The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-06-01
STRANGER.
ny Jackson sturges. =

lii uNltlS. Iltith '
sian Nihi!ists and German Socialists
were all to be found there, and we
were never surprised at the eccentric
appearance of anybody.
However, we had seldom encounter
ed so s~ad-looking a man as one day
when we were going to enjoy a ball
In the evening, and a number of strang-
ers had come to the hotel for supper.
Among them was a tall, blonde fellow.
with Polish features. and the most
despairing expression that l ever be-
held. His face was pale as death.
He seemed Indifferent to everything
that passed before him, and ate what
was served to him in a mechanical,
absent-minded way. which revealed
clearly that his thoughts were far
away.
After the meal was over, most Of us
sought the piazzas. 1t was, perhaps,
nine o'clock when, glancing into the
ballroom which had been evolved from
the dining-hall, / saw our hostess,
Madame NJ, an excellent woman, talk
ing earnestly with the pale-faced
She caught my eye and ad-
vancing rapidly toward me with her
companion introduced him to me most
cordially as NJ. Ivan Petrovitch, from
Warsaw.
After we had been chatting for n
while on the sofa he asked me to g,
out on the veranda with him, where
we could be more by ourselves. There
we sat down and he lighted a cigar
cite. At first he was silent. At last he
murmured:
>"My God, how is it possible that all
those people can be so gay and happy
while /
He stopped, puffed the smoke of his
cigarette into the air, and drummed
nervously with his hand in the rail Of
the veranda. At last he drew out a
photograph from his pocket, looked in
tently at it, heaved a sigh, and then
handed it silently to me. | looked at
it attentively. 1t was the picture Of a
very beautiful young woman with a
babe in her arms.
"A very charming picture" / said.
"May l ask who they are"
II believe I can confide in you. l am
sorely in need Of a friend to whom |
cannot only pour out my overburden.
ed heart. but who in case of need will
l Sldbt Wy 1iN - pho''@' 49, ~
! Can you, will you do all this?'
On my warm assurance, he went on
"Then listen. l was studying medi
cine at Warsaw, and though not af
fluent l possessed enough of worldly
goods to finish my studies and to live
comfortably.
"After | had studied two years.
made the acquaintance Of a fellow
student Sophie s., daughter of a Pol
ish nobleman, who had lost the great
or part of his fortune during the late
rebellion. 1t would be futile to DIES
cribe her; you saw her picture, bu
what YOU could not see there is tina
she has the loveliest, sweetest characte'
of any woman l ever met. | loved her
How could | help it? She confessed
that she loved me, and we were mar
ried.
"Why should l attempt to give yo'
an idea of my happiness? C happl
ness cannot be pictured; it is simpl,
perfect. In the morning we went t
the clinics together, and when at ever
ing we came home she. filed u littl
abode with sunshine.
1--WE lived for our studies. and di'
not mingle with the world. With tn
exception Of a few devoted friends, W
rarely saw anybody. sometimes. Whe
some of those friends called, the suffer
ings of our Door. abused fatherlan
were discussed, but though we feI
keenly it's abaSement. we were nc
deeply interested in politics.
"Alas! why could not our innocen
happiness last forever?
zone evening returning late from
party which one Of our friends ha
given in celcbrat on OF his graduation
we saw issuing from the prison CAT
a gang of convicts bound to Siberia.
There were about forty of thes
wretches. men and women, chained t.
gether. and surrounded. by a guard {
grim, cruel CoSsacks who with the
long lances pushed the stragglers TO
ward, as if they were driving so man
cattle. We two stood breathleSSly still
close against the houses. until the drea
midnight procession should have pas
ed. You must know that the govern
mept fearing an outbreak of lndlgn'
ton and rebellion, doe its devils
work in the dark. Among the pr
oners was IA young oma who. vii
disheveled hair. a picture of inten
agony. held a babe in her arms. o
haLd chained. and she was pushed flo
ward by the relentless CosSack. 81
{, fell on her knees, and hesought the O
: ficer TO unchain her, lest she shou
have TO drop the babe The office
! uttering a curse. told her to get II
| and as she did not Immediately ODE
: a Cossack pulled her up by the In
: with such a diobolical force that Il
poor woman uttered a piercing shrie
and her babe fell from her arm to II
: hard pavement. Its skull was broke
+ A moment afterward it was a corps
n A Cossack rushed back with it to Il
{ prison. but the procession moved q
the mother tearing her hair in Il fren'
t of despair.
Another victim of the satanic ty
amy of the Gar 7 whispered. horr'
. struck: but Sophie chung to my ar
. and. nale as "A ghost. whispere
Hush
u At that moment Nihilism had gain
Z two ardent devoteps. We met o
s. friends in our rooms after this. a
b ways and means of ]iberating o
81 country from the lion grasp of the
a rant were discussed in whispers. {
U fear of detection by the omnipreso
spies Of the Cza:.
"Mcanwhile our first baby was boz
How ardcntly l prayed bending oy
,nss the cradle of my child. How implorir
ie. " I sought Gods blessing aid prote
Is ion upon this boy. born in n count
where happiness is unknown. wh'
peace is an illusion! We We're very h;
k py in this new JOY. but Our bleSst
= ness was of short duration.
49, -.-H+ xJn,, hnhyv u-nc III