Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-07-15

Impulse was 10 Durn the letter without
reading it. On considering, however,
the position Podbielsky occupied and the
responsibility he incurred by writing such
q communication, Saveief soon convinced
himself that the letter contained more
than an empty threat Or an utterly ground
less calumny. He picked up the paper
with trembling hand and read on:
There is, alas ! no possible doubt as to his
guilt. All can do for you and for him is to
warn you few hours before his arrest. In the
night following the receipt by you of this letter
he has not in some manner disappeared. I
know it is breach Of duty am committing. I
want, however, to show you that even gen
darme is capable of remembering an old friend.
"Yours, ANTON PoDB1ELsKY."
Painting for breath, his broad chest
heaving with an uncomfortable agitation,
the General read these lines to the bitter
end. The close air of the room suffocated
him. He threw open the folding doors
of the terrace and stepped out into the
garden. And there he is now, pacing to
and fro the gravel walk and crunching
the paper he holds in his hand with ner-
vous grip.
ga few hours" he mutters, "every
moment these people may come and take
him away. [ must, I mustspeak to him,
hear of him that he is innocent"
Having formed this resolution the gen.
eral raised his head and walked back into
the house with firm step. There was
still light in his sons room when he
knocked at the door. The young colon
ell opened at once and on seeing his faith
er's troubled countenance exclaimed too:
"What is the matter, father?"
"Read that, " the latter answered, Civ
ing him the letter.
Andre became as pale as death, but
his eyes stunned not his fathers pierre
ing gaze when, on reading the letter, he
looked up to him.
"Andrusha - the old man exclaimed
IN tone Of unutterable anguish, and
clasping his trembling hands as if in
prayer, "Tell me that this is lie !!
Speak, answer me before God!''
A long silence followed! At last the
answer came in low, firm tones:
II cannot, father, for I have never
told lie !"
"You-you-are -
The eyes of the old man dilated. his
hands grasped the air convulsively. and
he tottered back to the wall. Andre
rushed forward to support him, but the
general ordered him back with an impe-
rious gesture.
"Don't touch me, he gasped. "Back,
back -
At this moment a knock at the door
was heard. The general went up to it
with steady step and locked it, Then
he approached closet in which he keEt
his firearms, opened it, drew out of one
of the chests pair of pistols and placed
them on the table, uttering in hoarse
whisper:
"Choose -
"What do you mean, father?"
Choose, tell you-there is no time
to lose!"
The colonel remained motionless, lean
ing against the table. Two minutes Of
terrible anguish passed in silence. At
length the general took one of the
pistols, and, retreating a few steps,
pointed it at his son.
"ColonelSavelieff! he exclaimed, "de-
fend yourself!''
"Not against my father" Andre an
swered, in a low, vibrating voice.
One moment more of breathless sus-
pense. Once more the knock at the door
was heard, louder than before. Then a
shot, and Andre fell to the ground mo-
tionless without uttering moan. The
old man cast one look at his sons body,
then deliberately cooked the second
pistol, and, turning it against his heart,
pulled the trigger.
His huge form shook and tottered like
an old oak before the last blow of the
axe which fells it to the ground, but did
not fall. His eyes took a glazed hue,
his feet sank beneath him, but with a
last, almost superhuman exertion of an
iron will, he steadied himself, went to
the door, unlocked it, and seeing a
gendarme officer on the threshold. whis-
pered:
'You have nothing more to do here;
the criminal is punished!''
Then he fell heavily to the ground
dead.