The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-19

II had rather, my Sophia, bear
gloomy than a back conscience ne
answered her earnestly. Ever since
my love for you revealed the wrongs
of every ninty-nine who toiled be
meath Slavias sun, have known no
peace. The knowledge came upon
my heart like scourge. and what
nine Alexanders should have done /
have tried to do-too late!"
Mine be the blame and mine the
punishment" Sophia responded bit
terly, for it was l who urged those
reforms which were no reforms. !
should have known tnat the very gen
tleness OF heart which made you
grieve for these poor ones whose
blood is my blood, would carry with
it over-much gent'eness for the strife
that has been set aflame, and yet
now there was the ring of passion
in her yoice-'T would not have 1t
undone; for one life, after all. is a
trivial thing, and the lives OF all these
poor lashed and knouted millions cry
TO ne from the ground-from my
SOL. the clay Of which | was made;
and for holy Slavia, her people, her
downtrodden that bend to the earth
nor dare lift their heads in protest,
/ would forfeit honor and happiness
and heaven, liberty and love and
life, aye to the last drop of blood
that Is in my veins!"
And are like to do it," responded
Alexander dryly, though at the same
time he smiled up at her the love
that her surprising beauty had won
and that her surprising loyalty had
kept, "for the day that marks my
doom will doubtless mark your own.
1T was right, Sophia, to say that gen
tleness had been part of my unman
ming. | looked in the glass today.
When my breath blew upon it, c
scrawl OF March the 25th' came
family out upon its surface. as If
traced with a ghostly finger, but
it was not that which struck me TO
shame; it was that | had not the
eye nor The jaw, the will nor the
strength to enforce hose proclama-
tions in which | believed | had eX
pressed the wish of God. Holy Slavia
was to be free; her downtrodden
were to raise their heads; the golden
day was to dawn when every man
was to have a coice in his own des-
TIMES. the franchise was to be uni
versal; chattels were to become freed
men and land owners; the autocracy
was to pass away, and parliament,
elected by the people and for the
people, was to lay the foundation of
justice and liberty and equality
And oh, angels might weep at the
piteous jest of it all! The mobiles
laughed, and the peasants, only awak
ened and inflamed. laughed too when
they found the futility and impo-
tence of him who is proclaimed the
lord and master of life and death
throughout all this land. Oh, heart
of mine, no fretting babe has less
of manful power than Alexander"
And bending his head in his hands,
trinly1n1 Hnwn bic
lean, white fingers.
Sophia helpless to aid him, de-
sparinf of ever infusing her own
invincible spirit within that fragile
will, gazed down upon him, noting
the slight but certain signs which
told of the dread of the Volanoffs,
which proclaimed how better it had
happened that there was no eleventh
Alexander; and presently she shud-
dered as if some sudden chill had
smote her.
And yet, Alexander" she said with
pale lips, unless you can and do
lltC IL WI lNuNuA sO'
through bolts and bars, through dun
geon-doors or in tower-top. upon the
appointed day"
But Alexander shook his head, and,
raising it. smiled sadly.
I'VE shall see,' he said. 1T is not
fear that oppresses me, but sorrow;
and the twenty-fifth has for me no
terrors unless the stroke should
come from God himself; to His will
| bow"
The Red Father" she tremuiously
suggested.
For the Red Father and his Red
Ten, and their Red Tens and tens OF
hundreds and thousands, / shall snap
my fingers throughout that twenty