The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-16

| say it was an accident. l did not
even know that it was a knife which
| / held in my hand, for in my despair
snatched anything from the table
and struck at him to make him let
me go. It is the truth that | tell.
Madam" said Holmes, Il am sure
that it is the truth. l fear that you
are far from WE'LL
She had turned a dreadful color,
the more CHASTITY under the dark dust
streaks upon her face. She seated
herself on the side of the bed; then
| she resumed.
81 have only a little time here she
said, "but I would have you to know
the whole truth. l am this mans
wife. He is not an Englishman. He
| is a Russian. His name l will not
tell"
For the first time the old man STIR
red. God bless you, ANIMAL" he cried.
God bless your
She cast look of the deepest dis
dain in his direction. "Why should
you cling SO hard to that wretched life
of yours, Sergius?'' said she. "It has
done harm to many, and good to none
not even to yourself. However, it is
not for me to cause the frail thread to
be snapped before Gods time. /
have enough already upon my soul
since l crossed the threshold of this
cursed house, But must speak or /
shall be too late.
II have said, gentlemen, that I am
this mans wife. He was fifty and a
foolish girl of twenty when we mar
ried. 1T was in city of Russia,
University will not name the
place"
God bless you, ANIMAL" murmured
the old man again.
1--WE were reformers-revolutio
I-Nihilists you understand. He and
and many more Then there came
time of trouble, a police officer-was
killed, many were arrested, evidence
was wanted, and in order to save his
own life and to earn a great reward,
my husband betrayed his own wife
and his companions. Yes, we were all
arrested upon his confession. Some
Of us found our way to the gallows,
and some to Siberia. | was among
these last, but my term was not for
life. My husband came to England
with his ill-gotten gains, and has
lived in quiet ever since, knowing well
that if the Brotherhood knew where
he was not. A week would pass before
justice would be done"
The old man reached out 4 tremb-
ling hand, and helped himself to a
l.
ma" said he. You were always good
to me-
81 have not yet told you the height
of his villainy," said she. Among
our comrades of the Order, there was
one who was the friend of my heart
He was noble, unselfsh. loving-all
that my husband was not. He hated
violence. We were all guilty-if that
is guilt--but he was not. He wrote
for ever dissuading us from such
course. These letters would have
saved him. So would my diary, in
which, from day to day, / had enter
ed both my feelings towards him and
the view which each of us had taken.
My husband found and kept both
diary and letters. He hid them, and
he tried hard to swear away the
young mans life. In this he failed,
but Alexis was sent a convict to ST.
IBERIA, where now. at this moment he
works in a salt mine. Think of that,
you villain, you villain,-now, now, at
this very moment, Alexis, man
whose name you are not worthy to
speak. works and lives like a slave,
and yet l have your life in my hands,
ana / let you 60"
you were always a noble woman,
Anna" said the old man, putting at
his cigarette.
She had risen, but she fell back
again with a little cry of pain.
II must finish" she said. when
my term was over ] set myself to gel
the diary and letters which. if sent
to the Russian Government would
procure my friends release. / knew
that my husband had come to Eng
land. After months of searching l
discovered where he was. | knew
that he still had the diary, for when ]
was in Siberia | had a letter from
him, once reproaching me and quoting
some passages from its pa~es. Yet l
was sure that, with his reVengeful ma
ture, he would never give it to me of
his own free-will. / must get it for
myself. With this object L engaged an
agent from a private detective firm,
who entered my husbands house as a
secretary-it was YOUR second secreta-
ry, Sergius, the one who left you so
hurriedly. He found that papers were
kept in the cupboard, and he got an
impression of the key. He would not
go farther. He furnished me with a
plan of the house, and he told me that
in the forenoon the study was always
empty, as the secretary was employed
up here. SO at last | took my courage
in both hands, and | came down to
get the papers for myself l succeed
ed, but at what a cost
Il had just taken the papers and
was locking the cupboard. when the
young man seized me. l had seen him
already that morning. He had met me
on the road, and / had asked him to
tell me where Professor Coram lived,
not knowing that he was in his en-
ploy.'
Exactly! exactly" said Holmes
THE secretary came back. and told
his employer of the woman he haJ
met. Then in his last breath. he tried
10 send a message that it was she
the she whom he had just discussed
with him.
You must let me speak," said the
woman, in an imperative voice, and
her face contracted as if in pain.
when he had fallen / rushed from
the room, chose the wrong door, and
found myself in my husbands room
He spoke of giving me up. l showed
him that if he did so. his life was IN
my hands. If he gave me TIC. the law,
| could give him to the Brotherhood.
1t was not that | wished to live for
my own sake. but it was that l desired
to accomplish my purpose. He knew
that / would do what | said-that his
own fate was involved in mine. For