The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-09-04
4 SECRET MEETING or EMlEa.

A SECRET MEETING OF ExlLEa
now the Patriots in sibsris Hold Coun-
ssl-"ws Have . Oravsyard."
Ono by one the political convicts Of
the free command began to assemble
ct Mias Armfeldt's house Every few
minutes . low signal knock would b
heard at one Of the window shutters
and Miss Armfeldt would 90 cautious
~ 70 the door, inquire who was there,
and when satisfied that it was one Of
her companions would take down the
bar and give him admission. The
small, dimly lighted cabin, the strain
Cd hush Of anxiety and apprehension,
the soft mysterious knocking at the
window shutters, tho low but eager
conversation, and tho group Of pale
faced mon and women who crowded
about me with intense, wondering In
terest as II were a man who had Just
risen from the dead, made me feel like
one talking and acting in a strange,
vivid dream. There was not, in the
whole environment, a single sugges-
ton Of the real, commonplace, out
side world; and when the convicts,
with bated breath, began to tell me
CHASTITY stories Of cruelty, suffering,
insanity and suicide at the mines, I
felt almost as If / had entered the
gloomy gate over which Dante saw
inscribed the dread warning, Leave
hope behind"
About 8 o'clock, just a. had taken
out my note book and began to write,
loud, imperative knock was heard
at the side window shutter. Madam
Kolenkina exclaimed in a low, hoarse
whisper, Its the gendarmesl Don't
let them come in. Tell them who Of
US are here, and perhaps they'll be
satisfied" Everybody was silent,
and it seemed to me that l could hear
my heart beat while Miss Armfeldt
went to the door and with cool sell
possession said to the gendarmes;
I'VE are all here; my mother, I, Kur.
teyef, Madam Kolenkina and"- the
other names ! could not catch. After
. moments parley the gendarmea
seemed to 60 away, Miss Armfsldt
shut and rebarred the door, and com.
ing back into the room said with 9
smile, "They were satisfied; they
didn't insist on coming in" Then,
turning to me, she added in English
1.-The gendarmes visit US three times {
day to see what we are doing and Il
make sure that we have not escaped
Their visits, however, have Crowd K
BE- formal, and they do not Away
come in"
Conversation was chem resumed
and for two hours or more l listsnet
TO stories Of convict life In prison, 81
the road, or ct the mines, and On
swered AZ well q ! could the eaGe
questions Of the convicts with regsr,
. the progress Of the Russian revolu
Honary movement In the courseof th'
talk my attention was accidently at
tacted toa person whom Ihad no
particularly noticed before and i
whom / had not been introduced.
was man 80 or IS years Of age, wit
Z col0rless, strangely vacant lace an,
large, protruding blue eyes. He ha,
seated himself on low wooden too
directly in front Of me, had rested hi
elbows on his knees with his Chi
in his open hands, and was staring u
| d me with steady and at thu nam
time an expressionless gaze in whicl
there seemed to be something ur
natural and uncanny. At the fri
pause in the conversation he said
me abruptly, but in strange, dtaw
ing, monotonous tone, "We-h9ve
a-graveyard - Of our own--her,
Would-you-li ke-to- it,
| / was SO surprised and startled b
his manner and by the nature Of hi
question that ! did not for a momar
reply; but the conviction suddenl
flashed upon me that it was politics
convict who had lost his reason. A
the knocking at the gate after Ii
murder in Macbeth seemed to .
Quincy to deepen the emotions Q,
cited by the tragedy and to reflect bac
sort Of added horror upon all thu
preceded it, SO this strange, umpromp
ed question, with its suggestions Of i
sanity and death, seemed 70 rends
more vivid and terrible the stories I
: human suffering that / had just hear
and to intensity all the emotions rou
ed in my mind by the great TRACED
Of penal servitude. George Kenna
In Century.