The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-11
WILLIAM LIE QUEUX.

"Ah," she sighed, I am lonely. dull,
relatives, and to transact some legal bust
meas connected with my poor fathers es-
tate.
"But is it safe for you to return?' I
hazarded.
mot unlesss you will procure me a
passport. This you can do if you will, !"
she answered earnestly.
"You would be arrested on the from
tier" I said. SIS it wise to run such
risks"
"Of course the passport must not be in
my own kname," she went on. You
alone can obtain one from your friend at
the Empassy
I shook my head obviously. feeling as
sured that could never induce Verbliou-
dovitch to issue false passport to a
woman he had denounced as ia dangerous
criminal.
"Ah, you will try, will you not?" she
implored, rising and gripping my arm.
sit is necessary that 1 should be in
Petersburg. within fourteen days from
ing my late fathers property. His broth
er, tmy uncle, is endeavoring to- cheat me
of it, and 1 must return, or I shall lose
everything. Ishall be ruined utterly
She spoke SO rapidly, and upon her pale
face was look SO wistful, that felt as
sured she was in earnest. Hers was not
the face of malefactor, but rather that
of modest girl whose spirit a. had been
broken by her bereavement.
II obtained your immunity from arrest
here in England it is true said.
g But fear that in my efforts to obtain
for you false passport shall fail. If
the police discover you within Russian
territory ..then nothing can save you from
Siberia"
But they will not find me-" she cried
hastily. "Obtain for me passport that
will carry me across the ;; frontier. and
within an hour shall be as dead to the
police as the stones in the WALL
This expression she had involuntarily
let drop struck me as distinctly curious.
1t certainly was not such a phrase as
would be used by any but a constant
fugitive from justice. Indeed, it was
really the parlanoe of an habitual crimi-
nal. Again remained silent in doubt.
"Will you trys" she asked, intensely in
earnest.
eff it is your wish I will try" an
swered. "But Lonly in return for one
service" sfM
"Well.'' she inquired sharply.
"That when bring you the passport
you will tell me truthfully and honestly
the gro unds whereon you allege that Ella
LANG is my enemy
She knit her brow for a few brief Sec
ondss, as if the possibility Of my demand
had never occurred to her. Then, sudden
~ smiling, she answered, extending her
hand,
ats bargain. But, rememb er, I
must be in Petersburg within fourteen
days."
az shall not forget" answered, with a
sudden resolve to do my utmost to obtain
the permit allowing this strange but
handsome girl to re.enter her native
l., n,nl fhn fnr1k
my well-beloved. II shall call on Yer
blioudovitch tomorrow"
"You are good to me, m'sieur, very
and unhappy now that my father is no
longer alive. Together we shared months
of terrible hardship, of semi starvation,
hiding in the frozen wilds of the North,
and ever pushing forward through the
great lonely land towards the goal Of free
dom. Often and often we were compelled
to exist on roots and leaves. and mere
than once we were compelled to face DEATH
and she shuddered. 1.-THE recollection of
that terrible journey is to me like some
hidsous nightmare, for to escape detection
we often travelled by night, in terror OF
the wolves and guided only by the bril-.
The knowledge of our fate if caught. the
mines in far Siberia, held us in dread and
fastened our footsteps. Thus, clad only
in tattered rags, we went forward SILVER
ing, knowing that to halt meant certain
death. Not until after three long months
of suffering did we reach Stockholm.
where we once more awakened to the joys
of life, but then, alasi they had in them
the dregs Of bitterness Two days after
regaining our liberty the news reached us
that my poor mother had died at the
roadside while chained to gang of des-
perate conviots on their long and weary
journey to Lake Baikal the most dreaded
4 s,L~ At
mighty spared her the horrors of the
fever infected etapes and the gloom and
torture of the mines, but from that
moment my poor father, heart broken,
grew careless of the future, and it was
only for my sake that he endeavored to
elude the blood hounds of the Gar"
''Do you live here, in this house,
alonep' asked.
"No," she replied. ST have Petrouchka
and his wife Akoulina, who we're our SER
wants in Petersburg for many years, in
addition to the English maid who admit.
ted you
"Then you are not quite alone.'' said.
Besides, you ought not to be unhappy,
for you have enough money to live COM
fortably, and you should try and forget
your sad bereavement
"Alas, cannot forget. she said, still
speaking in French. sit is impossible.
l am sxiled here in your country, while
all my relatives and friends are so far
away. I cannot go into your society, for
have no chaperon; besides English
puzzles me SO. 1 shall never learn it,
never. Oh, it is SO difficult
eyes" admitted, laughing. "But
not 40 Duzzling as your own Russian,
with all it's bewildering letters"
She smiled, but there was touch Of
wistful sadness in her handsome face
when, after a slight pause, she looked at
NE earnestly, saying:
SIT was because I am so lonely and un-
happy that asked you to come here to-
night. j."
''To be your companoion-eh?' 1 OBJ
served, laughing. "WeIl, what you have
told me regarding ELLA Laing is scarcely
calculated to set mans mind at rest"
ttAh M I have only told Won in order