The Portland daily press., 1890-12-20

fore, and l turned back, thinking that
he could not be such bad man as peo-
pie said.
The next day, however, felt ashamed
OF my decision, for my father came into
my room exclaiming in an excited tone:
Il congratulate you upon your pro-
tege. Thanks be TO heaven that did
not listen to you yesterday"
And he told Inc that during the night
some one had set fire to house in the
neighborhood whose owner was hard
on the peasantry and cordially disliked
by them. My father made sure that the
old peddler was the culprit, and Uncle
Fedia was arrested the next day.
There was not sufficient proof against
him, however, so he was released, and
suspicion fell upon woman named
Akonlina, who had been employed in
our neighbours house. She had been
discharged for impertinence on the even.
ing before the fire, and, after uttering
sundry threats, had gone toward her
home. She had not, however, appeared
In the little cabin until morning, and
now was unable to give satisfactory
account of her whereabouts during the
night.
Three months later the trial took
place My father was called as wit.
ness, Akonlina having formerly been his
tenant, and yielding to my boyish en-
treaties he took me to town with him
On arriving he left me with the horses
and carriage at the inn, and told me to
wait there patiently until his return.
But this being too much for my curiosi
ty slipped out behind him, followed
him down the street and crept into the
courtroom. Here crouched unnoticed
in corner near the doorway and listen
ed to the proceedings with the liveliest
interest.
1t was very bare looking room, with
a long row of benches ON each side,
platform at one end. where sat the
judges, and just overhead on the white
washed wall was a large, round clock,
with crucifx hanging above it.
The hall was full of people On the
right sat the mobiles, land owners and
city officials; on the left were the peas
ants of Ivanofka, where the fire had taken
place, and of our village. On the prison
ers' bench sat Akoulina, and just behind
her one of her relations was holding an
infant, and at the same time trying to
keep two little girls amused. These
were Akonlina's children.
Every eye was fixed upon the accused
She was young, strong and straight:
neither pretty nor plain, but true
Russian type, with round, fiat face,
bright color, and dull, stubborn expires
sion. She seemed to pay no heed to
what the clerk was saying in his sleepy
voice, and looked at neither the judges
nor the audience, but kept her eyes fixed
npon the great clock, whence she occa-
sionally glanced at the door, as If anx-
iously expecting an arrival.
The testimony against her was over
whelming. She was of turbulent. in
tractable disposition, but worked hard
to support her children, having re-
Gently lost her husband, worthless
fellow who had died of drink. After
being discharged by the lady of
Ivanofka she had been heard to use
threatening language while stopping at
the mill to buy some straw, and had APP
peared in our village the next day tired
and muddy and affecting to be ignorant
of the fire in the night
Akonlina declared that she had slept
in a barn belonging to cousin of hers
named Anton Petrovitch. Unfortunate
ly this person had lately left the country
and gone to seek his fortune at Odessa,
whence he was supposed to have en-
barked as q sailor in u foreign ship. In
quiry proved fruitless respecting his
whereabouts, but that fact was thought
to be Of but little consequence, as the
womans statement was evidently false
one.
The punishment for incendiarism is
Punishment to Siberia, but before sem
tence was passed number of witnesses
were to be examined.
Akonlina paid little or no attention to
| the examination of the witnesses, but
kept looking from the clock to the door,
and it was evident that only one fact
was clear to her dull understanding
Anton Petrovitch was the one person
who could save her, and she chung tena-
ciously to the idea that Anton Petro-
witch would enter by that door and say
the necessary words before it was too
late. People had told her that her cousin
was reported to have persisted by ship
wreck in the distant sea, but that could
not be. God was too just to let her suf-
fer for the want of few words. Mes
sages had been sent to Odessa, and she
chung desperately to the hope that Anton
would be found. But as the clocks
hands moved round and the time went
by the hope began to weaken.
The president of the court put more
questions to the accused for the last
time.
81 am innocent" was her reply, re-
peated again and again. II know moth
ing about the fire; was not near the
place at all. When Anton Petrovitch
comes he will tell you. / know nothing
about it, am innocent"
The judges retired for few minutes.
When they returned the president rose,
holding paper in his hands.
Then Akonlina knew that all was
over A shudder passed through her
frame. She stretched out her hands and
convulsively patted the heads of her
children: then. falling upon her knees,
she raised her clasped hands toward the
crucifx on the wall and wildly exclaimed:
"Christ, my Saviour, save me! Lord,
have pity upon me and nay children"
At the sound of her prayer and at
sight of her suppicating attitude all
the country people present fell on their
knees with one accord and reverently
made the sign Of the cross. A SORT of
stupor seized the large assembly, lords
and judges seemed struck dumb, and
the silence was SO profound that I could
plainly hear the ticking of the great
clock upon the wall as the pendulum
swung back and forth increasingly, like
the measure of eternal justice. The
clock was the first to break the silence
striking the hour of noon with its grave,
harsh voice, while every one listened
breathlessly. The sound reused Akonlina,
and she turned toward the door with a
lastagonizing look. Many an eye followed
hers. and think that no one would have
been astonished to see Anton Petrovitch
enter at that moment. But the door re-
manned closed and now, for the first
time, / perceived the old peddler stand
ing near it, clad in his ragged pelisse,
His small, blinking eyes wandered
round the room, his gaze resting tiInidly
upon the judges, then passing on to
Akonlina and her children. AS he look
ed at the little ones an expression of