Page:Ossendowski - From President to Prison.djvu/231

Rh not prevent another one of our inmates from vanishing like camphor.

Among the prisoners there was a young boy of only seventeen, whose face, as beautiful and delicate as that of a girl, attracted every one's attention. His long curly hair was also as soft and fine as that of a woman. His name was Kostenko, and he was a telegraph operator. He had been implicated in an affair for which he was under sentence of banishment to the north of Siberia.

One Sunday when there were many guests in the visitors' room, a young girl came to see Kostenko. She gave him a little package, took off her hat and coat and, seating herself by the window, began laughing and talking loudly with the good-looking boy. When the signal was given for the closing of the visitors' hour, the prisoners returned immediately to their cells, while the guests filed out, presenting their passes to the guard as they went. After everyone had gone, the Commandant of the Prison, passing the reception-room on the way to his office, noticed the young girl seated at the window.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in astonishment.

"I cannot go out, because Mr. Kostenko took my hat and coat, put them on, fixed his hair to make it look like a woman's and left the room, after telling me that he wanted to amuse his prison mates with his new costume and that he would be back in a few minutes. I am waiting for him to return."

"What a state of affairs," the Commandant muttered; "jokes and games in the prison! I'll make it hot for the keepers."

He rang and ordered Kostenko to be brought in. After a considerable delay a frightened-looking keeper returned and reported: