The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-11-21

lovsky Polk, one of the quarters of the
town most remote from the place Of her
arrest, which was in the Nevsky district
They found the street and the house in-
Dictated to them. They entered and sum
moned the dvornik (doorkeeper, who has
to be present at every search made. Then
came the inevitable explanation. The
dvornik said that he did not know the lady,
and that she did not lodge ut that house.
Upon hearing this statement Olga covered
her face with her hands and again gave
way to despair. She sobbingly admitted
that she had deceived them from fear of
her husband, who was harsh that she had
not given her real name and address, and
wound up by begging them to let her go
home
;'What's the.use of all this, madame?'
exclaimed the pristay Don you see
that you are doing yourself harm by these
tricks III forgive you this time because
of your inexperience, but take care you
don do it again and lead us at once to
your house, or otherwise you will repent
| it. After much hesitation Olga resolved
to obey the iniunctions of the pristav.
She gave her name and said she lived IN
one of the lines of the Yasili 0stroy.
1t took an hour to reach the place At
last they arrived at the house indicated.
Here precisely the same scene with the
dvornik was repeated. Then the pristav
lost all patience and wanted to take her
away to prison at once without making a
search in her house. Upon hearing the
pristay's harsh announcement Olga flung
herself into an armchair and had violent
attack of Mysteries. They fetched some
water and sprinkled her face with it to re-
vive her When she had somewhat re-
covered, the pristav ordered her to rise and
90 at once to the prison of the district.
Her hysterical attack recommended. But
the pristav would stand no more nonsense
and told her to get up, or otherwise he
would have her taken away in cab by
main force
The despair of the poor lady was now
at its height. Listen !! she exclaimed.
II will tell you everything now And
she began the story of her life and mar
riage She was the daughter of rustic,
| and she named the province and the vii
lage. Up to the age of 16 she remained
with her father and looked after the sheep.
But one day an engineer her future hus-
band, who was at work upon branch line
of railway, came to stop in the house He
fell in love with her, took her to town,
placed her with his aunt and had teachers
to educate her. as she was illiterate and
knew nothing Then he married her, and
they lived very happily together for four
years, but he had since become discon-
tented. rough irritable, and she feared
that he loved her no longer, but she loved
him as much as ever, as she owed every
thing to him and could not be ungrateful
Then she said that he would be dreadfully
angry with her and would perhaps drive
her away if she went to the house in charge
of the police, that it would be scandal
that he would think she had stolen some
thing, and so on. All this and much more
of the same kind, with endless details and
repetitions, did Olga narrate, interrupting
her story from time to time with signs,
EXPLANATIONS and tears She wept in very
truth, and her tears fell copiously, as she
assured me when she laughingly described
this scene to me afterward thought at
the time that she would have made very
good actress.
The pristav, though inpatient, contin-
ued to listen. He was vexed at the idea
of returning with empty hands, and he
hoped that this time at all events her story
would lead to something. Then, too, he
had not the slightest suspicion and would
have taken his oath that the woman he had
arrested was poor, simple creature who
had fallen into his hands without having
done anything whatever, as so frequently
happens in Russia, where houses are
searched on the slightest suspicion. When
Olga had finished her story, the pristav
began to console her. He said that her
husband would certainly pardon her when
he heard her explanation, that the same
thing might happen to anyone and so on.
Olga resisted for awhile and asked the
pristav to promise that he would assure
her husband that she had done nothing
wrong, and more to the same effect The
pristav promised everything in order to
bring the matter to an end, and this time
Olga proceeded toward her real residence
She had gained 81 hours, for her arrest
took place at = O. clock and she did not
reach her own home until about half past
). She had no donbt that MOrnsoif had
got away, and after having cleared the
rooms had thrice as much time as he re-
quired for the operation.
Having assembled the stairs. accompanied |
by the dvorniks and the police, she rang
the bell. The door opened, and the party
entered first the antechamber, then the
sittingroom There a terrible surprise
awaited her Morosoff in person was
seated at a table, in his dressing gown,
with pencil in his hand, pen behind
his ear Olga fell into Mysteries. This
time they were real, not simulated
How was it that he had remained in
the house? The lady previously men
toned had not failed to hasten at once and
inform Morosoff, whom she found at home
with three or four friends. At the an
nouncement OF the arrest of Olga they all
had bat one idea-that of remaining where
they were, of arming themselves and of
awaiting her arrival in order to rescue her
by main force. Bat Morosof energeti-
cally opposed this proposal He said, and
rightly said, that it presented more dan
gers than advantages, for the police, being
IN numbers and reinforced by the dvorniks
of the house, who are all species of police
agents of inferior grade, the attempt, at
the best, would result in the liberation of
one person at the cost of several others.
His view prevailed, and the plan, which
was more generous than prudent, was
abandoned. The rooms were at once
sscleared with the utmost rapidifv SO