The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-02-12


II am afraid my coming has brought
a cloud over your triumph and hap
piness am sorry, Cecil Good by"
He pressed her hand She, turning,
moved towards the door. Austen fol-
lowed.
"Olga," he said, a burning desire ris
ing in his heart to speak kindly words
to this woman whose love he was
bound to reject. She interrupted him.
SAY nothing to me except Lass
goodby."
With head erect she passed out on
to the staircase and in moment was
gone from his sight. Austen waited
until her footsteps died away and then
slowly, thoughtfully, returned to his
room.
The first thing that his eyes rested
on was the order Of the Nihilist chiefs
that he, Cecil Austen, should take tho
life of Ivan Bronslli, the traitor. 1t
was lying on the cor with the photo
graph of Dora Penfield. the girl he
loved. With a shudder he cast the OBJ
noxious paper on the fire. where it was
quickly consumed, and, kissing the
picture lovingly, he replaced it on the
mantelpiece. His mind was no longer
exercised as to where he should spend
the evening. The fire was out, the
gray dawn just creeping in at the win
dows when he at last threw himself on
ho fn11 inf cln
1t was high noon when he awoke.
| The first thing that arrested his at
tention was the shouting of newsboys
in the street. 9Mystairious murder in
'Am'stid this mornin'!" was the burden
of their cry AS dramatist, his instinct
for the sensational prompted him to
send for paper.
Turning to the column headed by the
words forming the newsboys' cry, his
eyes rested upon a name that sent
sudden agonizing thrill to his very
! heart-centre.
'At an early hour this morning (read
| the account p. G. Robson found the
dead body Of man lying under the
trees in Beech Walk, Hampstead. Great
reticence is maintained by the local
police regarding the affair, but our in
! duiries have elected the fact that the
deceased was shot through the head,
the course OF the bullet being from
back to front. The weapon has not
been discovered. No one in the neigh
borhood seems to have been disturbed
| !, ~ lie, ho
counted for by Beech Walk being a
somewhat lonely thoroughfare; the
nearest house to the scene of the muir
der is so yards distant. From papers
found on the body it is believed that
| the murdered man is Russian named
Ivan Bronski.
"a later report states that Bronski
has been identified by a woman Az a
man who lodged in her house during
the last few months under the name OF
Peter Dumaroff. Our representative is
prosecuting further inquiries, the re-
suit of which will be published in our
special edition"
The rat-tat of the postman here re-
sounded through the rooms, ana a
letter was brought in. Austen was
conscious of a faint recollection Of
the writing on the envelope. He broke
it open. Yes; it was from Olga Do
brouloff.
Dear Cecil, my lost love-" he read,
"you were wrong to think lightly OF
the power of the Nihilist chiefs to pun
ish with death those of the brethren
who fail to stand by their oath. Had
| taken back to them your refusal to
carry out their vengeance on traitor,
you would assuredly have been doomed.
But | will save you. When you read
this Ivan Bronski will be dead man,
and my hand will have slain him.
This partly to avenge my father, but
chiefly to protect you. | am sufficiently
acquainted with Bronski's movements
to know that the opportunity / re-
quire will occur within few hours OF
my concluding this letter. Escape for
myself will be easy. trust. | shall re-
turn to Russia and report to the chiefs
simply that their orders have been
obeyed, and | advise you at once tc
communicate with them q enclose ad'
dress) asking for release from YOU
oath. MY task accomplished, l need
say no more than that life will be tc
me a burden unbeaTable, and | shall
not hesitate to free myself from Tho
torture of regret that is burning m!
poor heart away. Good-by, Cecil. Ma!
you be happier in your love than Olgi
Dobrouloff."
Little more of Importance was eve