The daily Alaskan., 1912-03-16
THE FLIGHT OF
 A SERF
Wolves In FrOu. and Pursuing
 Master In Rear
By EDGAR L. THOMPSON


 During the first half of the nineteenth century Russian gentleman. Count Koronlef. living tn Finland. owned a beautiful scrf girl named Sonia. Ad- joining the KoTouief estate lived a small farmer named 0rioG orloif's son Peter and Sonia were wont to play together as children and when they grew 10 manhood and womanhood i'e- came lovers. Unfortunately for them while Peter was free man Sonia was a scrf
 Now. the count was n firm supporter Of Che government, while even at tbat early date there were evidences of dis content among tlic lerlAe. fhe mur- mnrings were hearI mostly among the higher classes. for the seffs were too ignorant. too degraded too used to con. slider thcir master the czar a divine being. to protest against anything that emanated from him Young orioa was far in advance of the small farmer class. Co which he belonged supporting the few uob,eS and many Intellectual commoners who desired io sec the au. toeracy of tho government curhed and he lower classes cduchted.
 When. therefore Orion senior offered to buy Sonia and give her Co bis son to wife thc count refused Co scli her No one belonging Co my etaie,' hc said shah pass under the influence of these uew notions whlcb ar' iRvndcl Co in- terfere with thc win ot tac emperor in Russia we have always needed aud always had a single power to rule. Certain people age now tglinniHe an agitation which If persisted iH win eiu- cate ihe lower eGs~l- The. wiii be come discontgtcl with their lot and we shsU have anarchy
 When the farmcr gave Che count g answer ta his son. addsinE hnn to think uo more of Sou.a, a tebeliious fire dared in the yaung mans breast He dare not teH Soufl. for she would undoubtedly feel that ihe hope Of hap piness which had heeu burn Co her had been 1uenehcd. since she would never dream Of dlspuilns her masters wilL The law gave her te hir1 as D Serf, and if she reueIioJ the law would pun ish her. Indeed marriage without the couut's consent was impTarticab,e. 1T her lover attempted Co dcly the count be would be sent Co Siberia. Sonia's master told her that the propo- sition had been made. that be had de clined it. and there was an end of tbe matter
 Peter hroodcd over the matter tiii he was ready to take any risk to possess Souia. Be had expected to work his fathers farm after his father bad psssed away. as each son had succeed- ra his father from time immemorial. win sonia for his wife he would have been content Co do so. If he shonld possess her be must 6o so by running away with her. and IT caught .be consequences would be terrible, moi only for hlu. but for her But love win take any risk. Peter rlad heard of America There the reopie were their own rulers. II be could onlv get Sonia out of Russia and take her to America they could be united. But any attempt to carry her away would be fraucht with great danger and there was every chance of failure l The only chance Tor such an attempt to succeed would be by bribery, at ways common method of accomplish lug objects in Russia but Peter. Sd ! long as his father lived. could not raise much money. The old man was mol minded to cripple himself by raising funds Co carry out any wild scheme of his sons to satisfy a whim Be ! sides. sons and daughlers in Russia were not supposed Co choose mates | they were provided by taelr parents. ] Peter secretly saved what money h' could. knowin- that cvcu if be sue cceded in getting sonia ont of Russia be caud not i4Ee her l0 America without means. ia one vuy cad an other he cot toeethce enough Co pay 2 passage. Then te bcgn Go weigh tht inherent ptau he had boon lormius Tor ftanapng bls love He dared no.
 trust her uith any intention of whaI
 he bad in mind fearing Shat even ! knowicdee Of % would cinse her uu
 wittinely Go betray it Then. too, h' I had DO assuraute thai sue would con
 sent to take risk fraught with sucl
 frirhuul consequences To her and him ser in case of failure.
 The plan he chose embodied its for mation. its execution and its responsi
 bnity solely in himself No other wa
 to share the secret with him not evei
 souia. It was to kiduap the girl am ! carry her around tine gulf of Bothni'
 into Sweden. The country throagl
 which they must pass was cold ana
 desoiate. The only lining that rendere' the scheme at ail feasible was that tn
 estate from which they would star
 was only hundred miles from th
 Swedish border. But 10 pass over thi dlstance without being caught and ft
 turned was a dangerous undertaking t Peter bad enough money Co hire tw horse sleigh, including the necessar relays. besides sufficient 10 take him [ , sa;ling point for America Ills al