Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-23
Copyrighted by the Author 889-An Rights Reserved

''the right TO acquaint him with my his
tory in your presence before the final oath
is administered to him -
Madame knows best, - said Ivan,
who sat opposite to her, quietly rolling
cigarettes and smoking them, as if to do
SO was the one chief duty in life
eve know Madame's history, " said
Paul, "Why repeat it in our presence?"
Have our friends, - asked Anna,
turning to Ferrari and then CHANGING at
the three persons unnamed, Fbeen &C.
quainted with our victory at Venice?'
ave only know said one of them.
"that Petronovitch, our bitterest foe,
has fallen before the triumphant on
slaught of the brotherhood -
1t will give encouragement to your
hopes and strength to your arm to hear
that recital. l count it a part OF my
duty to record unto you an account of
my stewardship, and that of our breth-
rem, FerTari and Petroski. -
eve shall thank you for the revela-
ton, - said one.
cit is no doubt our due to know it -
said the other.
land there is nothing so inspiriting as
generals own story of his victory -
said the third.
Klosstock, "there will arrive for admis-
sion to the brotherhood, a young English
gentleman who is devoted to me and my
poor fortunes. He has accepted, at the
hands of Andrea Ferrari, the oath of
secrecy; but not the oath of comradeship,
which would entitle him to our pass
words and to share the glories and dam
gers of our cause. Brothers - she said,
rising, 'this young man has none of
the motives that We have for the labors
and dangers we have undertaken. He
was born in Moscow, it is true, and in
his early youth saw our brother and sis
ter eXiles of the past go forth upon their
fatal iourneyings to Siberia. He has u
sensitive and generous nature; the
memory of those things has sunk deep
into his heart; but he is young. His
mother is widow; patriot, d devoted
friend of all eXiles. 1t is his misfortune
to have fallen in love with your humble
companion.
The smile that for moment illumi-
mated the face of Ivan Kostanzhoglo
vanished at glance from Ferrari; and
Anna Klosstock continued to speak as il
she were alone, unconscious of the men
who sat around her.
''It is not necessary for me to say to
devotion. -
"Not very strange whispered one of
the unnamed to bis neighbor, elf
lovely face and figure have anything to
do with inspiring love-
''But, - she continued, ''I am un-
willing that for my sake this young Eng
lish gentleman shall further jeopardize
his position and his liberty. He pro-
fesses to be under the spell of our great
cause, to desire no other life than one
that shall be devoted to it, in memory Of
his young life in Moscow, and that be
may be at last my comrade. He only
knows me as the Countess Stravensky.
To HIM Anna Klosstock is nothing. Her
life, her love, her miseries, her motives
for revenge, her part in our great victory
of Venice are to him an entire blank.
While reporting, as one of our secret
brotherhood, to this meeting, 1 desire to
convey to him the particulars OF my
career, that they may disenchant him
and show him the abyss upon which he
stands. Shonld he then persist in throw
ing in his lot with ours. ask you to &C.
cept him.
As she sat down there was murmur
of dissent, question, and admiration;
and the entire brotherhood for few mo-
ments seemed all to be talking at once,
but not much above a whisper.
Presently Ferrari was heard alone.
"'To me, Madame's wish, - he said,
''is law. Throughout all our opera
tions, in every instance of peril, Madame
has never made a mistake. l have to
this young man administered the first
oath of secrecy. l believe him worthy,
and capable OF beng one of u.s. Ny
vote is for Madame. -
&" And mine, - said Ivan Kostan-
zhoglo; Though it is a dangerous ele-
ment, the admission of a sentiment be-
Yond patriotism. -
"But love, - said Paul Petroski, sis
power that has helped US often, and in
many straits.
land we agree,'' said one of the
three unnamed, "tbat 1t is to the frank,
open statement of madame, that we
should not oppose her judgment in this.
when it has always been true.
EGO, then, said Anna, to Ivan
Kostanzhoglo. ''In the saloon you will
find our visitor. He will be sitting at
the table in the right hand corner, by
the pillar near the fireplace He is
young, dark, handsome You cannot
mistake him. His dress, q shabby dis
guise; yet you cannot fail to see through
it the features, the figure of gentle
man. -
Ivan -olled another cigarette, and left |
the room through its double doorway,
which was guarded until his return by |
Ferrari.
1t was not altogether an unoomfort-
able apartment, though it lacked ven |
which was obtained chiefly /
through an orifce in the chimney, |
where strong gaslight was burning and |
around which there was a cetinuaI halo |
of smoke from the cigarettes which all, |
including Anna herself, were more or !
less smoking. There were few odd en- |
upon the dark wallpaper, one |
or two easy chairs, q small bookcase |
and map of Europe.
Anna leaned back thoughtfuIly in her |
chair and breathed few whiffs of smoke |
from an Egyptian cigarette, bundle of |
which lay before her. She pushed these |
eside and ceased smoking as Ivan Kos
tanZhoglo entered with Philip Forsyth, |
who was indeed disguised in shabby |
and in face and feature for
that matter-his cheeks pale and sunken, |
his eyes surrounded with black rim, |
his hair long and straggly. He wore a |
pair of blush French trousers and thin /
alpaca frook coat. buttoned to the throat; |
IN rr,fF 81 ha hnA hav