The San Francisco call., 1904-06-26

He sounds interesting. You might
at least tell me a little about him." 1
said, with a fast-beating heart, again
straining a light manner.
He certainly was a lost soul" said
Dolgoff carelessly. Il heard it whis-
pered that he killed his own father.
Whether this was true 1 can't say. But
/ know he collected a lot Of blackmail
from an important parsonage who was
mixed up in a murder, by threatening
exposure. 1 got to know him pretty
well, for we worked together for a
while-passports, you know. When 1
first knew him he was living with a
woman. a gentle. who said she was his
wife. But they weren't married. He
had talked free-Iove hocus-pocus to
her till he had convinced her marriage
wasn't necessary. He soon deserted
her and ran off with a money-Iender's s
daughter and all of his money he could
get hold off. I haven't heard of him
since, but he's undoubtedly at the same
game. If were you, Israel" he ended
humorously, with a soft. rolling laugh,
I'D shave off my mustache and look
like some one else
1 did not dare question him any
further about Joseph. for fear my curl
osity, together with the resemblance he
had noted, might lead him to suspect
the relationship between his old friend
and me. Needless to say, I was not
proud of Joseph. So turned the con-
versation upon Ephraim.
"Oh, Razovski is now stirring Kieff
with liberty for the Jews and 'assimi
lation,' he said in answer to my ques-
tion as to what was Ephraim's present
hobby. He is always fortunate in
finding co-operators. A certain Judge
Bialnick-a gentile-is working inde-
fatigably for the cause"
Judge Bialnick!" 1 uttered breath
lessly.
why. did you ever hear Of him? He
comes from Lithuania and has spent
his life among Jews"
did not answer his question:; instead
1 again changed the subject. "And
what about Nihilism?''
'It is not dead yet" he responded in
a whisper. That's how Razovski came
to meet Judge Bialnick. The judge is
at the head of our secret society here.
Matters will become lively pretty
soon.' He suddenly checked himself.
as if he realized he had already talked
too much.
The information that Bialnick was in
Kieff took me completely by surprise.
1 was so dazed that after leaving Dol
goff I almost lost my way. I recalled
that Bialnick had talked of being
transferred to Kieff, so this must be
the same Bialnick that / had known.
And Katia must be In Kieff, too A
thrilling hope took hold Of me. I could
not see my way clear to a renewal OF
friendship with her, but I trusted to
fate and my efforts.
l took UP my new course Of study
with fresh zeal. Because Katia was so
near, because Of the new hope that was
burning within me, the dry pages of
anatomy and nlateria medIca became
as attractive to me as volumes Of
poetry. 1 was happy all the time be-
cause 1 was breathing the same air
with Katia; and every evening I was
doubly happy, because then I walked
past her residence, which, I soon
learned, was in the PechersH quarter,
the most fashionable part Of the city.
But 1 suffered from material want
Living expenses here were much higher
than at Vilno, and my earnings were
less. I eked out my livelihood by doing
some odd literary jobs for a we'll
known periodical, but the remunera-
ton was so meager that I was often
compelled to live on one meal a day
However, 1 was not discouraged On
the contrary, my ambition was stimu-
lated, and the time of the missing meal
was spent in writing verses. My muse
was very active in those days. With
ink and paper before me, and pen in
my hand, I felt as If I were riding on
a fast-sailing cloud, with the earth be-
low like a mere child's ball.
Yet I could not substitute verses for
all my meals. So I advertised in a
local newspaper, and the second inser-
tion procured me position as tutor in
a wealthy family. The payment I
agreed upon was sufficient to carry me
through college. The nrst lessons I
gave were satisfactory, and now all
seemed easy sailing. But I was soon
again reminded that a rose Is scarce
ly even without thorn. One afternoon,
as presented myself at the appointed
time, 1 found the father instead OF his
two sons.
He bowed stifiy and in courteous
tone said: ''WelI-a-you will excuse
me-a-your name-a-deceived me-"
And he smiled, as IL he wished me to
understand the rest.
1 looked dubiously at him.
Don't you see-Mr. Russakof?" he
added II don't believe you are the
kind Of tutor my boys need"
Gould you kindly specify my defi-
ciencies, so that may benefit by your
opinion?'' 1 asked smilingly, though I
was filed with sudden despair.
st beg your pardon, sir" He smiled
graciously. "The fault-a-is not with
you, but-a-with- a-the Jew"
My feelings at that instant were be-
yond all description. 1 had suffered
many injuries of "a similar kind before.
but never had felt so hurt as at this
time. 1 went to my room and threw
myself upon my bed, and, man though
I now was, burst into flood OF tears
tears of rage. of humiliation. OF help
lessness. Afterward I sat smarting at
my window. watching daylight turn to
dusk and twilight to darkness.
He finds no fault with me. but with