Rock Island Argus., 1905-07-01

| Il am aware of that, Professor Co
ram"
| And you mean to say that 1 could
| lie upon that bed and not be aware
that a woman had entered NY rOom?"
Il never said-so. You were aware of
a. You spoke with her. You recog-
nized her. You aided her to escape"
Again the professor burst into high
| keyed laughter. He had risen TO his
| feet, and his eyes giowed like embers.
You are mad.' he cried. You are
| talking insanely. l helped her to es-
| cape? Where is she now:''
''She is there" said Holmes, and he
pointed to high bookcase in the
corner of the room.
l saw the old man throw up his arms;
terrible .convulsion passed over his
| grim face. and lie fell back in his
chair. At the same instant the book
case at which Holmes pointed swung
round upon hinge and u woman
rushed out into the room. You are
| right she cried in strange foreign
voice. You are right, j am here"
She was brown with the dust and
draped with the cobwebs, which had
come from the walls of her hiding
| place Her face. too, was streaked
with CRIME, and at the best she could
never have been handsome, for she had
the exact physical characteristics
which Holmas had OWNED. with, in
addition. Il long and obstinate chin.
What with her natural blindness, and
what with the change from dark TO
light, she stood as one dazed, blinking
about her to see where and who we
I'D In Nil of nll
disadvantages, there was certain no
| bility in the woman's bearing, gal
lantry in the defiant chin and in the
upraised head, which compelled some
thing of respect and admiration.
Stanley Hopkins had laid his hand
upon her arm and claimed her as his
prisoner. but she waved him aside
gently and yet with an Overmastering
| dignity which compelled obedience.
The old man lay back in his chair
with a twitching face and stared at
her with brooding eyes.
''Yes. sir. / am your prisoner" she
said. From where l stood could hear
everything, and l know that you have
learned the truth. l confess il all. 1t
was l who killed the young man. But
you are right-you who say it was an
accident. | did not even know That it
was a knife which l held in my hand,
for in my despair l Snatched anything
from the table and struck at him to
make him let me go. 1t is the truth
that / tell"
Madam" said Holmes, IL am sure
| that il is the truth. 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 her
self on the side of the bed; then she re-
sumed.
81 have only a little time here" she
said, but / would have you to know
the whole truth l am this mans wife.
He is not an Englishman. He is a Rus
sian. His name l will not tell"
For the first time the old man stirred.
God bless you, Anna he cried. God
bless your
She cast look OF the deepest disdain
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
yourself. However. il is not for me to
cause the frail thread to be snapped
before Gods time. / have enough al
ready upon my soul since I crossed the
threshold of this cursed house. But l
must speak or / shall be too late.
'T have said. gentlemen, that / am
this mans wife. He was fifty and / a
foolish girl of twenty when we mar
ried 1t was in a city of Russia, a uni
versity-I will not name the place"
God bless you, Anna murmured
the old man again.
I'VE were reformers, revOlutionists,
nihilists, you understandable and 1
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 n 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. | 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 cigarette.
II am in your hands. Anna" said he.
You were always good to me-"
IL 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 vio-
lence. We were all guilty, if that is
guilt, but he was not. He wrote for
ever disSuadinR us from such a course.
These letters would have saved him.
So would my diary. in which from day
TO day / 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
LII tk.-.. nd 70 t.:iod I,nrd 10 -nnr