
grass and boz r,:t"n. Nowhere was there
Il sign OF human habitaiiou, and the sloIcs
OF the mountains tiot lar,mlncd i'll the
valley We're mere stony wastes.
Through Tins awful region, where the
air was bitterly cold, and the wind some
times moan Il like Il thing i'll pa II. a'id
anon screcchcd rs il in iirrc: ,clight that
more victims had come To that living grave,
the people ,oilcd onwards for hour, u til
the day began to close. Then they reached
IL large wooden harrack erected at the edge
of Il swamp, and which was used rs a
temporary shelter for conv.ct parties
marching to the set lement.
AT this place they hailed fur the night.
1t was dirty in The extreme. and devoid OF
everything tina; might have c''ndlced TO
even the most barren OF c"mt"rt>; FOR
beds there We're only hare Greasy plank I.
such ventilation as there was came through
the cracks and crunnies % the hal rotten
boards: but lnm time to time many OF
these %crannies had been stopped Wiln moss
in order to keep out the drausht, with the
inevitable result o causing the ms d" AR
to become pc-tilcrouS and ietid when Il party
OF convicts had been .~cong!cgatea there for
II short time.
In short, the accommodation afforded for
the wrctcllod beings WHO were ut once the
objects OF the Russian Governments hate
and revenge was such that III amy
civilized country a mar would have hest
tated to put his dogs in such a y ace;
AS soon as the muster-rolla had been
called the convicts were iniarme that they
could do us they liked until reveille in the
morning, when the march would be re-
su1ned.
Rachel was the only woman in the gang,
and it can we'll be imagined o her whole
being revo.ted againt the misery she was
called upon to endure; and feeling liant
and sick s!lr went forth into the open air.
Hnd in a few minutes q soldier OF the Guard
came up and spoke to her. Women were
not often seen on the island, and tina!
tact made her conspicuous, anl then hel
neauty had attracted him.
How comes il, woman, that you arc
here he asked. not nnkindly.
III am II prisoner. She answered.
That | know. hut wlere:orca are you SOP
al is due to the caprice OF your master
the Governor"
"Ah! lie has many canrices; but why
have you been sent to this Part ofth'
country?"
~ have not been sent. l came voluntar
lily"
"You speak riddle. Iou are a prisoner
and yet you came voluntarily. How recon
cile you the TWO things
~ journcyed across Siberia to see my
i%atlcr.'
Your father"
Yes. lie is cxiled to this place. Blu
when | arrived at Nikoiacvsk ! was mad
a prisoner by order o: the Governor"
THAT is strange" NUT cred the soldier
"Why strange? Would anything b
strange tina, Peter Alrxietf did, TIL
soldier in answer TO this simply shru"ge
his shoulders. either as a sign of indiilel
rnce to the subject or OF contempt for III
Governor. Know you the Governc
well?" asked Rachel.
No. | have been here uut four month:
1 was sent from Tobolsk. DO you hno
him weil?"
Would to the God of Abraham l di
not"
y You are a Jewcss?" asked the man.
= ~ am"
!. AYES"
). What is his Lame
d aaron Aramia.
= For Il moment or two the soldier locke
e at her rityingly and sadly and then he r
9 marked:-
}. Know you not that Aaron Arama
:, dead?'
J. dead echoed Rachel, in q strong ho
low one. as iisl!c We're II mechanical ilsu
: rather than a livin-, breathing W.. ma
and. recling n liit!c. lie SUI, ofted he
sell against the wooden wall o: the ba
rack.
YES. said the man symra'heticall
= and failing to recognize altogether lid
terrible was the shock lie had impaired
his listener, whose eyes were fearless. al
almost stony. her breath ln'.or"d and stt
tufou-. and her Whole manner that OF o
who was partially stunnci. Eut sudde'!
she Seeinfd 20 Recover herself. and layi
her haud OH the >~"i.iicr's arm She eXciail
cd. "Diti Won say he wa dcad?'
rtt II Iii IT, returned the man.
M when d cal he
We'll. it must liave been abou; til.
moria> tciure | came
"Iou iil lot know him. then?'
y int his death vas lnuth talk
about mons; the >oldler- az: lii" cNil
-. Tor ii Wa "a: /: Hat lie WAS ii"g.cd to ce:
by til" Governor .
Rachel er,ai.d Tie setting her Ii
firmly >iie d7cw Z long brcat!l through
+, n"-;!iiS n teT she mamie %. "Le w!i'
-. passion and bitterness cou!! Sud II" GU
III w"r;s: hn'. afr a ii';i" while. t!ie-o
81; wnIuaEly nature a~~--ric'! ii e nj i
BIO germ, to q wooden h oh n-,-r the DE-
o'a' size eli upon ii, and -obL. with a .a>si'
ate snbbiiig-
The soldier spoke some kindly wor
but they were UNDECIDED. and lie wen;
III wey.
through the long AMI weary nj
Rachel wci. OF: l"r woril.S- -r;ci. +:
w:.en the da: cain and 'iie rm:le~- Oh
ell. size dried her Tears ami il Ye;!!y>eet
a. il her face liza! Il .:ergoie dung Ill
- l"u:> Of dar!.:!rss some &c uai ihy>
4 ira >fJr,n.tiu!i-
There was a Certain ii. rc"rc>s in
, ph eyes that wcF. :or..@I. to ..rs:n. AID
D liue- of bcau-y had ..arIc,ie.! ili. :
romn!csl liz he.i. dam tsnA the "
s smooth brow Inden,4d wili: lwp d.
%yertica! THROW so Hiatt Size no Longer
9 the %sirIi-I.- gentle APPEARANCE 81 OLD
y cony-yei e %i,niye son liza; size *
S stern. :iu,iacab c cruel woniau-
- She w=s TO Longer tie l.ac:.ei a We
5 knew her in St- Pe'er-a'u Then
9 seemed .nll OF %!'Eonni-e. AID Hope mi
y am But tie ir"nii>e- Lad Eot b.ci Toa.i
. H"T- was d-a aI.i ise- Ac.r.-in "
- 1--we fewer :.c- b.Drniel-iiad iurne