The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-07-23
WHITTIER
THOU GOEST

Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Co

/
husbandT
Soul Of mine, why dost thou doubt 7
Lorinka. go. There remains but the
night between me and Sakhalin. the
grave Of my country. And We be starv-
ing. little Madonna, and a mans work
Is a mans work.
why do you tremble so7 It Is bat a
little mouse gnawing my boot. a bold
little starveling. will return quickly
from America and wait for you In
Italy. where the Russian police may
not seek me out and the sun always
shines.
And II thou die. my lifer'
II cannot die. beautiful child. with
out thee"
"And-and some one else-Olga. VINO
goes with theeT
"Ah, soul Of mine, am thine! Ny
body goes unwillingly, and my soul
stays with thee A body without O
soul. wander-a body torn by the
separation.
"Ah, Lorinka. there is but one thing
LETT to me-the mercy Of thy letters
but thou must guard well the contents,
fof they will watch thee"
Il cannot let thee CO."
he wrapped his great shouba with
It. warmth Of sheepskin about her, but
the girl still trembled, yet not with the
deadly cold.
She was beautiful girl and nearly
/ ta hA oplx ha tp xxyae
In great plaits around her head.
Her wide black eyes, lidded with
long lashes and the eyebrows archine
delicately above them, were now wild
with terror.
She was the bride IT a year. and her
husband was fleeing In the night from
the Russian police.
There was noise outside. the wheels
Of a cart dragging In the mud, and
above 1t rang clearly the silver tones
OF the bells Of the drosky, which arches
from the shaft above the horses neck.
| Lorinka Strengthened her body ttll It
1 was rigid In suspense
Before the narrow door Of the httle
hut drew up q Siberian horse, whke
and beautiful as the snow Il stepped
OF, with long, flowing tail and mane
and the peculiar grace Of its spec1eA
A gin stepped down from tho huSs
hay sils sat on.
SAe stood half embarrassed ~
susling. her glance lingering 0~W
every feature Of Michael's--the strulght
even brows that were drawn, the
shadows beneath the high maxinary
bones: glancing down to his neck and
shoulders, which were strong like
bulls; seeing even ON the foor at his
feet the old cap. that he had worn dx
years when a Cossack, fast freezing to
tho ground. and tiny silver cross on
its chain ON his breast
Then her ashes dropped as her eycs
turned to Lorinka. whose dark head,
with It's plaits. rested close to where
the cross lay.
Lorinka raised her head and nodded
to the little woman In tho door. who
seemed to her al the embodied instxn
ment Of fate
Olga and she had been rivals.
Olga had loved Michael long ana
would now drive the tarantaA the
rough cart-perhaps walk beside II part
Of the way. as driving was freezing
work. and Michael, living. would pass
as the corpse Of her brother. which
she. poor peasant, was driving 10 the
church-and perhaps he would b Q
real corpse when the long. weary ride
In the cold should be ended
Who else bat some one who lSved
him would venture II, risk liberty and
help him escapsf
Olga would 60 to America with him.
for she dared not return, while Lortnka.
his wife. must stay and bids her Tina
Under the urge Of Lorinka's banda
ont to the tarantas and laid himse6
Dat on its boards, while she pulled q
black cover over his PROSTATE figure.
placed q bundle Of hay beneath his
head and two heavy loaves Of ten
pounds each Of black bread done up IN
tute beside him, with teakettls and
glasses and an old worn Bible.
The white horse and the tarsntas
drew out into the white still night and
the vast steppeA
Michael made q httie hole IN the
cover, and his eyes watched the siewiy
receding hut In the snow field
He wanted to impress her image N
his soul for dark nights In alien lands,
ard he strained his eyes till her white
foce and arms. luminous In the door,
seemed frozen there, and he felt that
he. too. was frozen In the watching.
Olga drove into the slumbering vfl.
hge OF Alexandrovska with the reins
IN one hand and crossing herself pious
ly with the other.
rhe police watched her 30 past and
her eyes were ever on the gold crcss of
tho domed church at the far end Of the
village.
A day brought them into the city Of
Habarovska. where the nearly frosen
Michael revived, and they took the
slow train Of the fourth class Of the
Ussuriski railway. stopping at svesy
little staten for hot water for tea. and
In seventeen days they reached Odssss
/ ana took ahip for America