The Washington times., 1903-04-26

child in my arms. told you that the
drosky had become entangled in d riot
between the police and mob that it
was overturned, the driver stunned, and
the messenger whom you sent from the
yacht shot by accident; I told you that
myself and the boy Paul were uninjured.
IND that I had fed with him to the
docks?"
Yes. that was true. It was all veri-
fed"
The count was trembling now from
head to foot, and Andre was pale as
death
We'll" continued the nurse speak
ing with a great effort, I deceived you.
The child whom placed in your wife's
arms that night was not your son
Paul"
Andre uttered sharp cry. The count
tottered to his feet and would have
fallen across the bed, but Col. Sudekin
caught and held him.
In Heavens name, who was it, them"
he cried hoarsely. Tell me, woman!
/ Quick"
1T was Ely own son, she whispered
family. God forgive me. The man
known as Serge Maslof. the Nihilist,
is my own son; he is no relation to you
/ or TO your son Andre"
/ She closed her eyes and for moment
| they thought she was dead, but the sur
geon revived her.
/ Count Vastly and Andre drew closer to
the bed; their faces were changed al
most beyond recognition
! What became of my son" cried the
count What did you do with him?"
u viii tell you" whispered the wom-
an I will tell all When I entered
/ your employ I was married TO Feodor
Baranok. the NihiIist who was sent to
! Siberia. partly through your agency, in
| the winter previous to Paul's birth. My
! son was born a month before Paul, when,
as you thought, I was out of Russia on
a visit I left him with friend in st.
| Petersburg and returned to your house,
paving visits to him in secret Ny
! great crime was not premedtated. This
/ is how 1t came about. When I was
fleeing from the mob that evening. With
/ your son In my arms, l stumbled against
/ the parapet OF the canal bridge and the
/ baby dropped into the water. Not see
/ ing any trace of him, I feared he was
drowned I did not know what to do.
was afraid to face you and the countess
/ and confess the truth Ny own boy was
the age of Paul and was not especially
unlike him I knew the countess had
not seen her child since its birth. and
this made deception easy. There were
other reasons, too. ! hated you. Count
/ Vastly. because you had taken my hus-
hand from me. and I thought what a
grand thing it would be 10 get my own
: son into a life of luxury and ease. The
temptation was more than I could re
sist. ! hurried to the house where my
boy vast was not far away-and after
purchasing suitable clothes I took him
in haste to the yacht Your child had a
chain of silver beads about its neck ]
told the countess that they were lost
when the drosky was upset"
She paused a moment and took some
medicine from the surgeon. Then she
resumed in a frmer voice:
I have suffered bitterly for my sin.
Count Vastly Let me tell you the rest
I remained in your employ until Paul
was ten years old, noting all the whiIs
that he was of a bad and vicious dis
position Meanwhile I had been aiding
the Nihilists, and finally was arrest ed
and imprisoned in the Fortress for a
term Of years. When I was liberated
Paul was seventeen years old. I was
gtiiI a NihiIist at heart, and worked for
the cause with q number of old friends
Of my husband. I sought out Paul. told
him every thing, and he became an easy
convert to our principles-a more earn
est worker than I ever dared to hope
when he knew that he was not your own
son what slight love he bore you AMI
Andre turned to hatred, and he devot ed
his life 10 warfare against the Govern
ment and the aristocracy. playing q
double part in order to extort from An
Dire who was by this time connected
with the police, what information he
could. You had long since disowned
him and refused 10 see his face. His
years and is still there but I had a
way Of writing 20 him and of hearing
from hiEl occasionally in return, so
that he knew all about my crime And
20 think that after all I have accom-
pnshed for him and all I have sacrt-
feed in his behalf, the ungrateful boy
should turn against his own mother and
strike her down as pitilessly as re would
a beast
Her eyes closed again and the tears
trickIed slowly down her wrtnkled
cheeks.
Count Vastly locked at her with more
Of sorrow than anger
Try to keep up her strength a little
longer" whispered Colonel Sude}lin to
the surgeon
The woman must have heard him. for
she opened her eyes and turned-her head
slightly toward Count Vastly
7 have more 10 tell you" she whisper
ed huskiIy. THANK God that I can still
make reparation. and may He merclfully
undo the wrong that | have done. When
the child fell from my arms into the
canal his life was miraculously saved
b fear my mind is wandering now