St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-03-15
Russian Espionage.

At masquerades in Russia the ladies
often venture to give their tongues
more freedom than is anywhere else
allowed in that Gespotic country. Pre-
suming to be protected by the disguise
of their dominoes, some have even
found out the Emperor himself on the
dancing floor, and pretending not to
know him, talked of the affairs of the
Government and condemned the abuses
which the public feel more than they
dare to complain. Experience shows
. that this liberty is very hazardous. and
the arm of Russian power has grim
way of terrifying the detected critic
whom it does not choose to destroy.
A noble lady of St. Petersburg had
been imprudent enough to converse
with foreigner on the institutions of
her country, and comment severely on
some of the most calling evils OF its
government.
Retiring from the ball where she had
committed this indiscretion, instead of
being driven home. she found herself
set down mt the door of the Bureau of
Secret Police. Being ushered into the
official presence, she was summarily
Informed that she was condemned to
exile in Siberia, and that she would be
taken there without delay.
Without being allowed an interview
with single friend, or even an oppor-
tunity of exchanging her gay costume
for more suitable travelling dress. she
was hurried into another vehicle and
driven off to her destination in the in
hospitable wilds of Russia's penal set
Elements.
The carriage in which she was now
placed was kept entirely closed, and the
officer who accompanied her, while he
prevented communication with any one
without. resolutely declined I'll CONVEX
sation with her. The only alienation
to the monotony and protracted suf-
fering of hurrying along in close car
riage, abandoned to her own melan.
choly thoughts. was the stopping at Ger.
tain stages, where the horses and guard
were changed, and where she was al
lowed 70 light a few minutes (after be-
ing blindfolded) and enter rude wood
en- building, or post-house. In one Of
these, at the end of the first days jour
new, she was allowed few hours re-
pose on q rough truckle-bed.
In the same way the unhappy lady
was hurried on, during q second and
third day, with an overwhelming dis
tance, as she believed. from friends and
hope and all that made life suppOrtable.
1t struck her, however, as she grew
more calm. that there was q remarka-
BILE similarity between the various post
houses at which they stopped, and blind
folded as she was, she contrived to Sc
crete ribbon torn from her dress in q
crevice of the wood during one of these
stoppages. Hope revived in her breast
on discovering, at the next stoppage,
that they had come back to the same
post-house: and pursuing her observa-
tions, she at length satisfied herself that
she was being driven all the time be
tween two stations.
She kept the discovery to herself, and
at the end of the third day. on the band
are heing removed from her eyes, she
found herself once more in the Bureau
OF the chief officer Of the secret police,
having in reality spent the previous thre<
days in driving back and forth on the
great post-road within q few miles ol
St. Petersburg. She was now dis
missed with q warning not to give hel
tongue the same dangerous licens>
again, or she would very likely yediiz1
the frightful exile to which, for . time,
she had supposed herself to be doomed
--St0ries from RHssia.