Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-08-14
EXILED TO SIBERIA.
BY WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDON.

to mitigate your lot, If you are sens1-
BILE. This card was found in your pos
session. We have reason to believe that
conspiracy exists against his high.
ness Colonel Jaroslav. Your own case
is hopeless. Any information yon may
give will help yourselves and will be
used in secret"
The officer looked inquiringly at the
boys, who were quite ut loss to know
what to make of this strange speech.
81 don't understand You, said Mau.
rice. II only know that great mistake
has been MADE, and with your permls-
sion will try to explain.
The officer nodded, and straightway
Maurice related everything that had
happened to them from the moment
they left Berlin, dwelling especially on
his relationship to Vladimir Saradof.
AS he proceeded in his narration the
Russians face expressed a strange mix
ture of incredulity and anger. 1t was
evident that he did not believe one word
that Maurice was saying.
"Stop," be exclaimed impatiently.
II have listened to enough lies. You
refuse my offer. You will repent it
when too late. You deny, then, that you
are the Englishmen, Cummings and
Burton, named in the passports; that
you are the agents of the revolutionists
in London; that you were bound to
Moscow with nihilistic placards and
books and letters addressed to danger
GUS and suspected persons. Our govern
ment is always alert. The minister OF
the interior mad accurate knowledge Of
your movements, and by bis instruc-
tion you were arrested on the train. I
should have told you nothing, but 1
wished to offer you this chance of bene-
fiting yourselves.
"Send for Vladimir Saradoff" cried
Maurice excitedly. "This is all terri
BILE mistake, / assure you. My uncle
can help Us. "
The officer laughed disdainfully. "His
excellency Vladimir Saradoff is in St.
Petersburg, and, as for this Ivan you
speak of, no such person reached the
Moscow station this evening. You re-
ject my offer. I wash my hands of
you"
Refusing to hear another word. he
FASTENED from the room, and the guard
in the corridor banged the heavy door.
Up to this moment neither of the
bows had even suspected the truth. It
remained for Maurice to make that
startling discovery, and as the realiza-
tion of his uncle's treachery forced it.
self upon him-dimly at first, but
speedily strengthened by added proofs
he saw what stared him in the face.
With cry of despair he threw himself
on the bed. and when, at Phil's en-
treaties, he sat up his face was pitiful
in its hopel, sness.
1--WE are .ost, Phil" he said. "We
shall never see America again. What
fools we were ever to venture on Rus
sian soil! l see it all-the perfidy OF
the man who calls himself my uncle.
He never came to Moscow at all. That
was Vladimir Saradoff we saw in St.
Petersburg. Ivan was his accompllce,
and together they formed this conspir-
acy.
"Ivan stole our cards, our passports,
every means of Identification we had,
and substituted false passports and the
other things which were found in our
bags We are lost"
But how can such thing be?" ex-
claimed Pill in bewilderment. "Our
innocence must be discovered. You can
prove your relationship to Vladimir
Saradoff. ="
"You know little about Russia, " re-
piled Maurice. 1--WE are absolutely
helpless, Phil. No one will listen to US
or believe US. We shall not be permit
ted to write letters, and on the strength
of that evidence we shall be condemned
without a shadow of trial. Vladimir
Saradof will cover up his tracks to
we'll. For myself it matters little, but
you, Phil-your father and mother,
your sisters''- Here Maurice broke
down completely.
Phil bravely tried to comfort him,
and presently he became more composed.
They discussed their situation from
every conceivable point of view, but
not ray of light could be discovered.
1t was really so hopeless that Mau-
rice, who possessed fair knowledge OF
the Russian police system, dared not
hold out any encouragement to his com.
panion.
The most puzzling thing to him was
his uncle's motive for such crime.
He was ignorant of the terms Of his
mothers will, or his quick wits would
have OWNED the truth.
On reflection, however, he remem ber-
ed what a fierce hatred Vladimir Sara
doff had always borne his father, and
allowing for the transfer Of this enmity
from father to son the solution of the
mystery became more clear.
"What do you suppose they will do
with us?' asked PHI.
The answer was already trembling
on Maurice's lips, but he checked him.
self. HE will know the truth soon
enough" he thought, so he replied eva
sively, II don't know, Phil-perhaps
long confinement in some Russian for
tress."
The hours of that night seemed inter-