Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-27

II have only a little time here" she
said. "hut would have you to know
the whole truth. am this mans wife.
He IL not an Englishman. He is a Rus
sian. His name will not tell"
For the first time the old man stirred.
God bless you, Annaw he cried. God
bless youw
She cast look Of the deepest disdain
In bis direction. "Why should You cling
40 hard to that wrctched life Of yours.
eergiusy' said she. ut has done harm
to many and good 10 none. not even
yourself. However. II Ia not for mo to
cause the frnIl thread 10 be snapped
before Gods time. have enough al
ready upon my soul since crossed the
threshold Of this cursed house. But I
must speak or shall he too late.
II have said. gentlemen. that I am
this mans wife. He was Atty and I
foolish girl Of twenty when we mar
ried. IT was in a city Of Russia. uni.
versIty--I will not name the place"
God bless you, Anna" murmured
The old man again.
I'VE were reformcrs. revolutiOnists.
nihilists. you understandable and
and many more. Then there came n
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 81.
IBERIA. I was among these last. hut my
term was not for life. My husband
gains and has lived in quiet ever since,
knowing we'll that II the Brotherhood
knew where he was not a week would
pass before Justice would he done"
The old man reached out a trembling
hand and helped himself to cigarette.
~ nm In your hands. Anna" said he.
"You were always good TO me-"
~ have not vet told you the height
Of his villainy." said she Among Our
comrades Of the order there was ono
who was the friend of my heart. He
was noble. unselfish. loving-all that
my husband was not. lie hated vic.
lence. We were all guilty II that is
guilt. but he was not. He wrote for
ever dissunding US from such 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 to swear
away tho young mans life. In this he
failed hut Alexis was sent n convict
to Siberia, where now at this moment
he works in salt mine. Think Of
that, you villain. yon villain--now. now.
at this very moment. Alexis. man
whose name you are not worthy to
speak. works and lives like slave.
and vet have your life In my hands,
and let you co.,
"You were always noble woman.
Anna" said the old man, putting at his
cigarette
She had risen, but she fell back again
with a little cry Of pain.
~ must finish" she said. when my
term was over ! set myself TO get the
diary and letters which. IL sent to the
Russian government. would procure
my friends release. knew that my
husband had come to England. After
months Of searching I discovered where
he was. l knew that he still had the
diary. for when / was in Siberia had
letter from him once reprOa ching me
and quoting some passages from its
pages. Yet | was sure that. with his
revengeful nature. he would never give
II to me of his own free will. I must
get 1t for myself. With this object
engaged an agent from n private de-
tective firm. who entered my husband
house as a secretary. 1t was your sec
Ond secretary, Scrgius-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 60 further. He furnished
me with 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 cost.
II had just taken the papers and
was locking the cupboard when the
young man seized mt. I had seen him
already that morning. He had met me
OH the road, and | had asked him to
tell me where Professor Coram lived,
not knowing that he was in his EN-.
ploy."
Exactly: Exactly" said Holmes
"The secretary came back and told his
employer of the woman he had met
Then IN his last breath he tried to send
a message that II was she--the she
whom he had just discussed with him. "
"iou must let me speak," said the
woman in an imperative voice, and
her face contracted as il in pain
when he had fallen rushed from the
room, chose the wrong door and found
myself In my husbands room. lie
spoke of giving me up. showed him
that II he did so his life was in my
hands. II he gave mo to the law,
could give him to the Brotherhood. II
was not That wished to live for my
own sake. but 1t was that desired
to accomplish my purpose. He knew
that would do what | said-that his
own fate was involved in mine. Fol
that reason. and for no other, he shield