Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-12-17

dom for three days nj tho rate OF ruble
day, and here It is, said Ivan Dontremem
Der, striking the sack on which he sat.
what have you got thereW Gordon
asked eagerly.
Freedom, tell you, for three days TIA
indispensable. How long do you think you
arc going to keep up on FIR conesi Twelve
hours at the outside | should say. by tho
look OF madam"
"What have you got in the sack, ask"
Gordon repeated sayagely.
"Bread, aud IN guard it as 1 would my
iife" Ivan Dontremembor answered catch
ing the CLEAN OF desperation which lit my
eyes as well AS Gordon's.
We are starving; we have eaten nothing
for four days You must give us some"
You can get al much ~ you want at the
post. Schemyl must keep his prisoners
alive till the patrol comes round TO collect
them. Why should shorten my term Of
freedom to prolong yoursw
Gordon looked ut me. shall give our
selves upW His eyes asked, and mine an.
werIng YES" he held out his hand to me
and snldi
Come"
81 am afraid you are leaving with a bad
opinion OF me,n said Ivan Dontremcmbcf
as | rose. That's the worst OF being per
feotly reasonable 8 sure TO offend soma
Rmiable fool Now. II you only had nlblo
or twol---
"whatr cried Gordon tearing open his
coat to get ut his note case You will sell
your libertyi'
"Of course will. schemyl always keeps
n good stock on hand on tho chance Of
moneyed customer dropping IN. Plenty
more where this came from, he continued,
untieing his sack and producing a loaf
tits rather a high price-a ruble loaf
pretty nearly half a crown Of your money
but these poor government officials must
hve.n
without n word Gordon snatched note
from his cuse, thrust II into VANS hand
md took possession OF the loaf Then, with
horrible laughter, we tore the loaf in two
sud ate with the rnvenous fury OF starved
beasts. For time we forgot everything
but the animal Joy OF satisfying our cray.
Ing appetite Whether Ivan spoke to us or
not do not know, It was not until our
hunger had beon appeAscd that we could
think Of him
What right have you toput temptation
In u poor devils Way" he gruwled 40
you know the value OF the note you gave
mrf
Gordon shook his head, still eating
n thousand rubles-throu years free
Goml Lifelong freedom, who knowsP Take
Il bnek, or l may be tempted yet TO knock
you on tho head"
flo pushed the note into Gordon's hand
ana turning away set his elbows on his
knees, dropped his bristly rcd beard In his
palms and rocked himself slowly backward
and forward, scowliug into the iro,
Gordon looked NJ him and then nc me In
silent prrpeNity; We both doubted whether
lhc little man was In his right mind Pres
entity glnncing round and peroeviug that
Gordon SIN held the note in his hand, Ivan
Duntromembcr said Ongrilyi
Put IL away | tell y0u-hidu It up
Don't you know that the forest is alive
with desperate men' Any one OF them
would murder tho pair OF you to get that,
Why shouldn't they Necessity knows no
law but SELF preservation. Do you know IL
was in my minh TO brain you u.s. YOU rat
there in an eestasy Of animal pleasurey At
least you would have goneou " the world
happy, 1t would have saved you-nnd the
Eoyernmont-years OF trouble, and me too
oh, there was enou ia Justification Rea
son was on my side and opportunity aA
well, You would havu done II in my place
Theru was murder In Your cyy when you
asked for bread. Bread N only a means TO
living; the eud OF living is freedom. a
man will eight for life while there's hope
OF freedom; when that hope is gone, he will
blow his brains ont.
with your views,n said Gordon, ~ am
surprised that you did not at least make
OF with the note"
Perhaps l overlooked that alternative
in the greater temptation TO Kill YOU The
probability was that you had other notes
In your case -moncy enough TO make escape
certain"
"a you felt yourself justified. why didn't
you kill mci"
For fool OF u reason--a sentimental
one. Something in your build, your face
mot the mnrderous expression Ia IL, you
may be surc-deteircd me. ! felt, lust az
the critical moment, as II were about "a
Kill my dearest frisnd, Aud can't shake
OIL this womanly feeling while look at
you-thats the queer thingn
some personal reaomhlaneetp Gordon
suggested.
Ivan Dontrcmember nodded glcomiiy
and turned hl eyes again on the fire.
"It's an odd coincidenes that my resem.
blance 10 u Russian has not only saved my
life, but Wa tho cause OF my life being in
jeopardy
What Russiani" asked Ivan. turning
quickly.
''rsras-Prinee Borgonskyp
''larasl" cried Ivan, starting to his feet
us he allyet"
He was when ws left him not tw,
months ago"
"Where was he thenr
I'm London.n
THANK the latest"
You know himN
What honest Russian who lived hv,
years ago does not know T'arasf"
.nen he broke into Russian, npostro
phizinR Taras with pos,tical fervor In word
that l failed to follow. Suddenly h,
shocked himself, and turning to us he said
ts II 70 excuse himself;
have been dead i've years and buriel
n the fortress OF PetropaSlovsk. One hear
iothing there. There was no political pris
lner In our gnng--all outthroats ant
eoundrels-they could tell me nothing
" hat should thoy know OF raiSssg"
And after n pause he added, with a pa
hetic tremor In his vuioes
~ thought no must be dead, too--m,
hiend-p
He walked slowly round tho tlre TO in
lulge his reflections, teaching an emile
lere ard there absently with his ntiell
Coming close 70 where we sat, silent Il
yInpathy, he said;
~ .l.asa