Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-10-05
SAVED FROM A
LIFE OF SLAVERY
Story Of a Russia, Wife's
Love and Devotion.

die within the limits Of the factory.
Once entered on the rolls of the COM
pany an operative has hidden goodby
forever to the outside world.
Dmitri Nikanovich, a young Rus
sian, having been out of employment
for a long while, saw his wife and
children starving before him. There
is but n chance for our lives,'' he said
to his wife. II must go to the IRON
works. There l shall receive regular
wages. which I can send to you"
In vain his wife protested. They
might die together rather than that
the husband and father should be dead
to them forever. No. he said. The win
ter was at hand and if they escaped
starvation they would surely die by
cold. kissing his little ones. who e
too young to understand what he was
about to do. and leaving his swooning
wife and them. he went to the iron
works and entered himself as a work
man.
-Four years passed. The wife and
children Of Nikanovich knew that he
was still alive, for they received his
wages regularly. he knew that they
or some of them lived, for the money
was not returned to him.
One day a new workman was en-
tered at the factory. He was a young.
delicate looking fellow and was given
the lightest work that was to be done.
One morning this workman. who was
entered under the name of Nicholas
Artemvich, was standing beside Dmi-
tri Nikanovich. both waiting to handle
some sheet iron that had just been
rolled. when Nicholas whispered:
"Be at the west wall tonight at .
o'clock, midway between the fifth and
sixth sentry towers.
Nikanovich. astonished. stared at the
speaker. Nevertheless he had the pres
ence of mind to hold his peace.
That night Nikanovich walked, as
was permitted, from 8 to 8 o'clock be-
tween the factory buildings and the
wall, and when the bell rang at 9 and
the other workmen had disappeared he
saw Artemvich reckoning him in a
dark corner formed by the contiguous
buildings. Indeed, the base stones of
the buildings touched, leaving a recess
behind them. Artemvich's head and
shoulders only could be seen. Nikano-
vich cast a hasty glance around. and.
making sure that no one saw him, he
sprang over the stone into the recess.
"Dmitri, I am Anna. your wife!!"
The thought that his wife had enter
ed this place to be with him and that
she had left their children filled him
with alternate Pushes Of joy and sor-
row. For a moment husband and wife
were locked in each others arms. Then
Anna spoke rapidly:
You had scarcely left us when my
rubles. The first year l spent getting
possession of the money and the re-
naming three in planning and pTepar-
ing for your escape. Two years ago |
began to dig a tunnel from the river
bank to a point ear the spot where we
stand. 1t was completed before l en-
tered this place. and since l have been
here | have come to this corner at night
and dug till | struck it. carrying the
earth away in my pockets and keeping
the entrance in this corner. where no
n ever comes. concealed. | have sent
our children beyond the borders. If
we escape we may join them and find
a home in America"
With that she drew from under her
wooden shirt a Ease knife and began
to dig. In u few minutes she had I'M
covered a square piece of wood and.
lifting it. entered a perpendicular tun-
mel not much larger than her body.
From this III another. dipping slightly
from the horizontal. Anna. followed
by her husband. made her way through
this horizontal tunnel. 1t was cramp-
ed at first. but grew larger as they adj
vanced. The outlet was on the river
bank a few feet above the water and
covered with logs and brush. Just be-
fore emerging they passed through a
space sufficiently large to contain a
rowboat. in which there were a pair of
oars.
'Those rowlocks.,' said Anna. have
been mufled for nearly a year. and
the cloths are quite rotten. Still. they
will serve to get us past the river
guards without the noise CT rowing
"How did you get this boat in here?"
asked Dmitri.
Il watched six months for the water
to be sufficiently high to float it in
did yer man have a wife so patient
and devoted?" said her husband. en-
5racing her.
Come: let us be Off"
Launching the boat. they foated
down with the current, at times pull
ing with the oars. at times holding wa
ter to escape observation. at times
shooting on rapidly. On the one hand
was the factory. the officials Of which
with all their vigilance had not been
able to keep apart these lovers, and
on the other that distant border be.
yond which were the little ones they
loved as they loved each other.
Thus they passed the night and
when day dawned landed and In a
peasants cottage changed their attire
/ 49, Ar.at.t - 49, 80 81.