The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-06

OF thoSo low months he had passed In Rus
sia as an attache to the British embassy
returned to him. He remembered tho ON
| bassador's ball, ut which he first met Olga
| Dobrouloff. He had fallen In lovo with
tho surprisingly beautiful girl at first
| sight-or Mt least he believed it was love
! ut that time
introduced to her father-hcr only liv.
Ing rclative-thc young Englishman oven
tually became tho recipient Of Paul Do
brouloff's viows concerning his country,
but 1t was not until Austen had strongly
expressed his own opinion regarding tho
Russian system of government, with all
its attendant OWLS, that Olga's father bold
ly avowed himself n nihilist. Austen ap-
plauded tho aims of tho society and was
at length induced to become ono of the
brotherhood, taking tho oath to hid them
In their secret war against tyranny.
Shortly after this, tho death of near
relative called him homo, and no had been
In England but u little timo when tho
conviction grow upon him that his love for,
Olga, which no had thought so all pervad-
ing was dead. He wrote to her to this
effect, but received no reply Perhaps his
letter had miscarried. Having no desire
to return. to Russia, he had resigned his
post There, and, possessing n small COM
pctcncy devoted himself to literature with
fair success. Indeed only two days pre-
vious to Olga Dobrouloff's visit play of
his had been produced and we'll received
by tho critics.
The silence OF the room was broken only
by tho ticking of the clock and tho sobs of
tho knccling woman. The latter grow
fainter after awhile, and Austen was
thinking ho might approach and offer some
words of comfort, when. with quick
movement, Olga rosc to hor feet. Her eyes
wero swollen with weeping, but tho OK
preston of her face WAS calm.
Il accept my fate she said land will
not trouble you again. You refuse to OK
ccute tho orders of tho nihilist chicfs:''
With head erect she passed out on to the
staircase anu in a moment was conc from
his sight. Austen waited until her foot
steps died away and then slowly, Thought
fully, returned to his room.
Tho first thing his eyes rested Oh was
tho order of tho nihilist chiefs that he
Cecil Austcn,s should take the life of Ivan
Bronski, tho traitor. 1t was lying on the
floor, with tho photograph of Dora Pen
field. tho girl he loved. With shudder he
cast tho obnoxious paper in tho fire, where
1t was quickly consumed, and kissing the
picture lovingly he replaced 1t on the
mnntclpiccc. His mind was no longer OK
crciscd Us to where he should spend tho
evening. Tho fro was out, the gray dawn
at last threw himself on tho bed and fell
into troubled sleep.
lie WAS high noon when no awolc Tho
1rst thing that arrested his attention was
tho shouting of newsboys in the street
Mysterious murder In 'Am'stid this
mo-nin" was the burden of their cry AS
dramatist his instinct for the sensational
prompted hipi to send for u paper.
Turning to the column headed by tho
words forming the ncwsboys' cry, his eyes
rested upon name that sent a sudden
agonizinR thrill 10 his very heart center
AT AZ curly hour this morning." read
the account, p. G.. Robson found the dead
body of u man lying under the trees in
Beech Walk, hampstead. Great rpticcncc
Is maintained by the local police regard
ing tho affair but our inquiries have Gle
itcd the fact that tho deceased was shot
through tho hend, the course OF the bullet
being from back to front. Tho weapon
has not been discovered. No ono in the
neighborhood seems to have boon disturbed
during the night, but this may no account
cd for by Beech Walk being a somewhat
lonely thoroughfare. Tho nearest house to
tho socne of the murder Is 30 yards dis
tant. From papers found ON the body 1t
is believed that tho murdered man Is
Russian named Ivan Bronski.
- later report states that Bronski has
been identified by woman rs man who
lodged in her house during the last few
months under the namo OF Peter Dumnr-
off. Our representative Is prosecuting fur
thcr inquiries the result of which will be
published In our special edition.
The rattat of the postman hero rsound-
cd through the rooms, and letter was
brought in. Austen was conscious Of u
faint recollection of the writing on tho
envelope He broke Ii open. Yes il was
from Olga Dobroulotf:
DEAR CECIL, My LOST LovE-You
were wrong to think lightly of the power
of the nihilist chiefs to punish with death
those OF tho brethren who fail to stand by
their oath. Had J. taken back to them
your refusal to carry out their vengeance
on traitor you would assurcdly have
been doomed. But will save you. When
| you read this, Ivan Bronski will bc dead
man, and my hand will have slain him,
this partly to avcngc my father, but
chiefly 10 protect You. l am sufficiently
acquainted with Bronski's movements to
! know that the opportunity require will
| occur within u few hours of my conclud-
| Ing this letter. Escape for myself will be
| easy, trust I shall return to Russia and
report to the chiefs simply that their or
| ders have been obcyed, and advise you
at once to communicate with them q in
close addrcss), asking for release from
your oath. My task accomplished, need
say no more than that life will bc to me a
| burden unbcnrablc, and 1 shall not hest.
tate to free myself from tho torture of re-
| greet that is burning my poor heart away
Goodby, Cecil. May you be happier in
| your love than OLGA DoBRoULOFF.
| Little moro Of Importance was ever pub
J. lished regarding the Hampstead affair
| An open verdict was returned at the in