Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-05-31
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Chapter of Surprises.
COrignal.1

heart-Aline was the only name
knew for her-in his native town, and
1 feared that by marrying 4 simple
country girl he would be less likely to
attain that career which l felt was in
store for him. l rather hoped he
would marry Olga Narenka, graduate
of the girls seminary near the uni
versity where we studied. Olga ap-
peared to me to promise as much for
a woman as Densky did for a man.
The only thing 1 had against her was
that she was tinctured with revolution
airy notions, but as Densky was a man
to do his own thinking and seemed to
be especially bitter against nihilism 1
doubted if she would influence him in
this respect. She gave evidence of be-
Ing partial to Densky, and before he
was graduated it seemed plain to me
that she had won him from his rural
sweetheart. Every one said, what a
couple those two will make-all intellec-
tual and physical vigor."
After leaving the university / CORE
sponded for time with Densky, but
he was too secretive and undemonstra-
tive for a letter writer, and our CORE
spondence was soon dropped. l sup
posed he was engaged to Olga Varenka,
but heard nothing of this or an ap-
preaching marriage. One day took up
a newspaper and was astonished to see
report of Densky's arrest. The gov
eminent gave no reason, and as Densky
had only been outspoken in one mat
ter-his antipathy to the methods of
nihilism-I naturally supposed his ar
rest was one of the many mistakes
that were made and that he would
soon be restored TO liberty.
The arrest occurred in st. Petersburg,
and l hurried there to be of service if
possible. l was not permitted TO see
Densky. l called at the house of Olga
Varenka, but was told that she was
so Frustrated on account of the arrest
that it was not best for her to see any
visitors. l volunteered my evidence to
the police as an intimate friend of Den
sky, who knew his habits, and swore
that he was bitterly opposed TO nihil-
ism. l looked for some favOrabl re-
suit to follow my statement, but was
very much shocked to learn that Il few
days after l had given it Density was
sent, with a gang of political prisoners,
to Siberia.
Three months passed, during which
my old friend was in my mind nearly
all the time. l feared he had been in
fiuenced To change his views with re-
gard to nihilism by Olga Narenka and
that what l had hoped would be ben
eft had been the cause of his ruin.
heard from the city that she had given
over mourning for her love and was
engaged to an officer high in favor
with the government. One of my
friends wrote me that she lived COM
fortably, and lie suspected that Densky
had been able to turn over TO her some
means that had been left him shortly
before her arrest.
The next surprise in store for me was
that Olga had been found dead in her
bed with n knife in her heart. There
was no clew to the perpetratOr Of the
deed, but the police don't talk much
in such matters, and 1 presumed they
would give nothing out until after they
had arrested the murderer. / spent
much time wondering as to the motive
for the murder and trying in some way
to account for it in connection with
Densky's Imprisonment, but the more
thought the more mysterious the
whole affair appeared to me. What
was most remarkable was that, though
the government made a special effort
to discover the slayer of Olga Narenka,
offering as high as 10000 rubles for
his detection, he was never discovered.
1t was two years after Densky's ar
rest, eighteen months after the murder
of Olga Varenka, that n young German
nobleman called to see me with a let
ter of introduction frOm-whom?
could scarcely believe my eyes when l
recognized the writing and saw the
signature of Peter Densky. He was
living in Obscurity in a little German
town. But 4 matter no less surprising
was that the little country girl, Aline,
was living with him as his wife. The
object of Densky's taking the risk of
writing me was to ask me to endeavor
TO secure the property he had inherited
and had hidden from the government
The young German had been a pupil
of Densky and idoliZed him.
succeeded in finding the property
and. putting it in diamonds, contrived
10 outwit the customs officials and the
police, taking il To Densky across the !
border. l found him anXiously wait
ing me and il, he being eager to de-
part for America. Now comes the |
most surprising part of this story. |
Aline had followed him to Siberia, |
watched for months for an opDortuni- |
~ to communicate with him and given |
him tools with which he effected his |
escape. When l looked at the girl |
who had accomplished this / was lost /
in wonder. She gave no evidence OF /
brilliancy in any direction. but il /
was evident that she worshiped her /
husband, who was very tender with |
her, especially as she seemed somewhat |
broken by her efforts in his behalf. |
But l was not yet through with my
surprises. Olga Narenka was a paid l
spy for the government and had be-
trayed Densky, who. while 1 believed |
him an enemy to nihilism, was a head /
man among the nihilists.