The record., 1917-06-14
! How the Scale
! Was Turned
An Incident Of tae Rus
sian Revolution,
By F. A. MIrCREs

IL
Stephan Mikhailof left Ihe duma,
where he had been working hard for
days to bring about chaTSe in the
government which had cEaTed with
out break for many centuThs. Calling
drosky, be entered it,sflling the
coachman to drive him t0sails- home.
and throwing himself back the cush-
ion behind him, closed his-e es and re-
NAMED in a position denoisg eXhaus-
ton till the vehicle drew ~ ore his
house on a broad ayenu2 ing the
Neva. Descending from oSky, he
paid the driver his far, entered
his home.
He was met in the hall byhis daugh-
ter Marya, q girl not iongsurned sew
enteen. N1arya was typiesl Russian.
Her eyes were a pale blusT her COM
plexion soft white with 4 f.s.,sslt t.nse of
rose, her hair so light thatstsl,ad it not
been for her youthful faiH it might
have almost been mistaken for the
whiteness of age. Is
ooh, father" she said, "Ifam SO glad
that you have come. Sefgus Iyano-
witch is in Petrograd, iiia regiment
having arrived last night. Ele has been
to see me and begs me n intercede
with you to gain your cofEent TO our
betrOthal." ~
''Why do you trouble ND about this
matter" replied the fatherAngrily, "at
snch a time? Do you noWknoW that
we are on the eve Of ctEsummatlon
Of efforts that have been Eorking for
half q century to throw III the des-
potism which sucks the @lfeblood Of
our people? Besides, it "a impossible
that you, the descendant thsa long line
Of MOBILES, should unite Tith cen-
mOner.''
But. papa, are YOU notsSorlling for
the cause Of the people?"N
Yes, but that l.; no retsOn why
should take one of the people into my
family"
"Sergius is an officer, Sc youngest
captain in his regiment"
] .He was . cemaer Ter in the
4 IA iiIfsssa sassss5 fz-s'-es-
"And was promoted = sccount of
his having more influence Ter bis com
rades than all the other officers Of the
regiment together
Enough. [ have neither time nor
inclination to argue with you on this
point while engaged III the great work
Of pulling down the tottering bureau
cracy. You know that the ear, aware
of our efforts to free Russia, dissolved
! the representative assembly which we
Wrung from him in the last revolution.
You know that we refused TO be dis
solved. This from the government S
point of view is revolution, treason
Had the car the power his predeces-
sors had every member Cf the duma
would either be sent TO Siberia OF exc
cuted. Even as it it, remember that
your father is i'll jeopardy If we sue
ceed we will free oCr country; if we
fail we will be prescribed. Our chains
will be SO riveted that the sledge of a
Titan cannot break them
but surely you will VIM
"Not if the car continues to pour
troops into the capital. a II autoCratic
governments are supported by bayo-
nets. The officers are uShally chosen
from the aristocratic classes. aud the
officers control the mel. When the
war began the bureaucracy controlled
the appointment OF officers and took
care to appoint those upolh X iIom they
could rely to support the throne. Many
of these officers have gone down in the
struggle with the central powers. and
their places have been filled by men
from the people.
:'It is to be supposed that The car
has concentrated such regiments in
Petrograd as are Ofiiceredr by a suDer-
fluffy of men upon whom he can rely.
We are secretly arranginl, for a coup
d'etat. Tomorrow morning the Deople
will turn out in the streets! and demand
food. Their clamor will increase till
the troops are called upon to queIl the
disturbance. That will Ea the critical
moment. The revolution viii COM
mence, and it's success depends upon
whether the troops can be relied upon
to shoot down the revolutiOnists. Now,
my child, must get some rest. have
not slept for two nights. Do not men.
ton again the name ~ Captain Ivano
witch. 1 Will never consent to union
between you and any NAH who is not
your equal In social rank
The father was about 40 turn away
when the daughter stopped him.
'But, papa," she said alnXiously. sis
not this too dangerous move in which
you are engaged? What course will
our generals at the front. take? Will
they not protect the czalina and her
children with their IvcST'
1.-THE czarinaf' cried Mikhaiiul augri,
ly. 'It is this German lWOmau who
has brought about this grave crisis
She has been furnishing our enemies
with information of our movements
and our necessities. Through her in-
! fuence trains laden With our stores
have been sent from west to east Ill
stead OF from east - west. III league
with the detc&tahle lta%PGtin slir has
baHed the cif0rts or these very Ee,.
erals at the front who ytu Are tAink
Ing may protect her,
. "It is they who haVC called ufI3u~ us
, here to bring abGut this ro-O,ut;ol
They have arranged thGL the cZar shall
be arre.ted and forced IT, abdiGate 70.
himself and for his son The Nom
bers Of the imperial family are to L.,