The San Francisco call., 1899-10-29

CllulO OL QdIh STAIRS 10 ICdcn lilc
rooms, and a locked gate at the top
IS seconded by warning dogs. Paul Mel
nikofr has his own reasons for taking pre-
cautions.
He lives the life Of Damocles. The
sword hanging above his head is that
welded by long-armed Russia. There are
three socialist eXiles known to De living
in California, and he is one Of the three.
Russia has a hundred eyes and fingers
that reach. cruel and eager and clutch
ing to the ends OF all the lands that be.
Paul Melnikoff has not been able to hide
from the eyes, but he has slipped three
times from the fingers as they were about
to close upon him. How much longer
must the inevitable await its victim?
MelnIkof's troubles date back to some
forty years ago, when he was born with
a free spirit The first home that he re-
members was in a Russian town on the
Dona River a town that I won't men
ton, because I'm sure you could not pro-
nouncc it even If I could spell 1t. He Is
the son of a nobleman, who sent his boy
while still young to the Gymnasia at
Petersburg.
This Gymnasia is like that Of Germany
nothing more nor less than high school in
plain English. Here Paul, the youngster,
received his education, and when Paul the
man showed a taste for the study Of
medicine he was sent TO the Academy of
Medicine, also in Petersburg. There
he spent two years.
1t would have taken much longer to
complete a medical course. But while
yet q student Melnikoff acquired his ruin
Gus habit of thinking for himself. This
led him whittier it leads many a victim.
But for Il he might to-day be comfort
ably budgeted In a Russian sleigh making
the rounds of thrifty practice. As 1t is.
he stitches. stitches. day in and day out,
In the tiny tailor room on Natoma street
His first dangerous move was to join the
Party for the Freedom OF the Country.
The very name smacks or all that Is
hateful to Russian Government.
Somehow no direct results followed
from his joining this party, but 1t was
the beginning of the end. 1t was his
first taste of independence-it was a
delicious taste. The next move was to
1oin a socialist society-Gelaboff and Pa
rosky-and in this ne made speeches.
Down swooped the Government. One
member OF the society was hanged and
MeInikoff, l9 years old, rashly outsDoken,
Jealous to white heat, was borne 10 the
Petersburg fortress.
Hell have a chance to COOL" some
body said.
THE rats win listen to his speech-mak-
ing now" jeered another.
$50 you think you're going to teach the
Car how to manage his affairs, do you?'
you're a fine one to teach him. Never
mind, sonny, youll grow older in time"
Then the lock ground and canked itself
shut and Paul turned and faced the damp
darkness.
II was so dark that at first he could
barely distinguish what little was in the
cell. The only light came from crack
of a window above. As his eyes came
TO see they made out a stone floor, damp,
hare walls, and the merest necessities OF
furniture These were all Of iron and
were fastened against the wall. There
was an iron-seated chair, an iron-mat-
tressed bed.
For six months he waited in the fort
ress. He saw no one but the guards, he
heard nothing from the outside world.
Meals were brought to the cell. They
were not bad meals and they were doubly
welcome. being the only diversion.
AT the end of the six months came a
break in the monotony of life. Word
came suddenly that Melnikoff was to be
transported to Siberia The word was
not Of a nature to be disputed. Melni-
koff went.
Kara, as we spell it, or Kara, as the
Russians prefer it, was his destination.
The prison stood dull and low and black
against a drive of gray afternoon snow.
The sky looked thick and close to the
earth In all directions was bleak, drift
covered land and dumb. blundering snow.
The prison of Kara stood alone. II
crouched low and groveling and leper-
like. It opened slow, cautious doors to
its new occupant, and when he was once
inside It shut the doors again surely. 1t