The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-18

alone would make her position only the
more perilous. Without friend to guide
her, she would absolutely be worse off than
IL had left her in the slums."
II understand that, but what do you
mean by the suggestion that something
might happen to you in few weeks"
II told you that the police have tried to
kidnap me-"
"And failed"--
"They will be more careful next time In
consequence. They intend TO take me, and
probably they will Three months ago the
minister of police received an order from
the czar to silence me. He seldom has to
repeat an order of that kind"
II could not believe it when you told
me-"
1T was credible enough to me. The
warning came from q reliable friend in the
minister's household. The odd thing is
that / have heard nothing since from him
OF other friends who watch the motions of
the police. II looks as il he had found a
new agent-one less known to us than the
old hands"
"The villainous looking scoundrel you
mentioned"
"Oh, dear. no. He is only a subagent
employed by the agent in chief, who him
self takes care to keep well out Of the way.
He may be directing the affair from Paris
or Berlin. Certainly he would not leopard
lie his own life or his position by an attack
Df this kind. The whole business has to
be done by carefully concealed means, like
one OF those clocks which defy ingenuity
to discover where the motive power Is situ-
ated 1t would never do, in case Of expo
sure, for known emissary of the Russian
government to be implicated in a conspir.
acy against the freedom of a subject on
British soil"
''rhat did not occur to me at the mo-
ment. What steps have you taken since
this attempt"
"Made my will and"-
"Surely they will not attempt to assassi-
nate your" Kavanagh said quickly, inter
rupting Taras.
"Assassinate mei Mol The rascals have
too much respect for your hangman and
their own necks to venture on that. But
they would not hesitate tn kill me il thev
could Justify themselves by q plea Of self
defense. That might have happened the
other night IL they had not taken me so
completely by surprise that l could offer
no resistance. Every one of them had his
knife ready, and ! should have been cut
down as sure as fate II their cords had not
held me- Taking place in villainous wa
terside beerhouse, my death would have
been attributed to drunken brawl, and all
evidence of my identity being removed 1t is
doubtful II the papers would take any no
tice of the inquest. It was all calculated
to q nicety-the agent must have gone over
the ground and mapped it out clearly. ]
would give anything to know who he is"
1T is horrible to fight in the dark. You
never know when the blow may fall"
mo, nor who may strike it-that's the
worst part of the business It shakes ones
faith. The man you trust turns out to be
an enemy--your favorite haunt q nest of
spies anything may happen at any mo-
ment. fancy they will give me respite
now. am all right for time"
rs it not possible" said Kavanagh, ''is
there not just chance that the attack was
intended rather as warning than anything
else, and that they would have suffered you
to escape II the girl had not forestalled
themi II they silenced you tonight, your
works would still exist. They cannot undo
them, and they know it. Sent to Siberia,
you become martyr, and greater impor-
tance is given to your work. 1t seems to
me that the agents-the minister, the czar
nlmSclI-Wlli Dc batlSileu WIN tnls maul-
festation Of power and drop the affair"
"For awhile possibly-probably, indeed.
But when they find that do not profit by
their warning and will not accept their con-
dtions Of neutrality--that / am neither a
child nor an old woman to be frightened by
menaces Of future punishment from the
course directed by my conscicnce"---
'But, my dear fellow. IL is not rs II you
were still an active enemy"
IF you think am nothing but passive
enemy, you are wrong" said Taras, with
more fire in his voice than bad yet heard.
They have something to gain by my remov-
al. For months have been meditating a
new attack, and the czar knows 1t. for he
has spies In our camp as we have friends in
his. have only been waiting for the idea.
and the idea came TO my mind the first time
l saw Aura. l owe her that as well, poor
girl. Como up with me, and will show
the she'll am preparing to throw at the
czar's feet"
AS their chairs moved slipped from the
door and ran mp to my room TO mediate on
what bad heard and form q clearer con-
ception Of its meaning