Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-10
During the first half of the nlnetr-r,n

During the first half of the ninetr-r,n
century a Russian gentleman, Count
Koronief, living In Finland. owned a
beautiful serf girl named Sonia. Ad-
joining the Koronief estate lived a
small farmer named Orloff. Orloff's
son Peter and Sonia were wont to play
together as children and when they
grew to manhood and womanhood be-
came lovers Unfortunately for them
while Peter was q free man Sonia was
q serf
Now, the count was a firm supporter
of 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. TO 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 If 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 no more of Sonia, a rebellious
fire fiared 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 of disputing her masters will.
The law gave her to him as serf,
and If she rebelled the law would pun
ish her. Indeed, a marriage without
the counts consent was impracticable.
II her lover attempted to defy the
count he would be sent to Siberia.
Sonias master told her that the propo-
sition had been made, that he had de-
clined it, and there was an end Of the
matter.
Peter brooded over the matter TIL he
was ready to take any risk to possess
Sonia. de had expected to work his
fathers farm after his father had
passed away, as each son had succeed
ed his father from time tmmemorial.
With Sonia for his wife he would
have been content to do so. If he
should possess her he must do so by
running away with her, and If caught
not only for him, but for her. But
love will take any risk. Peter had
heard of America. There the people
were their own rulers. If he could
only get Sonia out of Russia and take
her to America they could be united
? But any attempt to carry her away
would be fraught with great danger
and there was every chance of failure
The only chance for such an attempt
|
ways a common method of accomplish
ing objects in Russia, but Peter, sc
long as his father lived, could not raise
, much money. The old man was not
minded to cripple himself by raising
funds to carry out any wild scheme
of his sons to satisfy a within. Be
sides, sons and daughters in Russia
were not supposed to choose mates
they were provided by their parents.
= Peter secretly saved what money he
could, knowing that even if he sue
ceeded in getting Sonia out of Russia
he could not take her to America
without means. In one way and an
other he got together enough to pay q
passage. Then he began to weigh the
different plans he had been forming
for kidnapping his love. He dared moi
trust her with any intention of what
he had in mind, fearing that even s
knowledge OF it would cause her un
Willingly to betray it. Then, too, ht
had no assurance that she would con
: sent to take a risk fraught with sucf
c frightful consequences to her and him
self in case OF failure.
The plan he chose embodied its for
n nation, frs execution and its response
e bility solely in himself. No other wa
e to share the secret with him, not ever
Sonia. 1t was to kidnap the girl an'
carry her around the gulf of Bothnis
S into Sweden. The country through
r which they must pass was cold AM
desolate. The only thing that rendered
the scheme at all feasible was that tn
S estate from which they would star
: was only a hundred miles from tn
Swedish border. But to pass over thi
distance without being caught and re
n turned was a dangerous undertaking
e Peter had enough money to hire a tw
p horse sleigh, including the necessar
relays. besides sufficient to take him I
sailing point for America. His al
n rangements were perfected in Septen
n Der. and. with loverlike impatience, IL
t stead Of being satisfied TO wait till tn
next spring, he planned to carry on
his attempt before the winter set in.
g Knowing Sonia's habits and that sh
had an afternoon to herself once
IL h. -ts,fS