Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-06-20

! the country people present fell on then
/ 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 / could
1 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
I striking he hour Of noon with its grave,
I harsh voice, while every one listened
| breathlessly The sound reused A konlina,
and she turned toward the door with a
last agonizing look. Many an eyefollowed
/ hers. and ! think that no one would have
I been astuuished to sec Anton Petrovitch
enter at that moment. But the door re
mained closed; and now, for the first
time, perceived the old peddler stand
ing near il, clad in his ragged pelisse.
HIS small, blinking eyes wandered
rou1d tho room, his gaze resting timidly
upon the judges, then passing ON to
Akonlina and her children. AS he look
ed at the little ones an expression Of
gentle kindness came into his face, such
Is / had Often seen when had no money
and he gave me the pictures from Souz-
dal When the president began to read
the sentence Uncle Fedia listened for a
minute looked mn at tina .rrrreifix and
uown at the children, then slowly, and
taking care to disturb no one, he made
his way to the platform and stood twist
ing his cap in his fingers
"What do you wanty" asked the presi-
dent Of the court as he stopped in the
middle Of his reading.
II beg your pardon, sir, said the old
man, 'this woman is innocent; | set the
house on fire.
The judges and the people looked at
him in amazement, and the president
asked him some questions. His replies
were given awkwardly, but left no room
for doubt rs TO his guilt He said that
he had spent the first part Of the night
in question in the old mill, and had seen
Akouliua going with her bundle Of straw
toward Anton Petrovitch's barn. Soon
after midnight be had made his way to
Ivanofka and set fire to the house out Of
revenge, the owner having caused him
to be cruelty beaten year before As a
proof he mentioned a small pot Of tar
which had been found at Ivanofka and
which he had bought the day previous.
A feeling Of relief spread among the
audience when it became evident that
the poor woman was not to suffer I'M
justly and every one seemed glad to
find that the first suspicious against the
peddlel were correct. A new sentence
was drawn up, and as he stood waiting
to hear it read Uncle Fedia dropped his
head in shame at seeing every eye fixed
upon him in scorn and reproach.
He was sentenced to the mines Of Sibe-
ria, but his time was limited to ten years
in consideration Of his having voluntari-
" confessed his guilt. The guards led
him away, and as he passed me put
few rubles in his hand and whispered:
"Good-by poor Uncle Fedia'
Thanks, child,n he answered. 1T
does not matter about me; there is no
one to grieve for me,
The next minute | had lost sight Of
him
The time passed by, and six years later
Ireturned to my home for the summer
vacation.
One morning while we were at break
fast in Che garden we saw the priest Of
the parish hurrying toward US in great
excitement
"What do you think has happened?"
he cried
81 know, replied my father. The
miller fell from ladder last night and
has died Of his injuries.
You do not know the most terrible
part of the matter, said the priest. Il
was sent for 10y tile dying man. and he
told me his dreadful secret. Father
said he, i committed a great sin six
years ago-I set fire to IvanofEa.
WHAT | cried it was the peddler.
Fedia' But he interrupted me, say
ing; i set fire to the house to rever ge
myself ON the owner, who had caused
me to be taken rs soldier Uncle Ea-
dia passed d night In the min after sell
ing me a pot Of tar | thought that he
suspected me then, and on the day of
the triad he came to me and said with an
earnest air.
"TIere is gong to be q terrible piece
of business; they are going to condemn
Akonlina to Siberia. Perhaps she is in
nocent, | would not listen, but threat
ened him so fiercely that he went away
Ali what a good man he
was-he pitied the woman and her little [
children and sacrificed himself to save
them Oh, miserable wretch that ami
how can | hope to obtain pardon He
died few minutes after his confession. -"
Without losing moment we took the
priest to the governor Of the province.
and the latter ou hearing the declaration
wrote to the authorities in Siberia.
Months Of fruitless correspondence en- I
sued. Owing to the lack of particulars
furnished them they could not make
sure rs to which convict our magistrate
AT last the governor general .
Of Siberia closed the correspondence, re +
fusiug to investigate further.
DO you supPoseit possible, he wrote,
for me To trace man named Fedia
throughout the Russian possessions in
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