The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-11-09
Varenka Arkadyevna
loriginaLl

luton. Suddenly there were footsteps
on the stairs and In another moment
the door was thrown open and the pc
lice rushed in Turovtsuin nodded
toward Dronski and the police arrest
ed him. AS they were taking him
away he reproached Turovtsuln with
having betrayed him, whereapon the
latter remarked coolly that there was
no betrayal. since he was simply doing
his duty rs an officer In the secret
service. Dronski was sent to Siberia.
where. after lntolerable sufferngs. be
died Of prison consumption.
Several years after Dronski's arrest,
while Turovtsuin, who was now chief
Of police in Russian Poland, was rid
Ing In his carriage In Warsaw, man
fred a shot at him. At the moment a
girl who stood by the would be assas-
sin knocked up the weapon and saved
Turovtsuins 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
she arrived there he said TO her:
"You are a brave girl to have inter
fered with an assassin, and l owe you
my life. What can l do to repay
your
"Please. excellency, would like to
serve the government"
elm what capacityT
\
friends among the revolutlonlsts. who
consider me one Of them. | could
learn much OF their plans and report
them to you"
'You shall have every opportunity,
and for every ruble you earn | will
see that you are paid ten"
The girl. who gave her name as
yarenka 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-
lutionists. There was a singular per
sonality about her that fascinated
Turovtsuln. At times he thought she
loved him, and at times she acted as
II she hated him. There are few men
who viii not be caught by such I'M
certainty Turovtsuin fell desperately
In love with her.
Varenka's bravery. too. was fascinat-
ing TO her lover. She told him that
her real status was known to some OF
her revolutlonlst friends, but she did
not fear TO go where they were. though
always armed to the teeth One thing
at last began to mystify Turovtsuin.
Though Varenka often led the police
to capture some revolutlonist when
the force arrived the bird had always
flown.
Varenka 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,
ticed that we never gain anything
from the information you bring us.
Every meeting Of revolutlonists you
have told us OF has for some reason
failed TO take place. Besides, certain
persons whom we 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 a revolutionist. Of giving them
all our secrets"
who is my accuserT
'Katia Pestsoff."
Yarenka grew a shade whittier. Go.
ing TO another room she took a pistol
from a drawer. put 1t in her bosom
and returning TO her lover said:
Il may as well make a confession,
for Katia can prove her accusation"
Great heavens" exclaimed Turovt-
suin, catching at the back of a chair
for support.
do you remember" varenka went
on, "your bosom friend Dronski"
Il do" gasped Turovtsuln.
81 am his sister. l was far from him
at the time you betrayed and arrested
him. but | determined that some day
would ayenge him. While he sut-
fered the tortures you heaped upon
him my resolution grew stronger.
When lie died l determined TO execute
a plan | had formed. The man who
cred at you was my accomplice, and
there were twenty revolutionists stand.
ing by to 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 a shot and came running up the
stairs to see what was the matter
Varenka stood at her door and asked
them II they had not heard a shot.
They replied that they had and that
the sound seemed to have come from
that floor. whereupon she said that II
sounded to her to have come from the
rear apartments. She spoke as calmly
as II she had been used to having shots
fired near her all her life The ex-
cited people went 70 the rear apart
ments TO learn that nothing unusual
had occurred there. The occupants
were sure that the shot had come from