The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-17

that it is The truth. ! fear that you are
FAR from we'll"
She had turned a dreadful color, the
more ghastly under the dark dust
slrcaks upon her face She seated her
self on the side Of the bed; then she re-
sumed.
Il have only a little time here" she
said "but I would have you to know
the p@ole truth ! am this mans wife
He is Rot an Englishman He Is a Rus.
sian. His name l win not tell"
For the first time the old man stirred
God bless you, Annar' he cried. God
bless YOU"
She cast a look Of the deepest disdain
in his direction. why should You cling
so hard to that wretched life Of YOURS
Scrgiusgr said she. "It has dpne hacm
to many and good to noDe. not even
yourself However. il is not for me to.
cause the frail thread 10 be snapped
before Gods time 7 have enough al
ready upon my soul since I crossed the
threshold OF this cursed house. Bit
riust speak or / shall be too late.
Il have said, gentlemen. that I am
AlliN man = WIG. IAt WIS llAN anu = II
foolish girl Of twenty when we mar
ried II was In city OF Russia, uni
versity-I will not nacIe the place"
God bless you, Anna" murmured
the old man again.
I'VE were reformers, revolutionists
nihilists, you understandable and l
and many more. Then there came q
time Of trouble. A police officer was
killed, mapy were arrested, evidence
was wanted, and in order to save bis
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. was among these last hut 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 II the Brotherhood
knew Were he was not a week would
pass before Justice would be done"
The old man reached out trembling
hand and helped himself TO a cigarette.
II am in yQtyr hands. Anna" said he
"You were always good to me-"
II 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, loNng-aH that
my husband was not He hated vio-
lence. We were all guilty. II that is
guilt. but he was not He wrote for
ever dissuading 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
hid them. and he tried hard 10 swear
away the young mans life, In this he
failed. but Alexis was sent convict
to Siberia. whore now at this moment
he works In salt mine Think OF
that. you villain. you villain-now. now.
at this very moment, Alexis, man
whose name you are not worthy 10
speak. works and lives like a slave
and yet / have your life in my hands,
and let you go!"
"You were always a noble woman,
Anna" said the old man, putting at his
cigarette.
She had risen. but she fell back again
with little cry Of pain.
81 must finish" she said. "When my
term was over | set myself to get the
diary and letters which. II sent to the
Russian government, would procure
my friends release. knew that my
husband had come to England. After
rtleQfhs Of searching discovered where
he was. / knew that he still bad the
diary, for when l was in Siberia / had
a letter from him once reproaching me
and quoting some passages from its
pages. Yet / was sure that, with his
revengeful nature, he would never give
IL to me OF his own free will. ! must
get Il for myself With this object |
engaged an agent from a private de-
tectiye firm, who entered my husbands
house as a secretary Il was your sec
ond secretary. Sergius-the one who
left you so hurrledly He found that
papers were kept IN the cupboard. and
he got an impression of the Key. lie
would not 90 further He furnished
me with a plan OF the house. and be
told me that IN the forenoon the study
was always empty, as the secretary
was employed UP here. So at last /
took my courage IN both hands, and /
came down 20 get the papers for my
self I succeeded, but at what a cost,
4 had just takeA the papers and
was locking the cupboard when the
young man seizeC me. l had seen him
already that morning. de had met me
on the road. and / had asked him 10
tell me where Professor Coram lived.
not knowing that he was ia his EN-
ploy"
Exactly. Exactly said Holmes.
''The secretary came back and told his
employer Of the woman be had met
Then in his last Dts1fh he tried to send
message that Il was she-the she
whom he had just discussed with him"
"You must let me speak" said the
woman ia an imperative voice, and
her face contracted rs II In pain.
"WheE be had fallen / rdshed from the
room. chose the wrong door and found
myself IN my husbands room. He
spike Of giving me up. / showed him
that II be did so bis life was IN my
hands. II be gave me 70 the law,
could give him 10 the Brotherhood. II
was not that / wished to live for my
own sake. but It was that / desired
10 accomplish my purpose. He knew
that / would do what I said-that bis
own fate was Involved IN mine. For
that reason, and for no other, he shield