The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-09-01

row, the bed squalid, and the fare hard
and bad / was young and strong, and
could rough it. But it was maddening
to be eternally examined and cross-exam-
med by civil magistrates and military
functionaries, none of whom would lis
ten to the plain truth, and all Of whom
trled, by threat, pre- mise, persuasion, to
wiring out OF me a confession which, AS
they said, wovld enable me to claim the
Cars mercy and a lighter punishment
for my crime. | was browbeaten, bull
lied; argued with, coaxed, but never ac-
cused of anything. When inquired the
nature of my offense | was jeered at.
When | adjured my captors to write to
the British Embassy, my prayers were
treated as an impudent Jest. And when
[ mentioned Count Orloff, the Governor
of the province, as my future father-in-
law, | really thought the Judge of In
struction would have flown at my throat,
so angry was he.
Only bread and water for the con-
tumacious." [ heard him roar to the Jail
er as he went out. l thought, between
them, that they would have driven me
mad, and should have welcomed Siberia
as a release.
l grew sullen at last and refused to re-
turn any answer to the interrogatories
with which they piled me- l began al
most to doubt my own identity. 1t
could not be myself, Arthur Musgrave,
who was the tenant Of this Russian den,
and daily questioned as to my completely
in something extremely subversive of
church and state. Let them knout me,
hang me, Danish me if they would, | felt
as though | were the only sane man
among pack Of madmen.
Here is the wretch, your Excel
lency,' said voice one day as my cell
door was thrown open, with a clatter of
swords and spurs on stone floor that in
Dictated the arrival of some distinguish
ed parsonage; there the desperate is,
Governor.
| looked up. There, in front of the
group stood, in a rich uniform, the breast
of which sparkled with orders the eek
cellency" in question. The recognition
was mutual.
"Count Orloff ~
"What Musgravel Arthur, my
dear boy, what terrible error is this?'
And to the scandal of the Judge, the
jailor, and the rest of them, the Governor
of the province hurried across the grimv
floor to clasp my hands, and to order, in
a voice that brooked no denial or DELAY,
that my chains should be instantly re-
moved.
"My poor fellow, how you must have
suffered" said the Count feelingly, as he
saw how pale and haggard | had grown.
And then came explanations, the cream
of which was that there had been
socialist conspiracy, widespread one,
fortunately detected in time, prime
mover in which had been my acquaint-
ance, Vassili, who had evidently made
cat's-paw of me in inducing me to carry
his message to the priest, while at the
same time he purloined my English pass
port and papers, probably for the pur-
pose OF escaping, in case of the worst,
under my name.
"But Pope John, and his son." l said,
bewildered
The real Pope John, sad old rogue"
answered the Count, smiling, chad been
arrested the day before you reached
Staritza, and you found his house in
possession of the Police The white
bearded person to whom you gave the
message, disguised in the priests clothes,
was Major BulOw, of the Imperial
Gendarmerie; and the message itself was
an artful concoction, couched in sort
of verbal cipher, the key to which
traitor gave us, and which, but for our
military precautions, would have led to
revolt of the Polish regiment at Tver,
and a raising of the peasantry in 80
parishes. As it is, all is safe, and a tele-
gram has just informed me that Vassili
himself had been captured on the from
tier. [! ever man deserved Siberia
but you are free, Arthur. Come with
me, and Marie and | will teach you to
forget this misery"
| have been married and happy now
this many year, but | do not think that
the ill-omened face of Demetrius Vassili
will ever be seen again on this side of
the Oural