Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-02
rescue her BY main force. But Moro

soft energetically opposed this proposal.
He said, and rightly said, that it pre-
sented more dangers than advantages,
for the police being in numbers and re-
inforced by the dvorniks of the house,
who are all q species of police agents of
inferior grade, the attempt at the best
would result in the liberation of one
person at. the cost of several others.
His view prevailed, and the plan, which
was more generous than prudent, was
abandoned. The rooms were at once
cleared with the utmost rapidity, so
that the fate of the person arrested,
which was sure to be a hard one and
was now inevitable, should not be rem
dered more grievous. When all was
ready and they were about to leave,
Morosoff staggered his friends by ac-
quainting them with the plan he had
thought Of. He would remain in the
house alone and await the arrival of the
police. They thought he had lost his
senses; for everybody knew, and no n
better than himself, that. with the terri
BILE accusation hanging Owe his head,
if once arrested it would be all ovcr
with him. But he said he hoped it
would not come to that-nay, he eN-
pected to get clear off with Olga. and
in any case would share her fate. They
would escape or perish together. His
friends heard him this de-
termination with mingled feelings of
grief and establishment and admiration.
Neither entreaties nor remonstrances
could shake his determination. He
was firm, and remained at home after
saying farwell to his friends, who took
leave of him as of a man on the point
of death.
He had drawn up his plan, which by
the suggestion of some mysterious in
stinct perfectly harmonized with that
OF Olga, although they had never in
any way arranged the matter. He also
had determined 10 feign innocence, and
had arranged everything in such a
manner as to make it seem as though
he were the most peaceful of citizens.
AS he lived under the false. passport of
an engineer, he covered his table with
a heap of plans of various dimensions,
and, having put on his dressing-gown
and slippers, set diligently to work to
copy one. while waiting the arrival of
his unwelcome guests.
1t was in this guise and engaged in
this innocent occupation that he was
surprised by the police. The scene
which followed mayeasily be imagined.
Olga flung her arms around his neck,
and poured forth a stream of broken
words, ordinations, excuses and COM
plants of these men who had arrested
her because she wished to call upon her
milliner. In the midst, however, of
these ordinations, she whispered in
his ear: "Haye you not been warned?"
"Yes,' he replied in the same man
ner, Everything is in order. Don't be
alarmed" Meanwhile he played the
part Of un affectionate husband morti-
fled by this scandal. After a little
scolding and then a little consolation,
he turned to the pristav and asked him
for an explanation, as he could not
quite understand what had happened
from the disconnected words of his
wife. The pristav politely told the
whole story. The engineer seemed
greatly surprised and grieved, and could
surfing his wife for her objectionable
imprudence. The pristav, who was
evidently treasured by the aspect OF
the husband and Of the whole house
hold, declared nevertheless hat he
must make q search.
81 hope you will excuse me, SIR" he
added, "but | am obliged to do it; it is
my duty"
81 willingly submitto the law,'nobly
replied the engineer.
Thereupon he pointed to the room,
so as to indicate that the pristav was
free to search it thoroughly, and hay
ing lit a candle with his own hand, for
at that hour in St. Petersburg it was
already dark, he quietly opened the
door of the adjoining room, which was
his w little place. The search was
made. Certainly not a single scrap of
paper was found, written or printed,
which smelt of Nihilism.
''By rights, I ought to take the lady
to prison." said the pristav, when he
had finished his search, especially as
her previous behavior was anything
but what it ought to have been; but /
won't do that. I will simply keep you
under arrest here until your passports
have been verified. You see, sir" he
added, 1--WE police officers are not quite
so bad as the Nihilists make us out"
"There are always honest men in
every occupation, replied the engineer
with a gracious bow. More compli-
ments OF the same kind, which 1 need
not repeat, We're exchanged between
them, and the pristav went away with
most of his men, well impressed with
such a polite and pleasant reception.
He left, however, a guard in the kitch-
en-, with strict injunctions not to lose
sight of the host and hostess, until
further orders.
Morosoff and Olga were alone. The
first act of the comedy they had i'm
provised had met with complete sue
cess. But the storm was far from hav-
ing blown over. The vcritication OF
their passports would show that they
were false. The inevitable consequence
would be-a warrant for their arrest,
which might be issued at any moment
if the v%eritication were made by means
of the telegraph. The sentinel, rigid,
motionless, with his sword by his side
and his revolver in his bet, was seated
in the Kitchen. which W.. ot tha hack