The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-21

| Sergius?" said she. at has done harm
to many and good to none, not even
yourself. However, it is not for me to
cause the frail thread to be snapped
before Gods time. I have enough al
ready upon my soul since crossed the
threshold of this cursed house. But l
must speak or shall be too late.
81 have said, gentlemen, that I am
this mans wife. He was fifty and 1 a
foolish girl of twenty when we mar
ried. 1t was in city of Russia. a uni
versity-I will not name the place"
"God bless you, Anna! murmured
the old man again.
"We were reformerS, revolutioniSts.
nihilists, you understandable and l
and many more. Then there came a
time of trouble. A police officer was
killed, many were arrested, evidence
was wanted. and in order to save his
own life and earn 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 ST.
IBERIA. l was among these last. but my
term was not for life MY husband
came to England with his i'll gotten
gains and has lived in quiet ever since
knowing well that if the Brotherhood
knew where he was not week would
pass before justice would be done"
The old man reached out trembling
hand and helped himself to a cigarette.
in I,oY Il 1,
''You We're 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. unselfish, loving-all that
my husband was not He hated VIC
lence. 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 I had entered both my feelings
toward 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 Il convict
to Siberia, 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, a man
whose name you are not worthy to
speak. works and lives like a slave
and yet l have your life in my hands,
and l let you co.
"You We're always a noble woman,
Anna" said the ole man, putting at his
cigarette
She had risen, but she fell back again
with little cry of pain.
ST must finish" she said. when my
term was over | set myself to get the
diary and letters which, if sent to the
Russian government, would procure
my friends release. I knew that my
husband had come to England. After
months of searching L discovered where
he was. l knew that he still had the
diary, for when l was ia-Sibeyia had
letter from him once reproaching me
and quoting some passages from its
u
revengeful nature, he would never give
it to me of his own free will. l must
get it for myself. With this object l
engaged an agent from private de-
tective firm, who entered my husbands
house as secretary. 1t was your Sec
ond secretary, 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 further. 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 l
took my courage in both hands, and l
came down to get the papers for my
self. | succeeded, 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 l had asked him to
tell me where Professor Coram lived,
not knowing that he was in his EN-.
ploy9
Exactly! Exactlyw said Holmes. 4
1.-THE secretary came back and told his
employer of the woman he had met.
Then in his last breath he tried to send
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. 1 showed him
that il he did so his life was in my
hands. If he gave me to 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 l would do what | said-that his
own fate was involved in mine. For
that reason. and for no other, he shield
ed me. He thrust me into that dark
hiding place-a relic Of old days,
known only to himself. He took his
meals in his own room, and so was
able to give me part of his food 1t
was agreed that when the police left
the house should slip away by night
and come back no more But in some
way you have read our plans" She
4orn fro,,, +l,o 1o.o,o, oP I,n,, ,1,,oee