Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-26

advice, and he undertook to obtain one
for me legally. But hard luck attend |
/ ed me. When the police constable /
| called to deliver the passport to me
Afanasi was at home. My scheme was
| discovered and l trapped, Afanasi
Jumped at me and bound me hand and
foot, deaf to my entreaties and cries,
I thought my end had arrived. In
silence he carried me out Of the house
and tied me to a post,
1t was cold. very cold He hogged
me, drank, and flogged me again, ours.
ng me in the vilest terms.
That's what you get for trying to
escape" he bawled, holding the bottle
to my mouth. you won't escape any
more. You will drink or you will die"
was obdurate and implored him to
leave me alone. lie continued his fog
ging, however, keeping me for four
hours at the post, till | finally broke
down and drank the alcohol I be-
came intoxicated, staggered out into
the street, and fell to the pavement
in front of the house. Afanasi ran after
me, cursing and kicking me. We were
quickly surrounded by crowd. My
neighbors who knew of his cruelty TO
me, came to my defense. Afanasi was
roughly handled by the people, 50
roughly, indeed, that he left me an
peace for some time afterward.
Christmas was fast approaching. l
had saved, little by little, fifty rubles.
Every kopeck of that money was
earned by extra toll during the night.
1t was all the earthly possession that
I had, and l guarded it jealously.
Somehow, Afanasi got wind of it's hid
ing place and stole it. lie spent it all
on drink,
l was crazed with fury upon dis
covering the loss. What the money
meant to me in the circumstances is
difficult to describe. 1t was my blood,
my sweat, a year of my youth. And
he, the beast, squandered 1t in one
orgy. The least could do to my
torturer was to kill him.
Frantically, l ran to my mother, who
was struck by the expression of my
face.
"Marusia, what ails you
Mother" gasped, "lct me have an
ak. I am going to kill Afanasi."
Holy Mother, have mercy!" she cN-
claimed, raising her hands to Heaven
, and falling on her knees, eXhorting me
to come to my senses. But was too
frantic with rage. l seized an AK and
: ran home.
Afanasi returned, drunk and began
TO taunt me with the loss Of my
precious savings. l was white with
wrath and cursed him from the depth
Of my heart. lie gripped a stool and
threw it at me. ! caught up the AK.
; II will kill you, you blood-sucker!" /
screamed.
Afanasi was stupefied. He had not
> expected that from me. The desire to
kill was irresistible. Mentally. I al
ready gloated over his dead body and
the freedom that it would bring me.
was ready to swing the ak at him.
Suddenly the door few open and my
father rusher in. He had been sent by
my mother.
b. "Marusia, what are you doing?" he
cried out, gripping my arm. The
break was too abrupt. my nerves COL
lapsed, and l fell unconscious to the
, floor. Upon awakening l found police
authorities in the house, and I told
I them everything. Afanasi was taken
/, to the police station, while the police
? officer, a very humane person, advised
E me to leave town to get away from
. him.
I I got my passport, but my money
q was gone. 1 could not afford to buy
ticket to Irkutsk, where Shura had
a moved from Barnaul. Determined to
q go at all cost, I boarded a train with
q out a ticket. The conductor discov
= cred me on the way. and l cried and
= begged him to allow me to proceed
!. He proposed 10 hide me in the bag
gage car and take me to Irkutsk, or
condition that 1 . Enraged.
9 pushed him violently from me.
4 II will put you off at the next sta.
y tion," he shot at me, running out OF
a the car. And he kept his word.
Nearly all the distance to Irkutsh
= was yet before me, and wanted TO gel
there without selling myself for the
price Of a ticket. There could be M
thought Of going back. had to ge
to Irkutsk. / boarded the next train
stealthily crouched under a bench, a!
. It moved out OF the station.
Ultimately was discovered, bu
u this conductor was an elderly maj
"a and responded to my tears and i'm
10 plorations. I told him of my exper
n ience with the first conductor ant
ID Of my total lack Of money. He al
lowed me to proceed. but as soon a.
a an inspectoE would board the train tn
70 conductor would eignal to me to hid
" under the bsncA/ \Gopetimss woul