The Glenwood post., 1905-12-16

| las, with one simultaneous steI
moved toward door adjoining thai
| in which Cobb and his wife and hel
companion had entered
The courier paused thoughtfully.
On second thought" he said, 81
will not retire just yet. The storm
has ceased, and the moon is about tc
rise. will take turn or two and
smoke a cigar before-ah, the brave
Americani"
1t was the appearance of Cobb at
the door leading from his room that
caused the courier's exclamation. Go
ing forward with outstretched hand
the courier greeted him warmly and
expressed hope that he had suf,
fered no lasting Ill effects from his
terrible experience with the wolves.
Cobb warmly returned the greeting
and begged to know the name of the
man to whom, as he said, Il owe my
life, the life of my wife, and that OF
of her companion" and at the same
tiIne he presented a card bearing his
own name.
Having informed him of his name
and rank, the courier said, after
glancing at the card "It is evident,
general. that we are two old soldiers,
though not now in active service.
was just going to smoke cigar, but
it would be doubly pleasant if 1 had
company-your company, I meant"
Nothing will give me greater
pleasure. My wife, the baroness, and
her companion, are sound asleep, and
| was anxious to see you and express
my gratitude for your noble conduct"
Come along then" said the courier
Eve will walk up and down for an
hour. That will quiet our nerves and
this'-handing Cobb a 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
manned 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
the envelope in her BOSOM
THAT Alexis Nazimoff and Ivan
Barosky 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
uauPnleT as MS VIE.
Ida Barosky! She too will be
free!" said Nicholas.
Katherine lowered her voice. IF
the courier-curses on him-shoud
reach Stralensk with her pardon"
And he will if he leaves here" said
karsicheff.
"He must not leave here at all"
=.
There was no sign of quailng on the
part of mother or son. Karsicheff
was paler than usual, and was visiby
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 plan-a
plan born of the evil genius of Kath-
crime Karsichef.
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-
peared before them. With her hands
outstretched and with tears streaming
from her eyes she appealed to them.
"Oh, my mother-father-N Nicholas.
what are you about to do? Your faces
terrify me! You are going to commit
some great crime-oh, God!-not-not
murder? For Gods sake, stop before
you bathe your hands in blood. Do
not-do not bring eternal sorrow on
us 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
all maternal feeling. sprang on the
unhappy girl, and glaring at her with
devilish malignity, hissed into her
ears: "Yes-yes-your husband-it is
he who is to suffer. Back to your
room mud wpar out yorr Sp,J IN n,