CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-01-22

her It was because ne wuuiu uos- a.
was because he ought not. 1t 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 ! unwitdngiy 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 1t. II we do. l shall end by
finding him everywhere"
Less than ten minutes afterward a
Tartar officer appeared in the posting
house
Maria StrogoffY' he asked
at is l." replied the old woman in
tone SO calm and with q face so tran
duil 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 Ogaren, to
whom all the details OF this scene had
been Immediately reported.
Ivan ogaret. suspecting the truth. in
terrogated the old Siberian woman
Thy uameY he asked in a rough
voice.
MARIA Strogoff."
Thou hast a sonY'
YES"
-TIe is a courier of the carr
yes"
"Where is her
AT MOSCOW"
~rhou hast heard no news Of himT"
'No news"
'Since how longT
.Since two months"
"who, then. was that young man
whom thou didst call thy son few
moments ago at the posting houseY'
"A young Siberian whom | took for
him." replied Maria Strogoff. This is
the tenth man in whom have thought
1 recognized my son since the town has
been so full of strangers I think | see
him everywhere"
$50 this young man was not Michael
| Strogorr'
1T was not Michael Strogof."
"Dost thou know. old woman. that l
! can torture thee until thou ayowest the
/ truthy''
Il have spoken the truth, and torture
will not cause me to alter my words In
any way"
This Siberian was not Michael Stro-
goffT' asked a second time Ivan oga-
ref.
NO, IT was not he" replied a second
time Maria Strogor. do you think
that for anything in the world would
deny a son whom God has given meT
Ivan ogarer 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. II this son had
first renounced his mother and II his
mother renounced him in her turn 1t
could occur only from the pQst weighty
motive. -.-=s~s -, -
Every circumstance went to confirm
his suspicious IL he could but lay his
hand upon this pretended merchant OF
Irkutsk and strip of his disguise, would
he not find treasure indeed? Would
not his superiors well reward bis adroit-
ness and his SUGGEST Would not the
car Of Russia scowl with rage when
he learned that his courier was IN the
hands of his foesf
Ivan ogaret bad therefore no doubt
that the pretended Nicholas Korpauc- .
was Michael Strogoff courier of the
czii, Seeking concealment under a false
name and charged with some mission
which IL 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: >---.
''Il'rn the moment arrives. shall
know EoT to make her speak. this old
sorcegeGs"'