The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-04-26
~Alcnael." again crleo MS aseu NOM

er.
my name is not Michael l never
was your son! l am Nicholas Korpa-
noff, a merchant Of Irkutsk."
And suddenly he left the public room.
while for the last time the words re-
echoed:
| my son, my son"
Michael Strogoff, by a desperate eff
fort, had gone. He did not see his old
mother, who-had fallen back almost in
animate upon a bench. But when the
postmaster fastened to assist her the
aged woman raised herself. Suddenly
a thought occurred to her. She denied
by her son! 1t was not possible. AS
| for being herself deceived and taking
another for him-equally impossible. 1t
was certainly her son whom she had
just seen, and il he had not recognized
her 1t was because he would not, it
was because he ought not it was be-
cause he had some cogent reason for
acting thus! And then. her mother
feelings arising within her, she had but
one thought-"Can l unwittingly have
ruined him?"
81 am mad" she said to her inter-
rogators. my eyes have deceived me!
This young man is not my child. He
had not his voice. Let US think no
more of it. If we do, shall end by
finding him everywhere"
Less than ten minutes afterward a
Tartar officer appeared in the posting
house.
MARIA Strogoff?" he asked.
to, ha al In,
tone SO calm and with face so tran
gull that those who had witnessed the
meeting with her son would not have
known her.
Come" said the officer Maria Stro-
goff, with firm step, followed the Tar
tar officer and left the posting house.
Some moments afterward Maria Stro-
goff found herself in the chief square
and in the presence of Ivan Ogareff, to
whom all the details Of this scene had
been Immediately reported.
Ivan Ogareff, suspecting the truth. in
terrogated the old Siberian woman.
"Thy name?" he asked in a rough
voice
MARIA Strogoff."
"Thou hast SOM"
Eyes"
"He is a courier of the czar?"
eyes"
"Where Is her"
"At Moscow"
"Thou hast heard no news Of him?"
"No news
"Since how long?'
"Since two months"
he fhov,
whom thou didst. call thy son a few
moments ago at the posting house?"
"a young Siberian whom 1 took for
him." replied Maria Strogoff. "This is
'the tenth man in whom have thought
recognized my son since the town has
been so full of strangers. l think see
him everywhere"
$50 this young man was not Michael
Strogoff?"
ut was not Michael Strogoff"
'Dost thou know, old woman, that
can torture thee until thou avowest the
TRUTH"
II have spoken the truth, and torture
will not cause me to alter my words in
any way"
"This Siberian was not Michael Stro-
goff?" asked a second time Ivan Oga-
ref.
mo, it was not he" replied a second
time Maria Strogoff "Do you think
that for anything in the world would
deny a.son whom God has given me?"
Ivan Ogareff regarded with an evil
eye the old woman who had braved
him to the face. He did not doubt but
that she had recognized her son in this
young Siberian. Now, If this son had
first renounced his mother and if his
mother renounced him in her turn it
could occur only from the most weighty
motive.
Every circumstance went to confirm
his suspicious. If he could but lay his
hand upon this pretended merchant of
Irkutsk and strip off his disguise, would
he not find treasure indeed? Would
not his superiors well reward his adroit-
ness and his success? Would not the
car of Russia scowl with rage when
he learned that his courier was in the
hands of his foes?
Ivan Ogareff had therefore no doubt
that the pretended Nicholas Korpanoff
was Michael Strogoff, courier of the
czar, seeking concealment under false
name and charged with some mission
which it would have been important
for him to know. He therefore at once
gave orders for his pursuit. Then he
said:
LET this woman be conducted to
Tomsk," returning toward Maria Stro-
goff.
And while the soldiers brutally drag
ged her along he added between his
teeth:
when the moment arrives, / shall
know how to make her speak, this old
sorceressr'
CHAPTER TX.
NY- I was fortunate that Mi
Xxi chael Strogoff had left the