The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-27

ply a means of supporting her old
/ father till she could have the confs-
Gated estates, which were ample, re-
turned.
This employment and the frequent
meeting with General Paul fed her
love.
But it was among the irrepressible
Nihilists that she found the means OF
keeping alive and afame her hate of
kings and tyrants in general, but Of
Russia in particular.
The first awful shock came to her
and made her regret with heart tears
her connection with the association
which murders in the name of liberty,
when she found herself selected to
sssassinate the man who had grown TO
! be her idol.
From the perpetration of this mon
strous crime her soul revolted, yet at
the time she could give no expression
to her feelings, for she was not only
ruling spirit among these people, all of
whom had wrongs, real or imagined,
but it was she who had drawn up the
awful oath that held them together.
The murderous blade she had fash.
ioned in her hate, love now turned
against her own heart.
It mattered not that Ivan Berger was
ready to show his love for her, rather
than his hate for General Paul, by tax
ing her place.
The young mans fidelity but in
creased her perple1ity, till in her heart
agony she wished that death would
chill her own veins and free her from
the curse she had brought upon her
! self.
But this fresh blow banished for the
time every other thought from bel
mind.
"What is TO become of my pool
! father?"
This was the question she repeated
to herself as she wandered along the
streets, wholly Indifferent tc the fact
that she was not going in the direction
of her home.
After being dismissed from the
palace she could not hope again tc
teach in any family that could afford to
pay her in st. Petersburg. =.
The fact would be published in all
the official journals, and thus she
would be made social pariah.
AS to sewing, like Madam Berger
and the fair Elizabeth: she would
gladly do so, but she lacked the skill.
"What is to !become IIof my poor
father?"
She was repeating the question to
herself for the thousandth time, when
she found herself stopred by some one
standing in front, and she heard Peter
the student asking:
@Where is the Queen wandering to
at this time of day?"
She looked quickly up, and to her
surprise found she was q mile away
from her own home and standing be.
fore cafe in the neighborhaod of the
City Hospital.
"I have been wandering In a day
dream" she said, without noticing
Peters extended hand.
HNo school to-day?" he asked.
None Tor me-
"Taking a vacation?"
eyes, Peter, forced one"
"Dismissed?"
Knowing that the papers OF the fol
lowing day would announce her dis
charge, she said:
Eyes"
"What for?"
II do not know"
"Do they suspect you9'
II do not know"
"Got no reason?"
"None. Peter"
"That's strange"
"Not at all; the Emperor Of Russia
is not bound to give reasons for his
acts"
She turned and was about to retrace
hos steps, but again Peter stood before
her, and, pointing to the cafe, said:
"Can you guess who's in there?"
DO YOU know" she asked.
Il do"
"Then why should I guess, particu.
larly as am not very anxious to learn? ?"
"Dr. Mulek and Ivan Berger are
within. Come join them; they are at
lunch"
"You are sure Ivan is there?"
II might lie on pinch" laughed
Peter; "but I see no reason to do 80 to
YOU"
Then" she said, II shall go in"
Dr.. Mulek was profuse in his greet
ings, but Ivan was quiet, even moody.
They made place for her at the ts.
BILE, and she sat down, while Peter tolc
OF her dismissal from the palace.
Disgusting her feelings, Lola at.
fected to make light of it, but she
did not deceive Ivan Berger, who we'll
knew the necessity for her retaining the
place.
ave have been much amused" said
DR.. Mulek, glancing around to make
sure he could not be overh card by the
people at the other tables, then taking
up a paper that lay on his knee, "over
an announcement that is made in tbs
Gazette this morning."
"Indeed," she said, IanguidIy.
"You cannot guess what it is, but
perhaps you have seen the paperT
II but rarely read the papers, Doc
tor" she replied.
"Some ones going to be married"
"And some ones going 70 die. It
is the old life story" said Ivan, gloom
lily.
Marriages have no interest for me-
she said.
"But this one has, persisted DR..
Mulek.
IF you think 80, tell me of it."
DR.. Mulek adjusted his spectacIes.
and finding the place, he read in .