The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-03-26
! THE FLIGHT OF
A SERF
Wolves In Front and a Pursuing
Master In Rear
BY EDGAR L. THOMPSON

Turing the nrst half or the nineteent
century Russian gentleman, Coun
koronief. living I'm Finland, owned
beautiful serf girl named Sonia. AID
Joining the Koronief estate lived
small farmer named Orion. orloff'
son Peter and Sonia were wont to pla,
g together as children and when the,
4 grew to manhood and womanhood be
! came lovers. Unfortunately for then
while Peter was free man Sonia wa.
. q serf.
NOW, the count was firm supporter
or the government, while even at that
early date there were evidences of dis
content among the people. The muir.
murings were heard mostly among the
higher classes. for the serfs were too
} ignorant, too degraded. too used TO con-
slider their master. the car, divine
being. 10 protest against anything that
emanated from him. Young Orion was
far In advance of the small farmer
class. TO which he belonged. supporting
the few mobiles and many intellectual
commoners who desired to see the au-
tocracy OF the government curbed and
the lower classes educated.
| When. therefore. Orion senior offered
to buy Sonia and give her TO his son to
wife the count refused TO sell her. mo
one belonging to my estate" he said.
shall pass under the influence OF these
new notions which are intended to in
terfere with the will OF the emperor.
In Russia we have always needed and
always had a single power TO rule.
Certain people are now beginning an
agitation which IL persisted in will edu-
cate the lower classes. They will be-
come discontinued with their lot, and
we shall have anarchy"
When the farmer gave the counts
answer to his son. advising him to
think 10 more of Sonia, rebellious
fire Jared in the young mans breast.
He dare not tell Sonia, for she would
undoubtedly feel that the hope OF hap.
piness which had been born to her had
been quenched. since she would never
dream or disputing her masters will. |
The law gave her TO him as serf, |
and IL she rebelled the law would pun
ish her. Indeed. marriage without |
the counts consent was impracticable.
IL her lover attempted TO defy the |
count he would be sent to Siberia.
Sonia's master told her that the propo- 1,
sition had been made. that he had de-
clined II, and there was an end of the
matter. r2E i f.r..r.
Peter brooded over the matter till he
was ready TO take any risk to possess
Sonia. He had expected to work his
fathers farm after his father had
passed away. as each son had succeed
ed his father from time immemorial.
With Sonia for his wife he would
have been content to do so. If he
should possess her he must do so by
away with her. and if caught
the consequences would be terrible.
not only for him, but for her. But
owe will take any risk. Peter had
heard OF America. There the people ;
we're their own rulers. If he could
'nly get Sonia out of Russia and take
Ter to America they could be united.
out any attempt to carry her away Q
would be fraught with great danger.
md there was every chance of failure.
ne only chance for such an attempt I
o succeed would be by bribery, al L
ways common method OF ACCOMPLISH {
ne objects in Russia. but Peter. so 7
onS as his father lived, could not raise s
ouch money. The old man was not &
nlnded to cripple himself by raising II
unds to carry out any wild scheme &
his sons to satisfy within. Be p
Ides, sons and daughters In Russia a
'ere not supposed to choose mates: h
1ey were provided by their parents. n
Peter secretly saved what money he
ouid, knowing that even IL he sue. "
eeced In getting Sonia out OF Russia d
could not take her to America C,
ithout means. In one way and an. Il
.her he got together enough to pay a In
USAGE Then he began TO weigh the al
Weren't plans he had been forming sc
n kidnapping his love. He dared not
ust her with any intention of what r,
had In mind, fearing that even n a
,owledge of it would cause her nm
ittingly to betray 1t. Then. too. he ar
w. ~ oSSuidhCe tHdt sne would con- | Ia
mt TO take risk fraught with such on
lghtful consequences to her and him.
IL In case OF failure. In
rhe plan he chose embodied its for. tn
ltion, its execution aud it's RESPONSE. ed
lily solely IN himself. No other was do
share the secret with him. not even OF
MA. IL was TO kidnap the, girl and TIL
rry her around the gulf Of Bothnia ed
o Sweden. The country through SUI
'ich they must pass was cold and
'olate. The only thing that rendered try
scheme at all feasible was that the his
ate from which they would start Nv
only hundred miles from the !
edish border But to pass over this puI
lance without being caught and re- Tn
ned was dangerous undertaking. sw
Ter had enough money to hire a two Of
Sc sleigh. including the necessary We,
'ys. besides sufficient to take him TO the
aiiing point for America. His ar. Gro
gements were perfected I'm Septem- Fro
; and. with loverlike Impotence. in. Oh,
Id OF being satisfied to wait till the lea
I spring. he planned TO carry out M