Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-11-30
THE COURIER OF THE CZAR.
AZ JULES VERNE.


sonw exclaimed the old woman. en-
bracing Nadia.
"Your son" said Nadia, amazed.
"Your son"
"Come," said Maria, ''let US get to
the bottom Of this. my child. Your
companion, your friend. your protector,
had q mother. Did he never speak to
you Of his mother"
"Of his motherT" said Nadia. HE
spoke to me Of his mother-as spoke
to him Of my father-often. always.
He adored her."
Nadia, Nadia. you have just told me
about my son." said the old woman.
And she added lmpetuously:
"Was he not going to see his mother.
whom you say he loved. on his way
through Omsk?"
mo" answered Nadia; mo, he was
not"
"Notr' cried Maria. You dare to
tell me not:'
81 have said 1t. but 1t remains for me
to inform you that from motives un-
known to me and which had to guide
him before every other consideration l
was given to understand that Nicholas
Korpanoff had to traverse the country
in the most absolute secrecy. 1t was
for him a question Of life and Of death
and. more sacred still. question Of
duty and honor"
"Of duty in reality, of imperious
duty" said the old Siberian, "of that
kind for which a person sacrifices ev-
erytbing. for the accomplishment Of
which he would deny himself every
thing. even the JOY Of coming to give
q kiss, the last perhaps. to his old moth
er. All that you do not know, Nadia,
all that l did not know myself at this
moment | know. You have made me
understand all. But the light which
you have thrown into the deepest dark
ness of my heart, that light, alas, !
may not cause to enter your own. The
secret of my son. Nadia, since he has
| not told it to you, must keep for him.
Forgive me. Nadia. The good deed you
have done me I cannot return to you"
Mother. I ask nothing from you"
answered Nadia.
All was thus explained to the old ST.
berian, all. even the inexplicable con-
duct of her son with regard to herself
In the inn at Omsk In presence Of the
witnesses Of their meeting. There was
no doubt that the young girls compan.
ion was Michael Strogoff and that q
secret mission, some important dis
patch to be carried across the Invaded
country, obliged him to conceal his
quality Of the cars courier.
"Ah, my brave boy" thought Maria.
mo, l will not betray you, and tortures
shall not wrest from me the avowal
that it was you whom saw at Omsk."
Maria could with word have paid
Nadia for all her devotion to her. She
could have told her that her compan-
lon, Nicholas Korpanoff, or, rather, MI
chael Strogoff, had not perished In the
waters Of the Irish, since 1t was some
days after that incident that she had
met him, that she had spoken to him.
But she restrained herself. she was ST.
lent and contented herself with saying:
Hope, my child. Misfortune will
not overwhelm you. You will see your
! father again. l feel it. And perhaps
he who gave you the name OF sister Is
not dead. God cannot have allowed
your brave companion to perish. Hope.
my child, hope. Do as | do. The
mourning which l wear Is not yet for
my son."
Such was now the situation Of Maria
Strogoff and Nadia toward each other.
The old Siberian had understood all.
and If the young girl was ignorant
of the fact that her companion so
much regretted still lived she knew at
least the relationship which he held
toward ner whom she had made her
mother, and she thanked God for har.
Ing given her that JOY and pleasure
thus to be able to replace at the side
Of the prisoner that son whom she had
lost.
But that which neither the one nor
the other could know was that Michael
Strogoff, taken at Kalyvan. was one OF
the same convoy and was bound like
themselves for Tomsk.
At length. on the 10Th Of August. to-
ward evening. the convoy reached the
little town of Zabedeiro, some thirty
versts from Tomsk. At this place the
route again lay along the course of the
Tom.
All this night the prisoners were to
camp on the banks of the Tom. The
emir, in fact, had deferred until the
next day the entry Of bis troops into
Tomsk. 1t had been decided that a
military display should mark the In
auguration Of the Tartar headquarters
in this important city. Feofar-hhan
already occupied its fortress. but the
body of his army bivouacked under the
walls, waiting for the moment to make
solemn entry.
Ivan Ogareff had left the emir at
Tomsk, where they had both arrived
the evening before, and he returned to
the encampment at Zabedeiro. Next
day he had to start from this place
with the rear guard of the Tartar army
A house had been placed at his dispos'
al where he could stay the night Al
sunrise, under his command, horse and
foot set out for Tomsk, where the emil
wished to receive them with all the
pomp and display Of an Aslatic sover
eign.
) When the orders for halt had been
given. the prisoners, worn out with
three days journey, prey to the mos'
burning thirst, could at length quencl