The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-10-23
for this sulja affair. NV friends there

for this sulja affair. My friends there
will not betray me. and I do not fear
any one In odessa mean have no
more cause to fear now than always
have. l told you was a suspect.
Some day my time will come, but not
yet" he repeated, with an emphatic
shake Of his head.
"Why not leave Russian" said. Chris.
label, softly.
Because Russia is everything to
me-" said Aksakoff, with fine ring in
his voice and a light in his eyes.
when you arrive tomorrow in Ga,
latz, Miss Joyce, you will be able to
get anything you want, anything there
may not be time to get this morning.
From Galatz," he said to Norman,
you can go by train through Rouma.
MIA and Austria land so to England"
The program outlined by Aksakofr
was carried out faithfully and without
hitch. At the appointed time Norman
met Christabel with Aksakoff and his
mother at the quay of the Calais
steamer and went on board. Now the
steamers that sail between Odessa and
Galatz are not exactly. the vessels
that can accurately be described as
floating palaces or pleasure craft, but
they serve on occasion. The ship, in
their circumstances, seemed to Chris.
label and Norman as desirable as the
finest ocean greyhound of them all,
and it was with bounding hearts that
they saw her carry them out into the
Black sea. Up to the moment of cast!
ing off the moorings Norman was
afraid that something untoward would
happen.
They waved their adieux to Aksa.
koff and his mother.
Glow kind they have been!" said
Christabel. IN. Aksakoff was particu.
larly nice. How strange to see him
now, the polished man of the world,
and to think of him in connection with
what we have just gone through this
morning!"
Yet he has his own happiness"
said Norman, thoughtfully; "and now
l have mine." And he gazed tenderly
at her, but she kept her eyes fixed
on the forms of the Russian and his
mother, now growing small and faint
as the distance between the ship and
the quay increased.
Were you not here, dearest" said
Norman to her, once the high houses
of Odessa had vanished from their
sight and nothing was about them but
tho CT ond tho coo tto11 thof hon
pened this morning and much that
went before would appear unreal, as
if it could not be. as If it had never
been. Were you not here, l should
have a feeling such as man might
have who wakes from sleep of trou.
bled Dreams"
II know" said Christabel. ct all
seems so impossible. often had the
same feeling when was shut up in
that terrible house."
And then she took his arm and they
paced the deck, telling each other all
the things that had occurred since
Christabel had left England. A long
time they talked, and then Norman
asked the inevitable question.
"Christabel,' he said, in a grave,
earnest, pleading tone, "you told me
last time asked you that you loved
me, but could not marry me because
of something-you said it was mat.
ter of duty, though try as I may
cannot understand it-that stood be-
tween us. Does that something still
stand between us, darling?"
cit does, Norman" she answered,
in voice as grave as his own.
"Will it always stand between u.s."
he asked, with choke.
II do not know, but I'm afraid It
WILL" she replied, in tremulous Zones.
Norman looked at her face and saw
that it was full of pain; he kept. back
the words of protest, expostulation,
entreaty, that were rising to his
tongue. He spoke after little pause
that seemed immensely long.
g -~',et wait dearest l shall wait,
1 shall never give you up, he said;
but he sighed deeply. "After what
we hove gone through you surely are
mire more than ever. Tell me once
more, Christabel, that you love me-
there will always be that
(To Be continued.)