The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-09-01
Prisoners and CdpfiYes

Nv n. s. MERRIMAN

with ner. SerSluS, L Will Try oHu IoAe
her back. We will give ourselves up. 1t
does not matter. Now that Hans Is dead,
| have nothing to live for. l have no
husband"
The little doctor WINGED. He was not
a nihilist at all, and never had been but
in personal appearance he had resembled
one. There was something horribly real
in the words that came from the girls
rosy lips. Sergius Pavloski shook his
head and moved step or two toward
the group half hidden by a fine driving
snow.
NO." he answered. 1--WE arranged 1t
before leaving London. There is only
one thing to be DONE"
The doctor and the girl exchanged a
look of horror, and hesitated to follow
him.
ut was agreed" he continued, me-
chanically, that the lives Of all were
never TO be endangered for the sake OF
one. Tyars said that"
Slowly the two followed him. As they
approached the group some of these STEP
ped silently back, some walked away a
few PAGES and stood apart with averted
faces.
Can you tell me-" said the woman,
looking up suddenly and leaving the
baby's face and throat fully exposed to
the cruel wind, whether l can find a
lodging near here?"
She addressed Pavloski, who was stand
ing in front of her. He made no answer,
but presently turned away with con-
vulsive movement of lips and throat, as il
he were swallowing with an effort. Then
he raised his voice and, addressing his
companions generally, he said, with the
to exact obedience:
"Will you all go on? Keep the same
direction, north-by-west according to the
compass. l shall catch you up before
evening""
He stood quite still, like man hewn
out of stone-upright, emotionless and
quite determined awaiting the fulfill
ment of his commands. All around him
his companions waited. It almost seem
ed as if they expected the Almighty to
interfere. Even to those who have tasted
the bitterest cup that life has ever brew
ed, this seemed too cruel to be true-too
horrid! And the wind blew all around
them, tearing, raging on.
At last one man had the courage to do
it. 1t was he who had spoken to Paw
loski, the man whom they called doctor.
He went toward one of the sledges and
proceeded to disentangle the traces thrown
carelessly down when halt had been
called. The men stepped silently forward
and drew the cords across their shoulders.
The women moved away first, stepping
softly on the silent snow, and like phan-
toms vanishing in the mist and windy tur-
moil. The men followed, dragging their
noiseless sledges. The doctor stayed be-
hind for moment. When the others
were out of earshot he went toward Paw
losk and laid his mittened hand upon his
arm.
"Sergius," he said, with painful hest
tation, "let me do it am a doctor-it
will be easier"
Pavloski turned and looked at the
speaker in a stupid, bewildered way, as
If the language used were unknown to
him. Then he smiled suddenly, in sick
ening way: it was like cynical smile
upon the face of the dead.
Go" he said, pointing to windward,
where their companions had disappeared.
go with them. Let each one Of us do
his duty. 1t will be consolation, what
ever the end may be-"
The doctor was bound in honor to obey
this man in all and through all. He
obeyed now, and left Sergius Pavloski
alone with his mad wife and his helpless
babe. AS he moved away he heard the
woman prattling of the sun and the birds
and the flowers.
He turned his face resolutely north
ward and pressed forward into the icy
wind, but a muff1ed, gurgling shrek broke
down his strong resolution. Without
stopping, he glanced back over his shout
der with a gasp of horror. Sergius Paw
loski was kneeling with his back to the
north; but he was not kneeling on the
snow, for the doctor saw two fur-clad
arms waving convulsively, and between
| the soles of Pavloski's great snow boots
he caught sight of two other feet drawn
up in agony.
forgive him "
And with bloodshot eyes and haggard
| lips he stumbled on, not needing where
he set his feet. He fell, and rose again.
scarce knowing what he did. Despite the
freezing wind, the perspiration ran down
his face, binding him. 1t froze and hung
there in little icicles on his mustache and
| beard.
And in the agony of his strong mind
his brain lost all power of concentration.
| His lips continued to frame those four
| words over and over again until they be-
came bereft of all meaning and lapsed
into a mere rhythmic refrain, keeping
time with the swing of his sturdy legs.
Ito be continued.)