The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-02-20

0llncuit 10 10 So ana nave no Ei2ut u
ask the favor. But you have interest
and might get intelligence sent me. 1
! am rot dead by then it viii make m,
happier
Without waiting for my reply III
walked hastily to the door, and with tn.
sentry at his side was marched off to tn,
prison. ] followed him.
As the cumbrous lock was being
turned he paused. Farewell. Mr.
Vaughan, Ne said. eff have wronge6
you entre;S 'rar pardon. We shall
meet no more
so far as am ~e-.~crned l forgive
You freely"
He hesitated moment sad then held
out his hand. The door was now open.
l could see the throng of repulsive. vii.
lainous faces-the faces of his fellow
prisoners. l could hear the jabber Of
curiosity and wonder. / could smell
the foul odors coming from that reeking
den crowded with filthy humanity.
And in such place as this, with such
associates, man of education, culture
and refined tastes, was doomed to spend
his last days. 1t was fearful punish
ment!
Yet it was well merited. As he stood
on the threshold with outstretched hand
felt this. To all intents and purposes
the man was a murderer. Much moved
as was by his fate could not bring
myself to grasp his hand. My refusal
may have been harsh, but l could not
do it.
He saw that did not respond to his
action. A flush of shame passed over
his face; he bowed his head and turned
away. The soldier took him roughly
by the arm and thrust him through the
doorway. Then he turned, and his
eyes met mine with an expression that
haunted me for days. He was gazing
thus when the heavy door was shut and
hid him from my sight forever.
turned away sick at heart, perhaps
regrctting l had added anything to his
shame and punishment. l sought my
obliging friend. the Captain. and re-
ceived his word OF honor that any
money l left with him should be eX-
pended for the convict's benefit. l
placed considerable, sum in his hands,
and can only hope that a part of it
reached its destination.
Then l found lay interpreter, and
ordered horses to be at once procured
and the tarantass brought out. / would
start without s~on-nnt's delay for En-
glacd and Ps-uis.-
in half an hour az WIS ready. Ivan
and | stepped into he carriage; the
yemschik tlour;she;:; his whip; the
horses sprang forward; the bells iingled
merrilv, and away we went in the
darkness. commencing the return Jour
ney which counted by thousands Ct
miles. l. was only -ow. when b:;rsir.,,
to find myself hoGic a2aia, that | real
izei tie fearful distance which lay be-
tween me and my love.
A turn of the road soon hid the
gloomy oStrog from my sight, but Is
was not until we We're miles and mile.
away that my spirits recovered anything
ike their former tone. and it was DAYS
before l ceased to think. at nearly every
moment, of that terrible place in which
| had found Ceneri, and to which snw
him again consigned after my BUSINESS
with him was finished.
From Nijnei By rail to Moscow; frc-n
Moscow to st. Petersburg. | only tar
ried in the capital long enough to pay
more thank him for his assistance;
then, having collected what luggage l
had left there. away for England.
On my road back from Irkutsk l
found letters from Priscilla at Tomsk,
at Tobolsk and at Perm. also more re-
Gently written ones ut st. Petersburgh.
All up to the date of the last was going
on well. Priscilla had taken her charge
to Devonshire. Having been reared in
that county the old woman had a great
belief in its virtues. They were at n
quiet, but beautiful Little watering
place on the north coast, and Priscilla
averred that Pauline twas blooming as
rose, and seemed as sensible rs Master
Gilbert himself
No wonder after hearing this good
news l was eager to reach honc-long-
ing, cot only to see my wife again, but
to see her rs had never vet seen her,
with her mind restored Would she re-
member me? How should we meet?
Would she at last learn to love me?
We're nv troubles at an end or only
begun? These We're the questions which
could only be answered when England
was reached.
Home at last! How delightful to
stand among ones own countrymen,
and hear nothing but good Ineligible
English around me. am bronzed with
exposure to the wind and sun, my beard
has grown TO great length: one or two
acquaintance / met when l reached
London scarcely knew me. In my
present trim | could not hope that /
should awaken any recollection in
Pauline's mind
By the aid of razor and fresh az
parel l was soon converted to fairly
good semblance of my former self, and
then. without having apprised even
Priscilla of my return. started for the
West, to see what fate had in store for
me.
What is a run across England after n
man has made such a journey as my
recent one? Yet that pitiful hundred
and fifty miles seemed to me Is long AZ
a thousand did month ago. The last
few miles l had to go By coach, and.
four splendid horses spun Us
along, each ind vidual mile seemed as
long as a Siberian stage. But the jour
ney WAS At last ended, and, leaving my
baggage in the coach Office, l sailed
forta. with a beating heart to find |
Pauline.
went to the address given in Pris-
elias letter. The house was a quiet
little building, nesting on a wooded
bank, with a sioping garden in front,
full of late summer flowers. Honey
suckle twined round the porch. great |
L IL L