Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-10-25

| vi
Will. will not say what share you
have in my plans, but l will treat
you as | would treat mulik who
had presumed to walk before me.
Thus!''
He raised his hand and smote her
upon the smiling face.
Then he was gone.
She stood there as though turned
to stone. There was a red mark on
her cheek. Nothing about her moved,
even the jewels on her neck seemed
not to scintillate-only the eyes of
the snake on her arm, flashed and
flashed.
She must have remained thus two
or three minutes, wheI q second man
entered the drawing-room. 1t was
he who had accosted Wallace In the
street, and brought him to the
| house.
He looked about him.
"Ah, my Cousin Anna," lie said,
$50 the American is gomez"
She did not answer him.
Anna" he said, in q startled tone
of voice what is it? Surely Serge
Ormankoff has not refused to Join
you in your dangerous adventure
with the students at the ball tonight?
Why everything is ready, the plans
work WE'LL
"What did you tell Serge Orman-
koff when you detained him at the
door this EVENING"" she asked.
"Only what you babe me-" he an
swered, that the American you ad-
mired last evening, had paid you u
visit"
"Did you tell him that | was play
ing practical joke-that was teas
ing him because of his jealousy that
will yet wreck us and our plans?"
81 left that for you to tell him.
Has he been here?"
"You know that he has. Look
here!' She raised her hand and
pointed to the red mark upon her
face.
"Wellr' he asked.
"Serge Ormankoff's seal of refusal
to be OF us any more. He struck
me-"
"Struck you" he cried, struck you!
"Struck the woman he took from
me-the woman he has asked to be
his wife! l have long vowed to dc
him harm, and now"
'Hushr' she interrupted, land
heed me. Do you still love me as
you used to boast that you did,"
The man seems overcome by hel
question.
"Boast!' he cried so Anna! Annus
chka!"
Serge Ormankoff, through your
failure to be more explicit with him
at the door, has left me and my
plans forever" she went coldly on
"Do you still love me?"
Love you! Love you' he cried, q
light seeming to break in upon him
'Do you mean that you would re
venge yourself upon him?-that yo,
would become my wife in order tt
punish him who cannot live without
you-Serge Ormankoff? o, my whit,
dove, my angel? Love you'll l wor
ship you, /"
"And it was your love that caused
you to tell Serge seriously, what
told you to tell him in jest? l refer tt
the visit of the American And dc
you know that his refusal to assis
me keeps Russia still under the sway
of tyrants?'
"Ah Anna" he cried abjectly, coult
I help It'll who adore, l whom yo,
have promised to marry before eve
Serge Ormankoff offered to aid Rus
STA in exchange for your hand? Anna
my star, duschingka moja, have n,
keen an intellect as his. / will fire.
Russia for you-an, with this shall
the red mark on the face of my wifi
call forth a redder stain above tn
heart of the Count Serge Ormankoff.
He tore glittering knife from hi
pocket.
She looked sharply at him.
Gossip DostOyevsky," she said
"you have taken Serge Ormankof
from me as you have long threatened
to do. In exchange for him whom
you insist care nothing for, ant
only used for his power to pertec
my plans for the amelioration of tn
condition of my native land, do yo'
give yourself to me?'
"Mv life, all that | have and am, o
can do is thine, o beautiful one," h
cried, rapturously.
"Your lite!" she said, and some
thing of her old gay manners re
turned. "Your life! Boaster!"
He walked to her. He put the dir
into her hand.
anna" he said, "Serge Ormar
koff will denounce you tomorrow
Tonight that knife shall findits wa,
, to his heart. swear it'll But | an
yours-if you doubt that my life, m,
soul belongs to you, drive the stee
) into my own heart that has SO Ion,
, been tortured by it's want of you"
every pretty. And yet you mus
own that you would kill Serge Oh
, mankoff because he struck me, no
because of the fear that he will be
tray my plot in which he had
share?"
at is So"
"Because l read you. Ossip, and
know that it would have been yo
who would betray me, had not Serg
left me tonight and forever eh? ID
| not know your heart and that yo
would have sent me to Siberia rat he
than that | should become Counties
Ormankoff?'
His face was crimson.
81 love you," he answered dogged
, ly. "And | swear that | will thi