The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-18

beth, with white, frightened faces, be-
hind her.
Seeing them, Lola broke away from
her captors, and rushing to them, shs
cried out:
General Paul has just been slain OF
this door, but I call heaven to witness
that did not strike the blow"
II believe you, my child; [ believe
you," said Madam Berger, as she kissed
the distracted girl and folded her in
her arms.
Elizabeth was about to follow her
mothers example. when the guards
came between them, and two OF them
again seized Lola and pressed their
iron fingers into her arms as if she were
a desperate giant.
care YOU Madam Berger?" asked IN
officer, taking paper from his pocket
and coming forward to the light.
81 am," replied that lady.
"You live here?"
II do"
"And you have a sou named Ivan?'
Eyes"
"Is he at homer
"He is not"
HWhen did you last see him?"
"Not since early morning."
"Do you know where he is at this
time9"
"I do not; but why do you ask?'
Because" replied the officer, II
have an order for his arrest. and while
you may be telling the truth, it is my
duty to make search through the
house"
Madam Berger could not protest, for
she knew she was powerless.
Four men opened their dark Ian
terms, and ordering Madam Berger and
Elizabeth to preoede them, they as
cendcd the gloomy stone stairs.
Lola would have followed them, but
the guards held her back.
She had just lost sight OF Madam
Berger, whom she had followed with
her eyes, when sleigh that looked
like prison van on runners--and, In
deed, such it was-appeared before the
house.
A grated door in the side was thrown
open, and Lola was forced inside.
The door was closed with bang
and locked.
She could hear men jumping up on
the seat in front and at the back.
The clatter of scabbards, the champ
ing of bits, and the rattle of bride
chains followed.
"Forward!" shouted o man in ad-
vance. The drivers long whip cracked,
and Iaway went the prison sleigh
through the parted crowd that had
been summoned to the scene by the
alarm bells.
Lola was thinly clad, and she was
very cold, but she did not heed it.
In great mental excitement we be-
come Indifferent to bodily pain.
She felt like one who tries in vain
to rouse from an awful nightmare.
She tried to think that the white
face of the man turned up to the stars
was all dream.
But the changing bells, the clatter of
arms, the snorting of the horses, and
the whizz of the steel runners
through the crisp snow, all tended to
dispel the hope that this was delu-
sion.
The sleigh drew up before the
gloomy portals of the Neya prison,
about which large body Of armed men
had assembled.
Again the door of the van was un-
locked, and hoarse voice called out: {:
Here our ride ends"
Two hands were extended to seize,
not to help her, but avoiding them Lola
sprang to the ground.
A number OF men gathered about her,
and she was rushed into the reception
room of the prison.
As she advanced to the desk, she
caught the words from the crowded
soldiers:
"Yes. he's dead"
=Died in the sleigh2'
aGuess he was dead when they put
him in"
"How did he come to 60 there?"
aDon't know"
Every strange"
"It's the old story: noble and a
Nihilist mistress"
The same bearded, swarthy giant sat
ut the desk who was there when Cen
eral Pulaski was received.
He had heard of the death of General
Paul, but it did not seem to shock him
in the least.
He wrote down Lola's name, age,
nationality, occupation, etc.. and then
asked:
"What is the charger"
"Mnrder!" replied the man in COM
mand of the police.
The man wrote the word murder,
but never looked up from his book.
"The person murdered?"
General Paul. Prince of Moscow,
and chief of his Imperial Majesty S sc.
cret police" replied the officer.
This was written down; and now the
bearded giant did look at the prisoner,
but it was not to note the rare beauty
of her white face, nor the awed ex-
preston in her wonderful eyes.
He was thinking of another matter
After a few seconds scrutiny, he
asked:
"Has the prisoner been searchcd?"
"She has not" replied the officer.
"Then search her."
"Why do you wish to search me?"
"For arms" replied the man at the
desk; "have you any about you"
II have
"Then hand them over, and it will
save further trouble" said the man,
reaching ont q hand that was covered