Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30
penalty of ssversr fate than that at present

ADTcS mout0y on v8ieflb-WAot AOPs An0 .
reasonable being during those hours of unutter-
able anguish What, when my brain spun
with the fantasies born of its misery, and reeled
thought Of thy possible suferings for my sake
In IN, my y. unhappy and unworthy csuse-wnas
Beloved thy one word whispered in my ear
when ! last held thee to my heart-tny one
So, nearly as could calculate. in the second
week of my fourth month, heard approaching
footsteps at an unwonted hour. Presently the
sheeted iron outer door opened, the tailers Ian
my inner. barrier. / glanced up-I rose with
outstretched armsi I uttered a cry. Valeria
stood on the other side Of those bars-Valeria,
trying to smile through films of tears.
Five minutes, madame, and my orders are
strict-no speech on either side"
aration, my love and could look at each other.
IL was much. She clasped her hands together
and and raised her streaming eyes heayen w re,
Her gloves were of. ] saw the sparkle OF the
jewel had placed there on her finger, and as
she swiftly turned her palm toward me /
beheld printed upon its rosiness in ink-an
anchor! Our eyes met-I had read her sign.
With courage and GOODNESS, not awaiting the
summons, she turned from me, drew on her
ness as the iron door swung to, shutting this
vision from me.
Black bread was sweet that night; water was
wine. Valeria was free. Valeria was not 'sus-
pected," and what power, what wltchery had
She employed to obtain SO unprecedented a
toned happiness, refused to work. slept.
A week passed away. had attempted speech
with the jailer, but this was as summary put
ever before me that little rosy palm with the
anchor painted on its beauty.
On the tenth day she came again. Asain-
feast my sight upon her, between whom and
my aching arms twelve iron bars stood up
a more cheerful expression, although at the
same time l observed that Dmitri, the jailer,
appeared, If possible, more watchfui than on her
Valeria did not remove her gloves, but she
contrived to call my attention to the fact that
to "hope" and more tangibly than before.
With the superlative diplomacy of some rare
women she quilted me two minutes before the
allotted five permitted to US. and she fOrbore to
glance back as she went
In seven days she returned again. was al
most happy. New draughts of life drank in
zone word is allowed to madame; one word is
allowed to the prisoner, and Dmitri put bis
remarkable conversation, likewise holding
therein pencil and notebook.
Hope, murmured Valera.
volume.
Beloved" 1 whispered beside myself.
Beloved" wrote the jailer, rapidly.
And then she hurried away.
During a period of three months more the
visits of the Princess LirmontOf continued at
greater or less intervals. At times we were al
lowed a few words; at others silence was en-
joined. To whose influence did she owe these
favors? Alas! 1 knew not then. Sometimes
could not see her. That She should ever have
learned through me, the man who wor-
SHIPPED her, the meaning OF such words as
scMTlp S H.. ,uo.os .o.ou,o.,o .,,uo.
through the bars,on three subjects only, duly
rehearsed at each visit by Dmitri, who stood
leaning, lantern in hand, against the gateway
ready as a hound, sly as a lynx. These subjects
were art, food and clOthes-timely topics, truly,
for persons in relative positions.
Valeria told me of her work; of how in these
works she had turned her attention to model
Ing in new sort of prepared wax; plant, soft,
and yet not brittle that her success in portraits
had been great; that the Fame was being put
into marble in time for the coming exhibition
oh, thousand things and nothingS that made
me cheerful even in that noisome spot. We
spoke of the white bread of Moscow, and the
fashion OF her gowns, and all such trivialities-
duly chronicled by Dmitri with his pencil. But
what was all this to the tumult of delight that
filled my soul at sight Of her, at sound Of her
voice? As thirsty desert drank in the dew
OF her beneficent presence, and relied on the
little anchor that she always wore.
Then there came ten days of absence; and,
on the eleventh Dmitrl, with that slow prOSaic
tone of his, read me the official order for my
moyal TO the fortress at st. Petersburg! Then I
influence had failed; that the anchor of our
hope had been lost in a bOttomless sea. Well,
should be removed at night on the day after to-
1 was asked. No, had nothing to say.
Tomorrow came, and with it Valera! Yes,
she she was very pale, more SO than had ever seen
another, but still she wore that tiny anchor at
her girdle.
'Ten minutes to-day, madamer'
"And am allowed to speak with YOU Dmi-
tri?' inquiries the Princess, endeavoring to COM
pose her trembling hands.
lit Is not forbidden" Dmitri ShrugS.
"Ah? So, permitted. Dmitri, the Count quits
here tomorrow night. 1t is bitterly cold. Ii
send to you, to you, you comprehend, Dmitri?
furred garment for him, is it allowed? You will
give it to him before he leaves here, you will
Dmitri?'' In her feverish anxiety, in twisting
ra,,es ,o ,h nd ichy gemmed bracelet
the fringes OF her gown. There is much noise of
IT on tine stone flooring ere the Princess and
where it has caught. During this-swiftly in
French, between her Russian EXPLANATIONS to
of the garment. Be careful. Do not despair"
And then, with a graceful motion OF dissent,
the Princess LirmOnto1f refuses to receive the
now disentangled bracelet, and bestows it upon
Dmitri. Does he decline? No. He lives by
what he accepts-and how well, too. But he re-
lakes not whit, that might cost NJ. Dmitri his
round head. He hastens to record the ACCT
dent, barring its finale, and tersely remarks:
"The time allowed is expiring" as he holds
the timepiece in his hand. watched her fade
from my sight sat down on the stones and
stretched forth my hands through the grating
to rest upon the places where her feet had
stood. remained there for many hours. So
Dmitri found me- when he came at night with
my supper-ah, and with somewhat else also
the furred garment Of which the Princess had
A powerful bride had probably supple
mented the bracelet, for Dmitri, although he
made great efforts at shaking and beating the
garment, turning the pockets inside out, etc.
still gave ii TO me and left me.
clasped IL to my heart. kissed it, buried
my face in the warm skins, tor / knew hers
had been pressed there earlier! 1t was per-
fectly dark by this time, so / ate my bread
and drank mOuthful of the nauseous water
then went TO work. /, with my finger nails
grown long by months OF neglect, picked at the
threads that could not see; bit them with
softly as toiled. Careful as she had
hidden me be; and, at last, in the padding OF
the shoulder felt a soft roll. l drew 1t forth:
fingered 1t; bit OF paper seemed to fluLter
from within to the floor; CROPPED for it On my
hands and knees and found il; thrust 1t next
my heart. Again fingered this curiousy fee-
Ing roll. What was it? Aha! could distinguish
with a touch grown keen, that it was some sort
of singular masquc. And for the rest / must
wait until that pale ray OF light should visit
me in the morning. One thing / could do
gather together the lining / mad taken OUT
and tearing hole in my miserable Mattress
tuck it in and under the thin wisps of mouldy
straw.
Then, to await, TO hail, to bless, to invoke the
dawn, by the first faint glimmer to decpher Va
ierlaS writing on Inc scrap Of paper, and these
Words 1.-THE other side of the garment revealed
by your tearing out the outer lining is a fac
simile of Dmitri's cloak. made it The masuue
conceal the masque in the inner pocket you
will find. As you will cross the street by the
corner OF st. lsaac's Church, melee will occur,
throw yourself upon the ground as If shot, Con-
trive In the darkness TO turn your cloak; adjust
your masque; a cap, the like of Dmitri's, will
Gals and the three prisoners who leave the
prison with you. Then, make for the DriSon AZ