Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-01-13
CHAPTER V.

down anXiously in my face.
Certainly / am-much stronger than
when l came to thee week ago." |
reply with smile.
Because thou wilt have to make a
move again." resumes Ivan. at is no
longer safe for thee here. To-day my
landlord met me as | left the house. and
asked me who l had staying with me;
though | know not how he has discov
cred thy presence here. said: "A cous
in, who is merely passing through the
town en- route to Novgorod.' He asked
your name. | was taken aback, but for
tunately the first lie led up to the second,
and the name of an actual cousin came
to me and | pronounced it. So now thou
art Waldemar Nicolnivitch Alikanoff! |
have thought, Vladimir" he resumes,
"that it were well to make known thy
existence to our section. Thou knowest
they are to be trusted to man. What
JOY there will be amongst them when
they know thou are alive! They will all
be ready to die for thee. And amongst
us we can easily conceal thee. Thou
canst pass from one to the other until
thou art able to venture on fight"
81 have always advised it," | respond.
Long since | would have shown my
SELF to them but for Maruscha She
thinks there is risk in so many knowing
1t whilst | am still in the country
Ivan shrugs his shoulders. 81 see no
alternative. Something we must risk"
he says "There is strength in unity,
and are we not as one man in purpose?
The sooner thou art away from here
the better. What thinkest thou of going
first to Pavel Yegorevitch?' he asks.
81 would trust Pavel as my own soul!'
/ reply, ferventy, for l like the man.
He is silent, deep nature-I always
mistrust the glib tongue-a man who
makes no professions, slow and delib
crate both in speech and action, but hav
ing once chosen a course is not to be
turned from it.
"Thou wilt lock thyself in," says Ivan.
"And if any one, save Maruscha, should
come and knock for admittance thou
wilt keep silent as a shade until they
depart. Adieu, | will not be long"
AS | lie, with my hands clasped above
my head my eyes fixed on the bit Of sky
cleaning gray, through the small doriner
window, the being of all others | most
long for stands at the other side of the
door. | know well Maruscha's particu-
lar rap, and it is her voice that whispers
my name:
vladimir
spring to my feet and hasten to ad-
NIT her. For some minutes, holding the
beloved form in my arms, / forget all
else, realizing only the rapture of the
present Only when she releases her
self and looks round for Ivan, l remem-
Der how much | have to tell her.
She turns white when she hears about
the landlords questions, and / tell her
tha; Ivan has gone to see Pavel Yego-
revitch to make arrangements for my re-
moval there tonight.
At this she clasps her hands, '.Is it
well-oh, is it well that others should
know about thee? Pavel is silent and
trustworthy, it is true; but still | fear
me- 1t will break out. One by one they
will be told-they will be flocking to see
thee. The attention of the police be at
tracted. | wish, l wish Ivan had come
to me! Surely we two could have man
aged to conceal thee somewhere-some-
wherew
Thou art too fearful, my Maruscha,"
l reply soothingly. "And thou seest it
has become imperative to seek the aid
of others. | only wish had insisted on
doing so before l drew this danger on
Ivan. And as to my safety, there is not
man Of them who would not render
up his life rather than betray me!''
mot willingly, not willfully. know,
Vladimir, but what matters it when
they have by their coming and going at
tracted those bloodhounds to thy hiding
place? 1t is mistake, tell theew per-
sists Maruscha.
For while she stares straight before
her, and | see the anguish of terrible
possibilities growing in her eyes until
the tears begin to gather, her features
to work, and she casts herself on my
breast.
Vladimir! Vladimir she cries, 'Tf
they tear thee from me now | shall
diev
say what can to reassure her,
stroking her bright head and pressing my
lips to it, for her hat-that sweet little
hat that | have watched her trim-has
slipped to her shoulders. And she sobs
out her woe with tears abundant, at
which l rejoice, because experience has
taught me that after Maruscha has wept
much, she is wont to be very calm.
How long wilt thou stay with Pavel
YegorevitchT' she asks.
''As short a time as possible" re-
ply. 81 am quite strong now, and the
sooner | begin to make for the frontier
tho better. By remaining only en-
danger my friends. Moreover, Maruscha,
as / explained to thee before having
ceased to approve of the methods of the
party to which l have hitherto belong.
ed, my wisest plan is to escape from it
quietly and silently. | have thought II
out, and to attempt any explanation
would be madness | could not make
myself understood"
Maruscha sighs as IL she would excus,
me to herself.
"Surely thou hast done enough" sh,
murmurs.
An. ahnp