The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-10-13
Varenka Arkadyevna
tOriginal.l

One morning several years ago two
young men-Turovtsuln and Dronski--
were sitting in Dronski's room in War
saw, Russian Poland, hatchinS rcvo-
lutlon. Suddenly there were Footsteps
on the stairs and In another moment
the door was thrown open and the po-
lice rushed in. Turovtsuin nodded
toward Dronski and the police arrest
cd him. AS they wrre taking him
away he reproached Turovtsuin with
having betrayed him. whc.>'upon thH
latter remarked Coolly that there was
no betrayal, since lie was simply doihg
his duty as All officer in the Scrre.
service. Dronski was sent to Siberia.
where. after intolerahlc sufferinSS, h
died Of prison consumption.
Several years after DrouskiS arreS:.
while Turovtsu.n. who was now chief
of police In Russian Poland. was rid
ing in his carriage in Warsaw. II man
girl who stood by the would bc aSsos-
sin knocked up the weapon and saved
Turovtsuin's life The man who fired
the shot was spirited away by accom-
plices so quickly that the police diI
not even get on his track. The Chief
saw the whole affair and directed that
the girl be sent to his office. Whea
she arrived there he said to her:
"You are brave girl to have inter
fere with Oil assassin. and l owe you
my life. What can do to repay
you:"
'FlcHS". eXcellenry. ! would like 10
serv" the government"
"In what capacity:"
"In the secret service. I have man-
friends among the revolutionist$, WHO
consider me one of lh''N. could
learn much Of their rll.- AMI report
them to YOU"
You shall have every opportunity,
and for every rublc you earn | will
see that YOU are paid ten"
Tho girl. who gave her name rs
Narcnka .\rkaiyevna. from that mo-
mcnt enrolled in the secret police.
where she served for n long while. Of
ten lringing in information of tho r"vo-
lutioniStS. There was Il singular pcr-
Sonality about her that fascinated
TurovtSuin. At times he thought she
loved him. and at times she acted us
If she hated him. There are few men
who Will not he caught by such un-
certainty. TurovtSuin fell desperately
in love with her.
NIrCnka'S bravery. too, was fascinat-
ing 10 her lover. She told him that
her real status was known II some Of
her rcvolutioniSt friends, hut she did
not fear 10 go where they We're, though
always armed to the teeth. One thing
at last began To mystify Turovtsuin
Though Narenka often led the police
to capture some rcvo!utlOnist, when
the force arrived the bird had always
flown
Varcnka lived in first class apart
ments which were paid for by the gov
crnmcnt. One day the chief appeared
nj her apartments with trouble written
OH his face.
sweetheart" he said, Il 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 whom we have intended To ar
rest have in some unaccountablc 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
nll our secrets"
'Who Is my accuser?'
"Katia Pestsoff"
Narenka grew a shade winter Go
ing to another room she took pistol
from drawer. put it in her bosom
and returning to her lover said:
II may as we'll make n confession,
for Katia can prove her accusation"
Great heavens" exclaimed rurovt-
suin, catching at the back of q chair
for support
do you remember" Narcnka went
on, "your bosom friend Dronski:'
II do" gaspcd Turoytsuin.
81 am his sister. was fnr from him
at the time you betrayed and arrested
him, but determined that some day
would avcngc him. While he sus.
fered the tortures You heaped upon
him my resolution grew stronger.
When he died / determined to execute
a plan / had formed. The man who
fred Mt you was my accOmplice and
there were twenty revolutionists stand
ing by TO take him to safety |
Knocked up his pistol on purpose to
win your confidence. Having won
from you all I 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 Mt her door and asked
them II they had not heard shot.
They replied that they had and that
the sound seemed to have come from
that floor, whereupon she said that it
sounded to her to have come from the