The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-02-26
lola PULASKI;
The Victim of CircumStan-
tial Evidence.
RsiBlJ Of NlhDlstie Pluttlngs and Grimes.
BX LEON EDWARDS.
CHAPTER XXI
ST. PETERSBURG IN A TURMOIL

Inc CZar was uTeSSeu lOI tuo StloeV
accepting that he had not on his heavy
fur mantle, which was held by an at
tendanL
As be uttered the words: "Free
You shall never again be free!" he rose
10 his feet, and his pale blue eyes
burned with fierce anger.
Lola was stunned by the manner
and cruel words of the tyrant. but II
was only for o moment.
Forgetting the power and rank oi
the man confronting her, she spranG
from her k11css, and cried with tragic
sarnestness:
sAye, consign me to prison, and
perfect your years of torture by the
death of my father, if you will; yet, fol
The sake of the humanity which you
, have never shown, for the sake of Rus,
.sia, for the sake of your royal family, ]
will save you" 49,,
"Save me-" repeated the Car, with
An expression of indescribable con
tempt. woman, you are guilty Of
treason, in even imagining an injury to
our sacred person. We are not ignor.
ant of the schemes and plots Of your
associates and friends, the Nihilists.
80 far, they have brought death and
exile to thousands of themselves-and
the Gear still lives
"Oh, your Majestyl hear me! be
warned by me-"
aWhat mean you?" he asked, as he
burned his tall form to the
that the sable fur mantle might be
placed on his shoulders.
II warn you. Go not on the streets
of st. Petersburg to-day
@And pray, when will you permit me
10 go?" he asked with scorn.
GTreat me with contempt, if you
will; but, oh, your Majesty, 1 am no
areamer-I speak no idle WORDS
In her passionate earnestness, Lola
might have kept on, but the Car, with
, contemptuous expression Of the eyes,
md an imperious wave of his long arm.
salled out:
sCount Linwold, see that this woman
b placed where her raving and hel
plotting will disturb us no more"
Having said this the Czar strobe out
Of the room, followed by number Of
bis courtiers, all of whom were dressed
esor the street.
@You have brought all your troubles
pm Yourself" said Count Linwold, ad,
!, dressing Lola when they were alone.
'sYou aspired to the hand of Genera!
Paul, and through your scheming you
have brought him into disgrace, ruined
him with the Gar, and made him 8
prisoner. As to yourself, your plot.
ling, like all plotting, has brought It's
deserts. To-day you 60 to prison, and
before the week is over you will be or
The way to Siberia, where the climate
md the work will do much to cool you
ianatical ardor."
Lola heard, but did not heed the
.yycophant's words.
She was too much stunned even te
tealize the desperation of her situation.
She retained but dim consciousness!
Of what was going on around her.
Like cae walking in sleep, she real
lied that armed men led her to sleigh,
and that she was whirled away through
the streets, now crowded with people
The sleigh stopped before the News
prison, from which she had been SO re.
gently released, she recalled, this, and
.beyond that she had no recollection o
events till she opened her eyes and saw
the dull, gray light filtering through
the grating of the iron door by which
-she had entered the dark, gloomy cell
Meanwhile the Gear had descended
to the great courtyard, where the i'm
perial sleigh stood ready to receive
him, and the tall guards were mounted
and prepard to defend him from al
harm.
But neither the Gear nor his cour
tiers dreamt of harm.
The royal horsemen were for display
There were a hundred thousand vet
eran troops in and about the city.
Ten thousand police and half o.
many spies discovered the discontents
: and hurried them to the prison or th'
scaffold.
EHow grand the Great White Cza
Booked that day! And it must be sait
there was nothing theatrical in his ap
pearance.
He was the undisputed monarch o.
the most extensive empire on which
the sun shines.
A million soldiers stood ready II
rush to death at his bidding.
Eighty millions of people acknowl
edged him as lord of their estates ant
master of their lives.
Why should he give thought to
much less stand in fear Of the plotting
of handful of low-born, blood thirst,
Nihilists?
As he stood erect in his sleigh
which, surrounded by its brilliant cav
alcode, dashed along the wide whit
streets, he looked as if he and his EN-
pire might last forever.
Yet, unseen by the tens of Thousands
who watched him, seen only by tht
few who gathered in out-of-the-wa,
corners and spoke in whispers, til,
Angel of Death was abroad and famed
the royal cortege with his freezing
wings.
Hitherto the appearance Of the Cza
on the street was greeted with cheer
hom his swarming, servile subjects.
To-day the crowds maintained Of
ominous silence.
General Paul, "the young here o
the Balkans" ," as the people delighted
80 call him, had been, and still was,
popular idol in st. Petersburg.
His being deposed from rank caused
Q murmur of discomfort in the metro
polls; and this feeling inceased to 1
storm of indignation when it became
AnoWn that the Young General was no