The Washington times., 1903-02-01

posed TO By Serge Maslon, the Whilst"
Andres majestic bearing suddenly gave
way. His limbs relaxed and he caugbt
hold of the cable for support.
Paul has betrayed me-" he muttered.
IAN Is lost. Ny poor father.-how viii
he bear this blow"
Grodekon. seeing in Andres face the
consciousness OF his guilt, at once became
stern and brusque
Come. We must go. Give me yoar
keys"
andre gently handed them over and
called to Sasha 10 bring him his cloak
and nat.
where" he asked Ct the officer. TO
/ the fortresz?'
GTodekon nodded assent
Andre y as row outwa-dIy composed.
He babe farewell TO Sasha. who was
weeping bitterly. glanced about the
pleasant apartments which he knew well
he would Dcyer see again, aRd then sig
nifeC thss he was ready
Grodekof led the way down the stairs
! and Andre followed between two guards.
The third man was left behind TO alIx
seals 10 Andres possessions until such
time as a Jearch should be ordered
A closed drosky stood at the curb be-
fore the house. GrodekoT hurried his
iIlustrious captive across the pavement.
hoping to eseaPe attention from fne
weII-dressed throng that were moving
along the Nevskoi Prospekt. but the
journey. short as It was, did not pass
without incident. As Andre was about
leaPing into the drosky an old ard hag-
gard woman. closely wrapped up in a
/ cloak. tottered forward.
Captain Dagmar.v she cried shriIIy,
4 want to see you I must speak with
you
She evidently did not comprehend that
he was under arrest.
Andres two companions hurried him
into the drosky and sprang after him.
! closing the eurtained door with bang.
Go ahead" shouted Grodekon TO the
driver as he mounted the box beside
him, and the Old woman was left on the
sidewalk. gazing biankIy at the vanish
ing equipage.
Andres thoughts during that gloomy
ride we're varied and tumuItuous. The
identity and object OF the old woman
who had sought TO speak with him per
picked him for & little while. but darker
problems soon crowded this out Of his
mind
The drosky rolled swiftly down the
crowded Nevslzoi Prospekt. along the
famous Court Quay, majestic with pail
aces and mansions-among them the
residence Of Count Vastly Dagmar-and
finally. crossing the Neva by a noble
iron bridge, reached the grim and frown-
ing fortress, the citadel OF Peter and
Paul, just as the afternoon sun vas
cleaning on the thin golden spire that
marks the burial place of the Romanoffs
the last home OF Cars past and Cars
10 come
A few moments later Captain Andre
Dagmar was an inmate Of one OF the
dark, bonn proof cells.
A week passed on. To Andre. locked
up in silence and solitude. each Of those
seven days seemed an eternity in itself
To Donald ChumIeigh. tossing in the de-
lirium OF fever on his hard bed IN the
hospital, the same period of time seemed
nothing at all. At the end OF that week
the fate Of both prisoners was decided
swiftly. secretly. and without the for
maIity of a trial
a lew words viii explain all. Count
Vastly Dag1aar, as soon as he was in
formed of the circumstances that had
led TO the arrest OF both his sons.
decided TO save the family honor, and
chose a bold expedient for the accom-
plishment Of this purpose. His promf-
hence and high standing obtained for
him an audience with the Gar He laid
before the Emperor every circumstance
connected with the sad affair-the real
identity of his younger son. Paul. and
the history of his hayward. evil life,
as well as the brotherIy affection, 50
baseIy betrayed, which had prompted
Andre attempt to save Paul at the
sacrifice OF his own honor. He pleaded,
in consideration of the loyalty his family
had ever shown to the Gar and his
foTefathers before him, that no rumor
Of this foul disgrace should reach the
outer world. that Paul.s life at least
should be spared. and that Andre might
be pardoned and restored to his rank
Strange as it may seem. the Car
acceded to he first and second Of these
requests He was deeply moved. no
doubt, by the sad mlsfortunes of Count
Vastly, and at the same time there
were other mitigating circumstances,
especially in the case of Andre. whose
loyalty to the Gar was not called into
question by the grave error ne had
committed
To begin with. rigorous orders wers
issued by the Car himself that the
whole affair should be kept profoundly
secret. and so we'll were these instruc-
tons carried out that none-with the
exception OF the Nihilists. who ind out
everything-even knew that the would
be assassin of Colonel Jaroslav had
been caught or that Nicholas Pashua
and Serge MasIon were one and the
same Later on these facts came out
and We're published in the papers, but
the real identity Of Serge Naslon still
remained a secret
The drst order of the Gar was issued
two days after the double arrest At
the close OF that week, previously men