, at a movement to drive the Jews
out of Kief and promised to avert the catastrophe if Kathinka yielded to
his persuasions. There were passion and insult in every line.

The poor girl was almost distracted with grief and mortification, the
more so as it became necessary to take the entire Jewish community into
the secret.

Rabbi Mendel hastily summoned a meeting of the influential men of his
congregation and laid the matter before them. There was great
consternation when it was learned that a new danger threatened the race,
but there was not one among them who would not have suffered the
cruelest persecution rather than allow the Rabbi's daughter to sacrifice
her honor for their salvation. It was impossible to form a plan of
action, for as yet the peril that menaced them was too indefinite, but
Mendel exhorted them to do nothing that might throw the slightest
reproach upon Israel.

The Governor's animosity towards the Jews now became manifest. The acts
of intolerance were in themselves insignificant, but they were like the
distant rumblings of thunder that precede the storm and were not easily
mistaken by the poor Hebrews.

Because of Kierson's thrashing the ruler's son, an edict was issued
expelling Jewish students from the University of Kief. Some time after,
a Jew who, through Mendel's influence during Pomeroff's palmy days had
obtained the office of under-secretary to a police magistrate, was
summarily dismissed "because he was a Hebrew." Then followed an edict
restricting the attendance of Jewish children at the public schools, and
expelling all children whose parents had not resided in the city for at
least ten years, retaining the others only upon the payment of an
exorbitant tax which none but the wealthy could afford. These and many
other petty acts of intolerance caused the Jews no little uneasiness.

One day Rabbi Winenki was sitting in his study. It was raining in
torrents without, and the landscape appeared deluged and desolate. The
Rabbi gazed out at the dismal scene and sighed regretfully as he thought
of those whose occupations compelled them to remain out of doors in such
miserable weather.

Suddenly the door was thrown open and Joseph came, or rather rushed,
into the room. His face was pale as death; his garments, torn and
tattered, were soaked with rain. He had become thin through long
confinement and every line of his features betokened abject misery.

The Rabbi started as though he beheld a