The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-07-14

nourished in their bosOm?" he used to
exclaim when the papers brought to
him the name Of some new aristocratic
''criminal." And then he added in an
undertone: '"Thank God! thank God!"
thinking of his son, and what a bless
ing it was that he had turned out such
serious, Woodworking, brave soldier.
without any nonsense about him."
Then came the eliminating point of
the revolutionary horror-thc Winter
Palace explosion. The old Generals
Indignation knew no bounds. At the
same time a strange, apparently
groundless feeling of anxiety for his
son, from whom he had not received
any letters for some time, seized on
him. 81 am growing DID," he wrote
to Andre, land would like to see you,
perhaps for the last time. Try to get
leave of absence and spend a couple of
months with me-"
The son had obeyed the fathers
wishes. And this night, the 10th of
May, he had arrived at Dubrovka-this
was the name of the Savelieff estate.
The same position who had brought
him from the nearest railway station
was also the bearer of letter for the
General. The latter, however, more
touched and agitated by the meeting
with "his child'' Gas he still called the
bearded ColoneD than he cared to
show, put the letter mechanically into
his pocket without looking at it, and
then forgot all about it. Long after
midnight, father and son having emp
tied couple of bottles of champagne,
of which the old General had always
small supply in his cellar, both retired
to rest. On entering his bedroom,
where his old orderly Matveitch await
ed him, the General remembered the
letter, and, drawing the lamp nearer
to where he stood, broke the seal He
first read the signature: canton Pod
bielsky." His brows contracted as if a
painful recollection had cast a shadow
over them.
"What business has that man to
write to mep" he muttered. Podbiel-
sky was Polish nobleman, who had
formerly been the Generals school
mate. As a very young man he had
been implicated in the great Polish in
surrection of 1880, and had purchased
his pardon from the Russian Govern
ment by betraying some of his asso-
ciates. Since that time General Save
lief, who hated all traitors, even if
they had rendered service to the good
cause, had broken off all relations with
Podbielsky, while the latter, rising rap
idly, soon reached prominent and in
tluential position in the newly-formed
''Third Section" or secret police. Now
he was chief of the chancery OF that
dreaded institution, and. moreover,
specially intrusted with the investiga-
ton of the Winter Palace explosion.
That man wrote as follows:
"DEAR GENERAL-Rememberin our for.
mer relations allow me to address word of
earnest warning to you. Your son has been
found to be implicated In the case of the
dynamite explosion am now investigat.
ing"
The old man read no further. With
a terrible oath, his face purple with in
dignation, he sprang up and threw the
letter to the ground.
IA lie, an infamous lie!" he ex-
claimed.
"Your Excellency." whispered the
terrified Matveitch, "what is the mat
ter?"
Nothing. Leave metz
The old servant went out, shaking
his head sorrowfully.
On remaining alone the General
first impulse was to burn the letter
without reading it. On considering,
however, the position Podbielsky oc-
cupied and the responsibility he in
Cured by writing such communica-
ton, Savelietf soon convinced himself
that the letter contained more than an
empty threat or an utterly groundless
calumny. He picked up tho paper
with trembling hand and read on:
"There is, alas. no possible doubt as to his
guilt. All can do for you and for him is to
warn you few hours before his arrest Iu
the night following the receipt by you of this
letter he shall be arrested ut your house. II
till then he has not in some manner disap
peared: l know it is a breach of duty am
that even gendarme Is capable.of remember
Ing an old friend. Yours,
ANTON PoDBIELsKY"
Painting for breath, his broad chest
heaving with an uncomfortable agita.
ton, the General read these lines tc
their bitter end. The close air of the
room suffocated him. He threw open
the folding doors of the terrace and
stepped out into the garden. And
there he is now, pacing to and fro the
gravel walk and crunching the paper
he holds in his hand with nervous
grip.
"A few hours" he mutters, "every
moment these people may come and
take him away. must, must speak
to him, hear of him that he is limo
, cent"
Having formed this resolution the
General raised his mead and walked
back into the house with firm step
There was still light in his sons room
when he Knocked at the door. TIL,
young Colonel opened at once and OF
seeing his fathers troubled counte
nance exclaimed:
'What is the matter, fatherp"
"Read that" the latter answered
giving him the letter.
Andre became as pale as death, bu
his eyes stunned not his fathers pierc
7 ing gaze when, on reading the letter
. he looked up to him.
"Andrushar' the old man exclaimed
, in tone of unutterable anguish, an,
, clasping his trembling hands as if il
| prayer. Tell me that this is lie
+ Speak, answer me before God!"
!. A long silence followed. At last tn
S answer came in low, firm tones:
/ 81 can not, father; for have neve
( told lie!'
. "You-you-,are"-
c The eyes of the old man dilated, hi
il