The Grit-advocate., 1905-12-15


my gratitude for your noble conduct"
Come along then" said the courier.
I'VE will walk up and down for an
hour. That will quiet our nerves and
this"-handing Cobb cigar-"will
do the rest"
So saying. the courier and Cobb left
the room.
The moment the door closed, Kath-
crime, Nicholas and Karsicheff re-
mained silent. and then, as If by a
common impulse, they came close to-
gether as if for mutual protection.
They felt-they knew that they
were on the verge OF an abyss. What
did CObb's presence mean? What
would he and the courier say to each
other?
And then the astounding discovery
that they had made!
A pardon for Ida Barosky!
Pardons for Alexis and Ivan.
Give me the paper" at length said
Katherine to her husband.
He handed her the document given
him by the courier.
These papers," said Katherine,
will never reach their destination
or if they do it will be when pardons
will be more necessary for them
and she pointed to the stockade-''in
another world than this"
What do you mean,' asked Karsi-
chef breathlessly. as his wife placed
hn in hor
THAT Alexis Nazimoff and Ivan
Harosky shall never leave this place
alive"
You would not dare
"Anything." exclaimed Katherine,
rather than that they should live to
triumph over me-rather death than
that Alexis Nazimoff should rejoin
Ida Barosky, and Ivan claim my
daughter as his wife"
Ida Bar iosly. She too will be
free!" said Nicholas.
Katherine lowered her voice. "lf
the courier-curses on him-should
reach Stralensk with her pardon
And he will if he leaves here" said
karsicheff.
He must not leave here at ALL"
The three looked at each other.
There was no sign of quailins on the
part of mother or son. karsichetf
was paler than usual, and was visibly
agitated.
The voices were lowered until they
were scarcely audible, and for fifteen
minutes there was no sound save the
murmur of their suppressed conversa-
ton as they completed the details of
their plot.
For they had conceived a plan-a
plan born of the evil genius of Kath-
crime Karsicheff.
They had finished their talk when
the door opened at the head of the
stairway, and with pale and agonized
face Olga appeared. and gliding down
silently as shadow. suddenly ap-
pearcd before them. With her hands
outstretched and with tears streaming
from her eyes she appealed to them.
"Oh, my mother-father-Ni
what are you about to do? Your faces
terrify me! You are going to commit
some great crime-oh, God!-not-not
you bathe your hands in blood. Do
not-do not bring eternal sorrow on
lis all. Oh, my mother-dear moth
| er--"
This far they had been so startled
by Olga's unexpected appearance that
none of them had interrupted her.
But now katherine, utterly lost to
olI nnfp n
unhappy girl, and glaring at her with
devilish malignity. Kissed into her
ears "Yes-yes-your husband-It is
he who is to suffer. Back to your
room and wear out your soul in an
guish for he is to die!"
Nicholas took his sister by the arm.
She gave one appealing look. and
then as they began to force her back
to her room she uttered piercing
Shrek that was heard even by the
prisoners in the kameras. Quickly
Nicholas lifted her in his arms and
bore her from the room.
AS he did so Katherine fell back!
Say that it was my cry she said
to her husband.
The door opened and Cobb and the
courier quickly entered.
What was that?"
Look there" replied Karsicheff
pointing to the PROSTATE form of Kath.
crime. "Shc was overcome by the ex
citement of the night and became hys
terical."
Katherine apparently began to re-
viye and opened her eyes where