Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-21

learned that It was In dangers Nothing
beyond carrying weapons in my pocket for
few weeks and listening when found
the chance to scraps of conversation that
could not understand, and even these fee
BILE attempts had been abandoned lately,
and had suffered myself to be lulled into
a state of carelessness by the absence of
any open sign of hostility toward Taras
and by his own disregard of precaution.
But this apathy on the part of the secret
enemy l had been led to expect from the
conversation of Taras and his friend Kava-
nagh. They had said that probably no
further attempt would be made for some
months. Those months were now passed.
The critical time was at hand, for had
gathered from one or two remarks that any
fresh offense to the car would be the sig
nal for n renewed and final effort to silence
Taras. That fresh offense was about to be
committed. The group of statuary was fin
ished. The work of casting and burning
done, the striking allegory would be public
ly exhibited for all the world to talk of.
recalled now, almost with stupefaction
at my incredible indifference, an incident
which proved that the secret enemy was on
the alert and fully acquainted with Taras'
design. The proprietor of the pottery at
which it was intended to burn the clay
group had called to inquire if the subject
was of a political character. Taras of course
admitted frankly that it was, and when Mr.
H, for commercial reasons, had begged
to decline to give any assistance in the pro-
duction he asked Mr.. H what reason
he had for suspecting that the work was a
political one.
My information, SIR" said Mr.. H,
came in the form of an anonymous letter,
and for that reason felt that in justice to
you l ought to have personal verification
of ha fact before declining the iS-
sion"
When Gordon heard of this, he laughed
and declared that there was not a word of
truth in the statement.
No anonymous letter was needed. Old
H has found out that You are Bergen
sky, the nihilist. and with the hope of
knighthood before him and the dread of
losing a sale or two in Russia he thinks it
best to decline the job
At the time that explanation was ac-
cepted by me as readily as it was by
Taras, but it was different with me now.
felt sure that the secret enemy had made
this communication.
Who could he be? Clearly some one who
had seen the group, and not less obviously,
one of the Russian visitors who called on
Taras. But which of them? To my eyes
they seemed all pretty much alike-meek,
gloomy, unhappy looking men, dreadfully
out III ClDONs anu Inc OI pity
of discomfort with which Mere Lucas ex-
pressed her feeling regarding them was
usually accompanied with a significant
movement of tie thumb and finger, which
led me to understand that their object was
to get money out of Taras. There was none
who looked like traitor, and l could not
believe that any would be base enough to
betray him 70 the police, for, however
unhappy they looked on arriving, not one
went away with disappointment in his
face, and though Taras was careful to CON
ceal his generosity l had reason to know
that he gave away to his distressed coun
trymen infinitely more than he spent upon
himself
All through the night l taxed my brain
with conjcctures and surmises without ar
irving ut any definite conclusion with re-
gard to the identity of this dreaded enemy,
and all l could do to silence my self re-
proach for past neglect was to VOW that l
would be more watchful and vigilant in
the future.
And this VOW was not made in vain.