Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-03-07
LOCATING THE / ,AlTOR.

"A L
One bitterly cell in err, evening
g mrn we're seated t,'yether i'll II
all room in a house situated i'll the
w ish quarter of lusN and largely
Dppuated Russian city. The appear
ace of the ruotI was as wretched as
le external aspec,s of the house itself
he Iitary widow was totally con
taled by heavy faded curtain, d.
euding from the roof, and as the Wind
noaned dismaIly through the broken
panes of glass, its sombrr folds swaycd
o and fro. The inmntcs of this mourn
fiji den were seated round the table,
,uoki Ig their pies and talking, as /!
.urtively, in Will ers. As the feeble
ravs of the candle. fell fully upon Ihr
company they reveale the youthful
faces of four students. J he chief sl'"kes,
nan. how yer, WAS II I:.ucA Older man,
apparently about 80. with short
pointed beard, shaggy brows, and keen,
penetrating eyes of tie darkest hu"
he 9th, +, deferentiaLly address ID the
paakrr as "profrssor. and such, III
iced. he was, at lhat time, ut a Net,
.nown school Of medicine in RUSSIA.
On tie resent occasion, hoWcN Ner, he
was speaking, not of sclrnce. but ,I the
terrible doctrine of assassination.
Professor V W as Il N,Il. lSt Il re.
puted COLOSSUS of craft i'll the dissem.
nation of revoutio airy doctrines, and
nn the particular evening in quest on
he was engaged in advocating. with
fiery .eioquence, the assassination of a
certain colonel who had lately been pro-
moted 10 the rank Of chief commits
siol e OF the secre; police. AS the night
wore on their VIII 81 cred conver~aton
was suddenly interrupted hy low
knocking at the QUEER door. In mo,
nent the conspratorS s?rang n"iselessly
Their feet, and listened with bated
BREATH. Inc ,und was repeated-a pc
c .Iiar whistle was heard from without.
nd the listeners exchanged signifi-
cant glnrc's ard quirt'y resumed their
seats Presently cautious footsteps
were hear in an outer room, the door
was OF ened, and ii young man hastily
entered Hi, face " as pale, his manner
acitated. and as e returned S COM
anions' SITUATIONS lie regarded them
With fixed and angry stare.
"Nnu have k"pt us waiting. com
rade, eXc!ai'"'d the pr"frs or, p fling
calmly at his pipe. u IN! we are
almost frozen, for the air of thi,
wre!chrd apartment is quite Siberian.
But now to business. We will warm
ourselves with talk, and fire our minds
with the prospect of reveng'.
There was a murnur of approval. 1t
was noticed, ho~ ever, that the young
man wAo had j st appeared upon the
Gene took his seat in 81 ence, and, rest.
ing his elbows upon the table, slowly
:c~ulinized the faces of his comrades.
MY dear professor, he said at length,
"ve can not possibly proceed at present
with this business
"Why not?" was unanimously asked.
Because" replied the latest conner,
rs he quietly snutfed the candle, "be-
cause one of us is a traitor"
"A lraitor!' exclaimed the men, start.
ing to tHeir ert
YES, co rades, we are h"lrayel; and
MS no one knows Of this plot of ours ex-
pit ourselves, it is plain, | think, that
one of us has turned informant"
you are mad TO say so!' hoarsely ex-
claimed the professor; "but in heaven,
name, what has hap en"d? Come, tell
us quickly. This is no j',Iing matter"
Listen, then. o. my way tiither,
comrad 's, entered Il Cafe de Paris t.
sip cup of tea and smoke cigarette
| happened to sit down bes:d two of.
fl ers Of tie Secret Pol cp. and, as one of
t ON was somewhat tilsy, | c'uld
hear his conversation. found it rather
mtere ting. He told his companion that
le Mas under osders to surr, und this
Cd deserted hots' at midnight-it is
lear II noW-and to arrest all persons
found within. lie mentioned, more
over, all our names, and added, with Il
maudln laugh, that Il certain person,
to whom the administration is etnrnally
deb cd would be found in our mi Ist
pIa, ing the p rt of consprator. Now,
comrades, ! have Il ne. What shal we
iu?
The men looked at each other in dis
may. a dead size .ce filled the room,
for the mere spicion of tre. cherry
among the men who had solemnly dedi.
ca ed their lives to the sacred cause #
liberty seemed to hoIl them dumb, Such
llajny il their very mi'ist-amonS
men ,ndpd toge her in sacred brother
hoo !-waS II greater crime than the
mnrcil acts of IL drspot and his min.