Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1894-01-06
CHAPTER XIV.


understood now the meaning Of Mere
Lucas ominous headshakings, of her en-
deavor to promote an attachment between
me and Gordon, and of this last measure by
which she had shown me that Taras would
never marry. She feared that my affection
for him was ripening into love and that
should expect him to make me his wife.
The relation quite stupefied me, and
sank down silently on the stool by his
bench, with tears that could not account
! for gathering in my eyes and a feeling OF
5esolation and loss in my heart.
Mere Lucas kissed me and went away
with little sob of sympathy. He will
, never marry me-" said to myself, trying
to realize my situation and find an explana-
tion of the sadness that oppressed me. I'm
doubtedly love, unknown to me, had been
smoldering in my breast from the first
moment that Taras smiled at me, and to
| burst up into flame it only needed that un-
fortunate touch by which old Mere Lucas
attempted to stife il.
He will not marry me-" said, repeat
ing her words with little addition of my
own. Then slowly the graver import of
her warning dawned upon me. His reason
for avoiding marriage was not because he
could not love. but because he would not
doom his wife to widowhood or exile to
Siberia-because he knew that ere long he
must die or be taken prisoner to Russia.
| At this perception cold sweat burst out
upon my brow, US if | had become aware
for the first time of this impending fate.
Going to my room, | took myself to task
for my want of vigilance. What had !
done to guard his life since the night when
learned that it was in danger! 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
u 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 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 czar would be the sig
nal for Il renewed and final effort to silence
Taras That fresh offense was about to be
| cOnnllItSu. luS group Vi Stdtudiy WAS iiH
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 MIR
I H, for commercial reasons, mad 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 ought to have IL personal veriication
of the fact before declining the commits
sion"
When Gordon heard Of this, he laughed
and declared that there was not word Of
truth in the statement.
mo anonymous letter was needed. Old
H has found out that you are Bergen
sky, the uihilist. and with the hope Of
knighthood before him and the dread of
losing . sale or two in RuAsia he thinks IL