Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-15
DAILY SHORT STORY
- vARENkA ARKAoYEVNA.
lOrIginaI.I

saw. Russian Poland. Matching revo-
luton Suddenly there were Footsteps
ON the stairs and in another moment
the door was thrown open andAthe po-
lea rushed Ia. THrOytsuin Nodded
toward Dronski and the police arrest
ed him. As they were taking him
away he reproached Turovtsuin with
having BETRAYED him. whereupon the
latter remarked coolly that there wac
no betrayal. since he was simply doing
his duty as an officer in the secret
service. Dronski was sent to Siberia.
where. aftAr intolerable sufferings, he
died of prison consumption.
Several years after DronSkis arrest,
while TurovtSuin. who was now CHIEF
of police in Russian Poland, was rid
ing IN his carriage in Warsaw. man
fired a shot at him. At the moment
girl who stood by the would be assas-
sin knocked M the weapon and saved
Turovtsuin's life. The man who fred
the shot was spirited away by accom-
plices so quickly that the police did
not even get on his track. The chief
saw the whole affair and directed that
the girl be sent TO his Office When
you are a brave girl to have inter
fered with an assassin, and I owe you
my life. What can 1 do TO repay
your
Please, excellency, I would like to
serve the government"
in what capacitXT'
In the secret service. l have many
friends among the revOlutionists, who
consider me on& of them l could
learn much of their plans and report
them to you"
You shall have every opportunity.
and for every ruble you earn l will
see that you are paid Ten
The girl. who gave her name as
Varen%l Arkadyevna. from that mo-
ment enrolled in the secret police,
where she served for a long while. Of
ten bringing in information Of the revo-
lutionsts There was a singular per
sonality about her that fascinated
Turovtsuin. At times he thought she
loved him. and at times she acted as
if she hated him. There are few men
who will not be caught by such I'M
certainty. TuroytSuin fell desperately
in love with her.
Narenka's bravery, too, was fascinat-
ing TO her lover She told him that
her real status was known TO some of
her revUlutionist friends, but she did
not fear TO go where they were, though
always armed 10 the teeth. One thing
at last began TO 'mystify TurOvtsuin.
Though Varenkas often led the police
to capture some : revolutiOnist, when
the force arrived the bird had always
flown.
Varcnka lived in first class apart
ments which were paid for by the gov
ernment One day the chief appeared
at her apartments with trouble written
on his face.
Sweetheart" he said. II have no.
ticed that we never gain anything
from the information you bring us.
Every meeting of revOlutionistS you
have told us of has for some reason
failed to take:place. Besides, certain
persons whomtwe have intended to ar
rest have in some unaccOuntable way
been warned and have escaped us. And
now comes one of our women in the
secret service bureau who accuses you
of being Il revolutionist, of giving them
all our secrets
who is my accuSerT' :
''katia Pestsoff"
Varenka grew a shade winter Go
ing to another room she took a pistol
from a drawer. put it in her bosom
and returning to her lover said:
Il may as well make Il confession,
for Katia can prove her accusation"
Great heavens" exclaimed Turovt-
sum. catching at the back of a chair
for support.
DO you remember" NaTenka went
on, your bosom friend Dronski:'
Il do gasped TurOvtSuin.
Il am his sister ! was far from him
at the time you betrayed and arrested
him. but / determined that some day
I would avengc him. While he suf-
fcred the fortunes you heaped upon
him my resolution grew stronger.
When he died | determined to execute
n plan l had formed The man who
fired at you was my accomplice. and
there We're twenty revolutionists stand
ing by 10 take him TO safety I
knocked up his pistol on purpose to
win your confidence Having won
from you all can for my people. the
moment OF my supreme vengeance has
come"
People living on the floor below
heard shot and came running up the
stairs to see what was the matter
Varenka stood at her door and asked
them If they had not heard a shot
They replied that they had and that
the sound seemed TO have come from
that floor yyheTPuDon she said that IL
sounded TO her to have come from the
rear apartments. She spoke as calmly
as If she had been used 10 having shots
fired near her ali her life The ex-
cited people went To the rear apart
ments to learn that nothing unusual
had occurred there. The occupants
We're sure that the shot had come from
the front rooms. Puzzled. the crowd
went TO Varenka's apartments and
knocked. There was no answer TO