The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-04
at once and asked the officer to take

necessary to get an order"
From whom do I get it?" asked
Lola.
From General Paul." he replied.
The old man reached out his arms
and caught Lola to his breast and
kissed her.
With piercing heart cry she clune
to him.
But gradually her grasp relaxed, her
eyeIids dropped ana a aeatnly expires.
sion came over her face.
She would, have fallen had not the
officer. who was but too familiar with
such scenes, caught her in his strong
arms and gently placed her in chair.
Madam Berger and Elizabeth ap-
pearing in the door at that moment,
the officer told them to care for Lola,
and then marched away with lis old
prisoner.
Madam Berger and Elizabeth, with
cries of alarm-for Lola looked to be
dead-rushed to her aid; but long be-
fore they had restored her to conscious
ness her father and his captors were
gone.
Like hunted animal, Ivan Berger
was always on the watch.
The instant he heard the police at
the door-and he was the first to hear
them, he very naturally believed that
they were after him, and with the light
ness of shadow, and the speed of
startled stag, lie whispered O word to
his mother and sister and started out.
Like many other Nihilists, he was
an adept in sudden disguises.
As he flew down the back stairs, he
turned his coat inside out, reversed his
hat, and as he did so the long hair and
beard of mujik fell over his face. :,
The man at the head of the stairs
was young, tall and handsome.
The man who shufded out the back
door, though not what might be called
old, was a common laborer, with the
heavy step and ungraceful gait of one
whose elasticity had been crushed by
great labor and heavy burdens.
With some haste, yet not enough to
attract the attention of the few people
he met, Ivan went round to the front
of the house where some of the mount
ed police were guarding q sleigh and
holding the horses of those who had
gone inside. ::
He mingled with the crowd that
gathered on the other side of the
street, their curiosity excited to learn
who it was that had excited the anger
or suspicious of the Gear in the gloomy
house across the way.
Ivan heard muttered curses, the very
Iowness of the tones in which they
were delivered adding to their inten-
sity, and showing the smoldering hate
for the tyrant in the great heart of the
working people.
As he listened, his attention was at
tracted to two men talking in door
way behind him.
He recognized the voices as those Of
Peter the student and DR.. Mulek, but
he was far too shrewd to confirm with
his eyes the evidence of his ears.
To avoid being understood by the
rabble about them, the men spoke in
French.
Ivan understood them as we'll as il
they talked Russian.
"Who can the police be after?" asked
DR.. Mulek.
II shouldn't wonder if it was Lola.
An arrest usually follows dismissal"
said Peter.
"You think, then, she is suspected?"
"No doubt of it, Doctor"
II don't. I think it has been dis
covered in the palace that the Grand
Duke Alexis is making love to her, 80
the Gear sent her off" said DR.. Mulek,
with the confidence of man who was
very sure of what he was saying.
Nonsense! If the Gear arrested
every pretty woman his royal relatives
make love to, the jails of st. Peters
burg would be full of them. BY ST.
Peter!' I should not be surprised if
they were after Ivan Berger. All, the
forty-eight hours are up, and he has
not kept his word. I thought the fell
low hau nerve, but he is a coward" ;
At Peters words, Ivan half turned
to knock the slanderer down, but
checking himself in the act, he bit his
lips and fastened his eyes on the house
across the way.
The curiosity of the people was soon
gratifed.' The jingle of scabbards and
the measured steps of armed men came
from the stone stairs through the open
door, and then appeared the police
with the old white-haired man-the re-
turned exile, in their midst.
pulaski of Warsaw" gasped the
crowd.
They knew of the gallant Pole; his
name as a lover of the people was
familiar to them, and now their hearts
went out to him, and had there been q
leader who could show them hope of
success they would have gone to the
rescue of the noble old man.
General Pulaski held his head erect
and walked with firm, resolute step,
that surprised Ivan even more than it
did the other on-lookers.
The officer and his prisoner entered
sleigh; the soldiers mounted. drew
their swords, as if the General was
most desperate character, and forming
on either side, they dashed away in
the direction of the Neva prison.
Still the crowd did not leave, but
remained looking at the house as if
fascinated.
"Ha!" exclaimed Peter, the student,
"that settles it. That will rouse Ivan
Berger if anything cnn."
why 500" asked DR.. Mulek,
"He is a great admirer of the old