Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-01-18
lCoNTINUED.l
CHAPTER KNIT
WE SET ONT

We were allowed to see each other no |
more until we reached st. Petersburg, and !
then only at a distsnce, as we were hurried |
from the train which brought us from the
port into the separate carriages in which
We were ratified off to prison.
In that moment Gordon waved his hand !
to me and smiled encouragement but | !
knew that the poor fellow, despite his san
guine temperament, could find but little |
ground to base hope upon.
About an hour after my arrival | was .
taken down to an Office, where the minister
of police sat at the fead of a writing table. /
The only other persons present were Ru- /
dersdorf and the old gentleman. Their man !
ner was obSeqtiously deterential toward [
their chief, sharp and severe toward me-
With slight inclination of the head he
told me to take a chair, and fixing his dark
penetrating eyes upon me said;
"Mademoisele, do you deny that Taras, !
Prince Borgensky, is your friend?'
no replied proudly; "he is the dear
est friend | have in the world These !,
words brought tears into my eyes, so that |
| saw everything as in mist, but brushed
them away impetuously and met the min |
ister's eyes firmly, and with the resolve to
keep my emotion down.
Then how comes it the minister ask ed. |
"that you have aided in bringing him
here"
81 have done no such thing. The man
you have here is rot Taras, but George
Gordon. Ify ou are the minister of police,
you will know that when you see him."
assuming that this is George Gordon,
why did you aid in bringing him here"
TO save Taras from being murdered by
your agent, Rudersdorf."
Is this the first time you have endea-
vored TO save your friend>"
NO: ! have baked kavanagh in two if
not three attempts to carry him away
and you hoped to save Taras n fourth
time by substituting George Gordon, to
malead our agents.
"Nes"
"You thought to throw Off the pursuit
by making MS believe that we had captured
TGras?"
eyes,
Then why are you so anxious now to
make us believe that we have not got
Tarass"
Because Kavanagh made me believe
that the moment you discovered the mis-
take Rudersdorf would be bauishcd in dis.
grace, while a public cutlery would compel
you TO abandon any further effort to re
move Taras from England"
you are candid, at any rate, said the
minister, after exchanging IL swift glance
with Rudersdorf.
II want you to know the whole truth"
In that case, will you be good enough
to give me the particulars of tie attempts
made by Mir. kavauagh to kidnap Taras>"
| narrated the events rs simply as |
could. When / came to AN end, the minis.
ter wrote few lines. handed the paper /,
Rudersdorf and rising took mp his hat.
"What are you going to do with me-"
asked
During the inquiries which must ncces
sarily be made to ascertain the truth OF
your statement you will be detained. You
will be provided with every available com.
fort and in consideration Of the straight.
forward manner in which you have given
information, if there is any reasonable con.
cession ] can make'-
George Gordon-I want to see him.
said l. for felt the need of a companion.
The chief looked grave; then, after giving
some instructions TO Rudersdorf, he said
to me:
"Nou shall see him tomorrow morning.
and with a slight bow left the office
was taken back to the CELL and as the
door closed with a clang, and ! looked
round the four bare whitewashed walls.
with their one barred window high up.
showing but few inches Of lcuden sky,
f'NN'A lIIN StI4 NItEt WAS lnt comfort IIlUt
had been promised me.
In the evening the wardcr brought me n
bundle of thick serge clothes and a greasy
sheepskin coat, telling me that ! should
have to wear them for my journey and that
must get up when ] was called. Thu.
was the first intimation | had received that
we were to be removed from St. Peters.
burg The minister had spoken only of a
detention He had said that | should see
Gordon the next morning, but was il only
to say "goodby?"
Before it was light the warder entered
my cell, and seeing a candle on the shelf
which served as a table told Ine must be
dressed in 10 minutes. In l0-minutes was
dressed in my i'll fitting clothes looking
more like a white bear than "A human creg.
ture in the great sheepslin coat which
touched the ground at my feet and was
furnished with hood and collar band
which left nothing visible Of my face eX
cept my nose and eyes. A pair of enormous
boots lined with sheepskin and great fin
9erless gloves Of the same kind added still
more to the UncOuthness Of my appear
ance The warder brought me a mug OF
hot tea and some dried fish and bread, and
while ] ate my breakfast made up the
clothes had worn into a bundle for me to
take with me-
was taken down into the yard, where
to my great JOY, found Gordon arrayed in
SUIT similar to my own, by which | con
clddeu that he was to go away also
think he was no less pleased to see me He
gave me both hands, and we stood there
hand in hand too grateful to speak at first
You are going with me:" we SAID, at
last end simultaneously.
Yes" 7diu ue, Though where we are
going eau say"
"Orkutsk, believe"
"Orkutsk, hey9 Well, that's got a sort of
outlandish sound about it, But what does
tlat matter? We shall come here apain
before very long, that's n certainty. I LET
the minister have 1t pretty straight, can
tell you Threatened him with The Times
and all sorts of punishment
a sledge was brought into the yard, for
the ground was already covered with snow.
1t was drawn by three horses, each with
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