The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-04-09

the steppe before the first wind of
winter. 1t began TO come very softly
and silently at daybreak, and quickly
powdered the landscape, covering IN
all ughness, making unsightly places
even beautiful; but all the same it
was cruel.
1t struck the knell of the long ST.
lence; Sergius Konski, sometime stu
dent OF Warsaw, and now supposed
to be living peaceably on his fathers
lands at Erlensk on the Siberian from
tier, stood still at the gateway of one
of his fathers fields and looked up
the long bleak vista of the road
which led away from Erlensk and
towards Poland and life. Such was
the thought in the lads heart, for
from his mothers side he was a
Pole; and every heartbeat was in
sympathy with his mothers people.
One brief year had he spent in
warsaw; twelve short months into
which had been crowded the fierce
experience of a lifetime then sud
denly and swiftly, he and his sister,
who had been attending university
removed from Warsaw. They had
not dared to ask a question; they
knew too we'll the reason, though the
matter had never been mentioned in
the great house of Konski. The lines
had simply deepened in the face of
old Konski, and he had become more
taciturn than ever.
You have had your chance and
made a fool of yourself, Serge, be-
sides dragging Vera into danger.
You can stay at home now and make
fool OF yourself to some purpose"
That was nine months ago. The
pair were not content-how could
they be? Can the eagle, who has
been accustomed to soar from height
to height, to contemplate the mac
cessible only as a spur to further
achievement, sit down contentedly to
preen his feathers in the homely
dove-cot, however sheltered and safe?
The thing is impossible. These two
young, eager hearts, whom the love
OF freedom had consecrated, who had
beheld great wrongs and burned to
redress them, were fretting their
hearts out now, and 1t was the begin
ming of the long silence.
Serge was expecting no one; he
was simply contemplating the road
which led to life, and wondering how
long before the cords would become
so strong that they would draw him
away from every tie that bound him
to the steppes. He had the thin,
nf ha
dreamer of dreams. He wore a loose
blouse of frieze, cut low at the throat
and revealing the strenuous muscles
there; his eyes seemed to burn, to be
full Of deep thoughts 1t was a sin
gularly handsome, a winning, arrest
ing face. But 1t was not the face of
the man who could suffer the long
silence.
Suddenly a remote sound smote
upon his ear; and through the film
OF the flying snow he beheld In the
far vista of the road an approaching
vehicle. He drew himself up, an
alertness seemed to spring to every
muscle; he stepped out into the mid
die of the road. He was not aware
OF any expected arrival yet none the
less was he conscious of a sudden
hutter of anticipation. Anything
might happen any day; that was the
only thing which made endurance
possible. The vehicle, drawn by
pair Of swift but now jaded horses,
approached swiftly, until Serge could
discern 1t held two persons. They
were so wrapped up, however, so
little OF their faces visible, that no
recognition was possible until they
came within a few hundred yards
Then he gave little cry and held
up his hand The plunging horses
were instantly stopped. and one of
the travellers alighted.
Drive on to the stables, Ivan.
Yes, the stables Of Count Konski.
How are you, Serge?"
The face OF the youth in the frieze
blouse was suffused with light
which touched like a live coal the
warm heart of the Engllshman. They
shook hands I'm silence. Not until
the horses had disappeared did a fur
ther word pass between them
What brings you here, Arthur"
a1hsN ooi 30 III lOW VOICE luhl Is
q matter of urgency / can see"
The Englishman wiped the powder
OF the snow from his keen, clean
ghaven face.
1T IS O matter of life or death.
Serge 1 left st. Petersburg on Mon
day. On Sunday the Terror began,
and when I left the soldiers were I'm
the streets shooting down the de-
fenceless citizens"
But there is more, Arthur. You
would not ride so many hundred
miles to tell as that"
There Is more You know Ore
sky? He Is high in favor at the Win
ter Palace He told me privately on
Sunday evening that you and Vera
are on the list You must look after
yourself have come to take her
away"
] II question % she viii CO." said