The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1901-11-21

ksSSSSyN Of Michael Strogoff.
"What a singular coin
cidence," thought he, between this
proclamation expelling all foreigners of
Asiatic origin and the words exchanged
last evening between those two gyp-
sizes of the Zingari race! The Father
himself sends us where we wish to go,
that old man said. But the Father Is
the emperor. He is never called any
thing else among the people. How
could those gypsies have foreseen the
measure taken against them? How
could they have known it beforehand,
and where do they wish to go? Those
are suspicious people, and it seems to
me that to them the government procla-
nation must be more useful than in
furious"
But these reflections, though certain
ly correct, were completely dispelled by
another, which drove every >other
thought out Of MichaePs mind. He for
got the Zingaris, their suspicious words,
the strange coincidence which resulted
from the proclamation. The remem-
brance Of the young Livonian girl sud-
denly rushed into his mind.
Poor childv' he thought to himself.
'She cannot now cross the frontier
In truth the young girl was from
Riga. She was Livonian, consequent
ly Russian, and now could not leave
Russian territory. The permit which
had been given her before the new
measures had been promulgated was
evidently no longer available. All
routes to Siberia had just been pitiless-
ily closed to her, and whatever was the
motive which was taking her to IT.
kutsk, she was now forbidden to 60
there.
This thought greatly occupied Mi
chael Strogoff. He said to himself,
vaguely at first, that without neglect
ing anything of what was due to his
important mission it would perhaps
be possible for him to be of some use
to this brave girl, and this idea pleased
him. Knowing how serious were the
dangers which he, an energetic and
vigorous man, would have personally
to encounter through country of
which, however, the roads were ia
miliar, he could not conceal from him.
self how infinitely greater they would
prove to a young, unprotected girl. AS
she was going to Irkutsk, she would
he obliged to follow the same road as
himself; she would have to pass
through the bands of invaders, as he
was about to attempt doing himself.
If, moreover, and according to all prob
ability, she had at her disposal only
the resources necessary for journey
taken under ordinary circumstances,
how could she manage to accomplish it
under conditions which late events
would render not only perilous, but ex-
pensive?
"Well," said he, III she takes the
route to Perm it is nearly impossible
but that 1 shall fall in with'her. Then.
will watch over her without her sus.
pecting it, and as she appears to be as
anxious as myself to reach Irkutsk she
will cause me no delay"
But one thought leads to another.
Michael Strogof had till now reasoned
on the supposition Of doing kind &C.
ton, of rendering service, but now
another idea flashed into his brain, and
the question presented itself under
quite new aspect.
"The fact is" said he to himself,
"that l have much more need of her
than she can have of me. Her pres
ence will be useful in drawing off sus-
picion from me. A man travelling alone
across the steppes may be easily guess
ed to be courier. to the car. If, on
the contrary, this young girl accompa.
MES me, shall appear in the eyes of
ali the Nicholas Korpanof Of my podo-
ROMA. Therefore she must accompany
me. Therefore 1 must find her again
pit any cost 1t is not probable that
since yesterday evening she has been
able to get a carriage and leave Mini
Novgorod. I must look for her, And
may God guide mer'
Michael left the great square of Mini
Novgorod, where the tumult produced
by the carrying out Of the prescribed
measures had now reached it's height.
determinations from the banished
strangers, shouts from the agents and
Cossacks who were using them so bru-
tally, all together made an indescriba-
BILE uproar. The girl for whom he
searched could not be there. 1t was
now 8 o'clock in the morning. The
steamboat did not start till IL. Mi
chael Strogof had therefore nearly
three hours to employ in searching for
her whom he wished to make his trav-
cling companion.
He crossed the Volga again and hunt
ed through the quarters on the other
side, where the crowd was much less
considerable. He visited every road,
both in the high and low towns. He
entered the churches, the natural ref
hge for all who weep, for all who suf-
fer. Nowhere did he meet with the
young Livonian.
"And yet" he repeated, "she could
not have left Mini Novgorod yet. Well
have another look"
Michael WANDERED about thus for two
hours. He went on without stopping,
feeling no fatigue, but obeying the po-
tent instinct which allowed him no
room for thought. All was In vain.
! It then occurred to him that perhaps