Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-02-12
Russian Espionage. .
tstorles from Russia. !

AT masqueradeB IN RUSSIA tne
ladies often ven ture to give their
tongues more freedom than is
anywhere else allowed in that
despotic country. Presuming to
be protected by the disguise of
their dominoes, some have even
found out the Emperor himself on
the dancing floor. and preteAding
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
a grim way OF terrifying the de-
tected critics whom it does not
wish to destroy.
A noble lady of St. Petersburg
had been imprudent enough to
converse with a foreigner on the
institutions OF her country, and
comment severely on some OF the
most CALLING evils Of the govern
ment
Retiring from the ball where
she had committed this indiscre-
ton, instead Of being driven home,
she found herself set down at the
door OF the Bureau OF Secret Po-
lice. Being ushered into the Off
cial 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 inter
view with single friend, or even
an opportunity Of exchanging her
gay costume for q more suitable
travelling dress, she was hurried
into another vehicle and driven
off to her destination in the inhos-
pitable wilds OF Russia's penal
settlements.
The carriage in which she was
now placed was kept entirely
closed, and the officer who accom-
panied her, while lie prevented
Communication with any one with
out, resolutely declined all con-
versation with her. The only al
deviation to the monotony and the
protracted suffering Of hurrying
along in close carriage, aban-
doned to her own melancholy
thoughts, was the stopping at GER
tain stages, where the horses and
guard were changed, and where
she was allowed to alight a few
minutes latter heing blindfolded)
and enter rude wooden building
or post house. In one Of these,
at the end OF the first days jour
ney, she was allowed q few honrs
repose on rough truckie-bed
In the same way the unhappy
lady was hurried on during a sec
ond and third day, with an ever
widening distance, as she believed,
from friends and hope and all that
made life supportable. 1t struck
her, however, as she grew more
calm, thet there was remarkable
similarity between the various
post houses at which she stopped,
and blindfolded as she was, she
contrived to secreie a ribbon torn
from her dress in a crevice of the
wood during one Of these stop
pages. Hope revived in her breast
on discovering. at tine next stop
page. that they had como back to
the same post-house; and pursu-
ing her observations, she at length
satisfied herself that she was be-
ing driven all the time between
two stations.
She kept the discovery to her
self, and at the end of the third
day, on the bandage being re-
moved 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 three days in driving
back and forth on the great post
road within q mile OF St. Peters
burg. She was now dismissed
with a warning net to give her
tongue the same dangerous IL
cense again, or she would very
likely realize the frightful exile to
which, for time, she had sup.
posed herself to be doomed