The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-01-05

follow me by rail, in perfect safety, and
we will trust in my lucky star that soon
1 may bid thee come. Meanwhile, keep
a brave heart, and avoid getting embroil-
ed with the Nihilists. Wilt thou do this
for love OF me. my MaruschaT' In re-
ply she takes my hand in both Of hers
and presses it to her lips.
CHAPTER VI.
Whilst we have been talking the
shades of night have been closing in,
until now. leaning together as we sit,
we can barely see each others faces.
Maruscha rises to light the lamp and
in the silence 1 heal how the wind,
which has been blowing a gale all day, is
rafting the window in its frame and
bowling wildly round the house. From
a gale it has developed to a tempest.
Ivan will see thee home, Maruscha."
1 observed. 1T is a wild night"
Suddenly flying steps startle us as
cending the stairs! The handle Of the
door is shaken, and a breathless whisper,
which Is not Ivan's, comes to US:
"Open-open quickly! 1t is I-Pavel!"
Maruscha, pale Of a sudden to the lips,
Ii at the door before l. in my surprise
and CONSERVATION, find the power to stir.
/ sit gazing and expectant of / know not
what, but something Of ill-and Pavel is
before me. He must have sped quickly.
for he puts his hand to his heaving side,
and with wild eyes darting at me, gasps
forth:
Hide! Hide for thy life! They are
upon us!'
Maruscha wrings her hands. Fly!
fly! stand not thus, vladimir"
1 am beginning to make blindly for the
moor, when Pavel's voice arrests me.
Mono time; they viii meet thee
thou must hide!"
l look around at the four walls and
laugh stupidity.
The window-it Is dark" 1t Is Ma
ruscha who speaks. pointing upward.
1T Is a chanceI" gasps Pavel.
The window rises from the roof. It Ii
high. Already Maruscha is dragging for
ward a chair for me to mount.
MY shoulders-better." gasps Pavsl
again, instantly turning to me his back
and lowering his body.
Something Of their anxious energy Is
lent to me in this supreme moment. I
spring with marvellous agility to the prof
fered shoulders open the window. and
with a rush OF wind comes to me the
tramp, tramp Of gendarmes! The wind
compasses me about-it tears, it roars
at me. / clutch the window frame-my
feet are on the sloping roof. which
seems to move away under them.
Pavers head shoots up for q moment
through the window. / see the wind
seize his black hair and toss it about in
warton fury ere 1t disappears and the
widow Is shut. / have now got a firm
grip Of the projecting states that edge
the dormer roof. Fortunately, l nm
shod with soft slippers, so that my feet
can bend with them and get a certain
purchase on the states. i move eau
tiously sideways, until I can extend my
left arm over a corner Of the projection.
Thus by bending my body forward 1
can see into the room, myself unseen.
Maruscha is sitting at the table. Her
eyes are turned to the door, ss If in
startled surprise. Pavel is at the door,
holding it open to admit four police
| officers, two Of whom have Ivan in Gus
| tody. PaveI's manner is perfect. His
eyebrows are raised. He looks astonish-
/ ment ~personifed. With a polite gesture
lie SCCluS " ALfAlC thO III " Ch-
ter. search, examine-anything they Ike,
so that they are satisfied.
There is an air of baffied mystifcation
on the faces Of all the officers as their
| glances travel about the room. One Of
| them, a superior, locks the door and puts
| the key in his pocket
Ivan, standing apart, with gyved
wrists, wears a look of sullen indiffer-
swift glance at Maruscha, who has risen
to her feet and stands with proud, up
| lifted head in mute protest at the un-
seemly interruption.
The superior officer steps forward In
front of Pavel, and holding him with
a stern eye, evidently commences to
question him. 1 strain every nerve to
hear what is being said. but what with
the swish Of the wind and the in.erven-
ing glass, / cannot distinguish a single
word. / can only guess what is trans
piring by a close observation of the dumb
show.
Pavel fxes steadfast, unfinching eyes
on his examiner. Occasionally he smiles
slightly. Bis lips move as II In prompt
reply. Presently he takes out his peck
etbook, produces a card from it, which
he hands to the officer. Then Ma
ruscha's turn comes.
My brave girl! She bears herself ike
an enraged queen. / can see that her
manner impresses the ofncer-Russian
officers are particularly impressio liable!
-he would impress the Car hilnselfi
The fsllow BOWS c~ourteously at every
reply Of hers. He takes down her adj
dress and name on the back Of PaveI's
card. and makes her a profound bow ere
he turns from her.
She sits quietly down and speaks not
again, but silently watches every move
ment Of the officers, who have now got
orders to prosecute a search. They pull
out drawer after drawer. upsetting the
contents on the floor while their SUI
! perior stands by, looking on.
The bottom drawer is the only one
that is locked. and Ivan is commanded
to give up the key. With perfect I'M
concern he directs one of the officers to
his waistcoat pocket. and-ah. at last
here are papers! / note the CLEAN Of
exultation with which they are clutched
and the eagerness with which they are
unfolded; glanced over with increasing
disappointment, one by one, and laid
aside. / could almost chuckle at their
discontinue, knowing as l do, that Ivan
has another hiding place. and one that
they are not likely to stumble on for his
secret papers.
They leave no corner uninvestigated.
and II o~ccuDies a considerable time. Fl