The Washington times., 1905-01-29
CHAPTER III.
For Love of a Woman.

For Love of a Woman.
I saw at a glance that the spy was
not a Russian, and that being the case
he was presumably engaged in his pres
ent occupation for pay only, and 1 be-
lieved that l could turn what seemed
TO be a catastrophe into decided adj
vantage
Experience had taught ne long ago
that the Russian Nihilist is a fanatic,
who possesses distorted ideas of patri-
otism, upon which he builds a theory
OF government, and that nothing short
of death can turn him from his pur-
pose
But with the foreigners who ally
themselves with the fortunes of the
Nihilists-Germans, Frenchmen, Ital-
ians, etc.-it is different. They are al
ways open to argument-for pay-ai-
though they are hardly to be relied
upon even then, for they will sell out
TO another with the same CELEBRITY that
they disposed of themselves to you.
You are a Frenchman. are you not?''
] asked this man, as soon as we were
alone together.
Yes" he replied, reluctantly.
DO you know what is in store for
you, now?''
Siberia, or death: one is as bad as
the other I'm only sorry that 1 did
not have a chance TO use my knife be-
fore you struck me, that's ALL
Il have not doubt OF it. Ard yet,
you may escape both Siberia and death
Il you are reasonab
How? I'll be reasonable fast enough,
If you can prove that TO me-"
DO you speak Engiish2'
Yes; as well as 1 do French, and
Russian, and German, and half a dozen
other languages.
Then you have heard and understood
everything that passed between the
prince and me?''
Certainly. 1 might have pretended
that 1 did not, If 1 had thought. Still,
it would make no difference anyway
Not much, that's a fact. Why did
you hide in this room2''
To hear what you said. To get what
information 1 could 1 certainly did not
do it for the fun of the thing.
We'll, my man, 1 will make a bargain
with you. If you will tell me all that
want to know, answer truthfuIly-
every question that / ask, l viii enga ge
that you shall neither go to Siberia nor
to your death. You will go to prison,
and I viii keep you there long enough
to find out If your information is cor
rect. If il is, 1 will set you free, as
soon as 1 can afford TO do 50; if il is
not, then Siberia. and the worst that
there is in that delightful country, too.
What do you say?''
How long viii you keep me in
PRISON."
"A month-six months-a year-as long
as l deem it necessary. l shall want
you near me, where L can talk to you
frequently, whenever the fancy takes
me-"
TN see you damned first
Very we'll I'm sorry for you. 4
few months in a comfortable prison,
with the best of food, books to read,
paper and pens at your disposal, per-
mission to communicate with your
friends as often as you please, so long
as 1 see your letters before they are
sent away, ought to be preferable to
ending your life in the mines of frozen
Siberia but the choice is yours.
1 arose and walked across the room &c
give him an opportunity to think il
over.
You look to me like one who has seen
better days" 1 said when l returned.
You evidently came from a very good
you are young. In all probability you
Joined the Nihilists without really mean
ing TO do so, and having later been Sc
lected for this work here, on account OF
your ability, you were afraid to refuse
it Suppose shat l should keep you i'm
prisoned a year. or even two, what is
that to the fate that awaits you if you
refuse to do as I ask, or TO that which
you would have met if you had refused
| to obey the men who commanded you &C
come here? Answer me-"
"A joke
Precisely. Now. here is another
question If I should let you go free
after you betcay those men to me, what
would your life be worth the moment
you got upon the street. even If 1 pro-
vided you with passports out of the
country"
Nothing"
They would find you, wouldn't
! they"
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