The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-10-10
BETRAYED BY LOVE.

Ors at the University OF 6t. petersburg
We students likewise held him In awe and
hedged him around with reverentisl ostra-
oism.
That same Kaffsky used to squander his
days and nights over mathematics and
chemistry and half dozen kindred sci
enoes, as II life were to last for eternity.
We did not believe In man having 80
many irons In the fire, and we limited our
own efforts to the accomplishment Of one
single task--the regeneration of mankind
as q preliminary step to the remodeling Of
Russian society.
We had weighed Kaffsky In the political
balance--the only one in vogue at Russian
universities ten years ago--and had found
him sadly wanting.
He was member Of none Of the three
churches, outside Of which there is no sal
vation-that of the sworn conspirators,
who edited forbidden political journal,
Land and Liberty, batohed plots against
the state and sometimes helped to carry
them out; that of unsworn conspirators,
from whom the former were usually re-
cruited, and the bulk Of students who
sympathized with everything and every
body who embarrassed the government.
And to crown all, we had Just heard Of
his impending marriage. "A nice time to
be thinking Of marrying and feathering
his nest," we remarked to each other,
"just when the pillars Of the social edifce
are giving way and we are doing our best
to pull them down, in order to build up
something betterr'
When the name Of the future bride was
mentioned, those among us who knew her
were staggered bit Anna Paylona
Smirnova was not Venus But IL she
had much less beauty than her photograph
which is a common failing of women
she had good deal more wit, which is
not by any means SO common.
Although apparently young enough to
be his daughter Anna Pavlona was Kaff-
sky's senior by five or six years, and to
make matters still more mixed she was O
red radical at heart.
Formerly her democratic views had got
her into hot water with the authorities,
and 1t was not without considerable diff
Guilty that she had obtained her present
position rs teacher in girls gymnasy
which enabled her to live In modest COM
potency with hor widowed mother.
Tho police, we knew, had twice or thrice
made elaborate inquiries about Kaffsky,
had noted his comings In and goings out
and had set watch upon his actions.
Platoff, when arrested q week ago, chanced
to have Kaffsky's card in his pocket and
was subjected 10 a long secret cross ex-
animation about his dealings with him.
As well suspect the stone sphinxes at
the Nikolai bridge as that piece of stuck
up seflshness called Kaffsky," exclaimed
Lavroff.
"There must be some reason for the sus-
pioion," cried Brodsky. "There's always
fire where there's smoke, and as we know
there's no FIRE hero then there cannot pos
sibly be any real smoke. It's matter Of
smoked glass speotacles."
This remark struck Us all as the acme
Of oleverness. It was warmly applauded.
"Well but who can have smoked the gov
ernment's spectaoless" somebody asked.
"Boormsnl Boormanl He alone has
grudge against Kaffsky," cried half
dozen voioes.
Now, none Of us had q doubt that he
was the Judas Iscariot. His hangdog ex-
preston, his slouohing gait, his furtive
glance and stammering deviltry pro-
claimed the nature Of the spirit that lived
and worked within him.
The present case strengthened our sus-
picion, for Boorman and Kaffsky had
quarreled years before.
Summer vacations were at hand. Tho
last Of the examinations would take place
in ten days, and then we should disperse
over the length and breadth Of the empire,
many Of us never to return again.
Suddenly we were stunned and stupefled
by a bolt from the blue In the shape of
rumor that Kaffsky had been arrested.
He and Alexeieff had gone 10 the theater
the night before. They had walked homo
together and made an appointment for the
morrow at the university, but at about y
a. m. Kaffsky had been spirited away and
was now In the secret wing Of the Lithu-
anian fortress.
A written request was presented by some
of the professors, who were beside them
selves with Indignation, that Kaffslky
should be released on bail Just to finish
his examinations and take his degree, for
they knew very well 1t was all misunder-
standing.
But to our utmost astonishment their re-
guest was refused, and Kaffsky was re-
moved from the Lithuanian fortress only
to be immured In the more terrible fortress
| OF Peter and Paul
The excitement caused by the arrest was
assuming dangerous proportions. Nobody
had cared rap for Kaffsky week before,
and he was already a most popular hero
now.
Perhaps 1t was hatred for the heartless
informer-who had also ben arrested no
doubt to save him from being lynohed-
and sympathy for Anna Pavlona, whose
| mOilttnty lbpiinkh Auh Bob thc DottbI Vi itf
! philoPophy. She had completely broken
down.
She had been taken to her bed, had re-
fused all food, had forwarded petition aft
or petition TO the minister of the interior,
and when 1t became clear that she might
| Just as well pe sowing salt ON the seashore
| her mind gave way. The doctors sent her
mother and herself In post haste to the
j Crimea.
In October few of us met In St. Pc
tersburg once more, but only few. The
police had made a tremendous haul among
the students the day the university closed
session, and many were now in their dis
tant native villages, expelled from the
university, others in prison, others again
on the road to Siberia.
Kaffsky, we learned, was among the lat
ter, condemned to the mines as danger
Gus conspirator, in spite OF the intercessioui
of professors. Anna Pavlona was dead
according to others, but it came to pretty
much the game thing In tho end.
had heard Of many evil things done by
diabolical informers, but this was tho most
crying injustice I had ever actually wit
messed, and when talking with friend
| who was relative of one Of the ministers
told him SO.
He was astounded at what I told him
and asked mo to draw up an account of
Kaffskys case In writing. He would sec,
he said, that justice should be done.
i had no difficulty in obtaining precise
particulars. / discovered even the name
of the forwarding prison, over 1000 miles
away, In which Kaffsky was then inferred,
and having made out very strong case 1
gave my friend the paper, and he present.
ed 1t to his relative, the minister.
| vvAak Yaagsad then Fortnight md
still there was no answer.
One day my philanthropic friend shook
his head, said my data were all wrong