The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-25

DOTTED his small embroidered skull cap
as he left her at[the door of his CABIN
and shook his head when she slipped
some rubles into his hand.
It was night when she reached I1u'
men and found shelter in miserable
inn. AS she sat near the fire in the
smoky room she attracted the attention
of an old man, who addressed her in
Polish.
care you il trouble?" he asked. She
was such child in spite of the care in
her facet
eyes," she replied YEARLY.
81 am pardoned exile from Obdorsk.
I was sent there for drunkenness. have
suffered too
His worn, attenuated frame and sunk
en- eyes seemed to echo his words.
"Did you ever see any of the political
exiles" she asked eagerly.
eyes. I met some at Tobolsk. From
there they go to the Trans-Baikal DIS,
trict."
elbow long were you there?" She
searched his face with her restless eyes
to see if she could read there any sign OF
his having seen her lover.
Give yearsv' He wondered that she
expressed no sorrow. 1t was long time
to spend in that godforsaken country,
but she was saying to herself, 81 might
have known he had never seen IVAN"
Still something prompted her to tell
him. Her heart was aching for some
l. IL nTaTaI1y fQlJlnC
troubles sometimes lightens them.
81 had a lover who was exiled. So
handsome and brave. But he was shot
near Tobolsk."
Near Tobolsk? How long ago?"
"Six days" -
"Was he dark, with eyes like a Tartar?"
"Yes. His eyes were like midnight
skies, with twinkling stars shining
through" She seems paralyzed from
cold and fatigue and wonders vaguely
how he knows that Ivan's eyes were dark.
Is he sane? What does he mean? He is
saying that he has seen Ivan! 1t was
only three days ago! Mother of God, is
it true? No, she must be dreaming!
'sYour lover is living" he repeats II
saw him at Berezov three days ago.
He was trying to reach the coast, expect
ing to take a steamer for America"
It is long before he can make her I'M
derstand, but he tells her again and
again. She starts hastily to her feet.
81 will go to him." she whispers, and
although he insists that she must wait
until morning she shakes her head. lie
gives her some advice as to the route,
and goes many versts with her, in spite
| Of his feebleness. He can scarcely keep
up with her. She seems to have &C
quired new energy and almost runs.
| At daybreak they find boatman, who
rows her some distance, the old man
leaving her at the river bank. "God
speed you'll" he said, but she thinks only
of reaching Ivan, and scarcely looks at
| the pathetic figure waving his tattered
| hat at her from the shore. Her hands
were clasped in her lap. Something like
| smile lowered round her mouth.
| Once when they were very near the
| shore some women came down to the
waters edge with some red eyed children.
They peered at her curiously, and one OF
them tossed piece of bread to her. They
| thought she was beggar, her clothes
were so ragged, and her golden hair was
| SO rough.
| She dares not inquire for Ivan at Bere
zov, but silently searches for him. She
| feels satisfied at last that he has left the
village, and finding boatnan to take
her to Obdorsk gives him more gold thar
he has seen for many day. How bel
head throbs, and the trees seem to 81
dancing before her eyes. Strange to say
they are very kind to her at the quiet OBJ
dorsk inn-she seeks the most unpreten
tious one. They nurse her with rough
tenderness for days. She talks incessant
ly of Ivan, but her language is strange tx
them, and they do not understand. Il
her delirium she rises from her bed ant
wanders along the coast, calling feebl,
for Ivan, sinking down in the sand at las
from weakness. When she awakens, sh
finds Ivan's arms around her.
"Alba, what are you doing here?'
She tells him how she has searched TO
him.
| "And you did this for me? My dar
ling! How can love you enough! u
there with the convicts thought of yol
many times and longed for one love lool
from your blue eyes, but I never expect
ed to see them again. And lying in tn
snow, when they left me for dead, l, toe
thought for time that death was yer.
near and / should never again feel you
kiss on my lips"
Then he told her how after the trail
had left him he had revived, as it woul
seem, by miracle, and had dragged him
self to hut, where he was nursed unit
he was able to keep on. Even now nj
wounds were not entirely healed.
The ships passing looked like grea
white birds in the distance. One stopped
It was only freight ship going to Alas
ka, but they kindly allowed the fugitive
to board her, and as they steamed ava
from the country that they feared an
hated they felt a load lifted from thel
weary, burdened hearts. ia
It was not until long afterward, i
their peaceful American home, that Alb