Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-11-08


woman went on in front, walking arm
in arm, and often they kissed one
another, laughing and crying in turns.
When was close to them they some
times spoke French. AS soon as 1t was
light / never let my eyes leave her
face. Her eyes were large and dark,
but her hair was like gold and hung
down her back wet on her black
cloak"
Stand at attention. sirl" said the
president, sharply.
The prisoner stood erect again and
resumed his story.
The morning was clear and frosty.
The man had fallen several times dur
Ing the night. His strength was gone.
| sew he was as pale as death, and
blood oozed from his mouth. The
woman grew frantic with fear that he
would be caught. The man, however,
could go no furth er. He lay down on
the snow, just as we were leaving the
woods and coming out on the steppe.
l thought he would have died. l took
him in my arms and carried him verst
after verst until my strength was gone,
and felt fever coming over me. But
the woman never noticed me, and
once or twice, when turned to loois
at her from under my burden, saw
that her eyes were fixed on the face Of
the man l carried / could hold out
no longer. I fell on the snow and
tainted. How long lay there can
not say. Whether or not l dreamed
l am unable to tell the court. l don't
think 1t could have been dream.
thought I saw a troil1a come noise
lessly over the snow and heard the
breathing of horses"
"Do you mean to tell the court this
was dream? Can you give no further
particulars about the troika or it's
driver?" interrupted the president.
mo, your excellency; the horses
were black, 1 thought, and / know
their eyes shone brightly; the sledge
also seemed to be black. 1t came ST.
lently, 1t went away with gently-ring-
ing bells, like silver bells. When l
came to my senses it was showing
hard. The wet flakes woke me, I
think. gazed around me on oil Sides
was alone. l thought of my dream.
There were no hoof marks, no traces
OF sledge runners, nothing but the
level, traclsless snow. Perhaps the
show had filed up the track, perhaps
perhaps there was some other rea-
son. Your excellency, l felt myself
forsaken. could not understand it,
| was mad and cried aloud. Suddenly
I noticed, pinned to my coat, a scrap
of paper with pencil writing on it. 1t
was taken from Inc when gave my
self up, but I'll never forget the words:
we cannot take you with us further.
Save yourself as best you can. MY
husband and will always pi ay for YOU
Oh, excellency, l saw it all then and
sat down In the snow and wept and
cursed. l loved that woman. Yes, l
was fool"
And traitor" interpolated the
president, scowling.
And traitor, If your excellency
says SO, but I did not think of that
then. l thought only Of my love, of
how had been betrayed, of my hurt
pride. Your excellency knows the
rest"
THE sentence of the court is that
Private Trofm Stoyan take the place
Of the escaped prisoner in the mine ut
Gorkaya Ballsa. He will remain there
during the pleasure of his imperial
majestry."
That evening the young soldier was
chained to the stanchion.
Three years later man and woman
on Ellis island suddenly encounter
each other.
She starts and gasps:
1.-THE soldierl'
While he exclaims:
THE womanr'
: There is no time for more. She has
passed the inspectors and hurried to
the little steamer that is to convey her
to New York. He is pushed back, for
the inspectors may not reach his case
for day or two.
But be lands at last. Where shall he
find her? He finds employment, and
then for six months spends all his leis-
-!