Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-05
DAILY SHORT STORY
vARIA IVANoVNA's VENGEANCE.

q Russian gentleman, twirling his mus |
taches. He had good reason for self |
congratulatiOn. High in favor with the !
ear, he had long been employed in the !
work of hunting down certain persons |
suspected by III. l. NJ. He had just |
followed one of his masters bitterest
enemies to Paris. secured his arrest
and. by permission OF the French gov
eminent, was on the morrow TO take
him TO Russia.
4 gentleman and lady entered the
cafe and glanced at the occupants, and
the woman, who was yelled, seeing Lu-
kitch, though he did not notice her, said
something TO her companion. and they
took seats directly opposite the Rus
sian. When for the first time he looked
at her his eyes rested upon her curl
ously.
Il will trouble you, m'sieu. to cease
your insulting stare" said the wOT-
| ans companion.
The Russian apOloGiZed. but the 9th
| er grew more and more violent till 1t
was evident that he was intending to
| force q quarrel. His insults came so
thick that there was but one recourse
| for I.ukitch-he tossed his card at the
man and turned his back. Meanwhile
the lady had retired 10 a distance. and
her escort, having produced his own
card. Joined her.
Day was dawning and the bells OF
| Paris at a distance were striking the
hour of 4 when two carriages, soon
| followed by II third, drew up I'm a road
in the environs and party from each
| passed to an open space beside II
| stream. The man who the night be-
| fore had forced the quarrel advanced
| to Lukitch and said:
| Permit me. m'sieu, to apologize for
| my insulting language last night, or.
| rather. to explain 1t. Early in the
evening lady asked me TO escort her
| In Il round of visits to the restaurants
| in search for some one she wished to
| find. When she saw you she asked
| me 70 take the course l did. promising
| that the affair should be taken off my
| hands. M'sicu, l have the honor to
| present your real antagonist"
| 4 figure. smaller than the others
| present, who had been standing back
| advanced. threw aside n cloak and re-
vealed that she was a woman. She
was dressed in tight fitting costume,
in a gymnasium. The moment Lukitch
saw her he started.
| "Varia"" he exclaimed.
''Varia Nanovna, Mt your service,
| Aleksei Lukitch."
What does this meanT' he asked
in tone that indicated he knew II
meant a good deal to him.
That the day of vengeance has
| come"
The others of both parties drew near,
| intent on this strange turn in the af-
| fair. The woman continued:
You are faithful servant of your
| master Aleksci Iukitch. He rewards
| you for your service TO him; il is my
part to punish you for your trcachery
to me. You made love well, Aleksei,
so we'll that YOU won my heart. You
had fine revolutionary sentiments, so
fine that they won my confidence and
revealed our purposes 10 you. Do
You see these shrunken cheeks, these
prematurely white hairSI Well, these
come from prison life in Siberia, where
YOU sent me 1t was during those bit
ter DAYS in that dark wintTy country
that | conceived this purpose. and
every day. except when | took part in
a hunger strike in which we We're try
ing to end our sufferings by death.
renewed my vow of vengeance. That
vengeance was to have been murder.
have changed It TO death in an hon
0rable way IN the eyes Of the world.
ON guard
The woman spoke a though not for
Il moment did she doubt the issue of
the combat. To her enemy her words
| seemed prophetic. The hand i'm which
he held his sword trcmbled.
| Then he saw IL throng of wretChed
| FEATURES. emaciated, starved. covered
with prison filth. white from the shad-
IVY ia which they lived, gathering
lbout him and their champion. Their
we, gliStcned as those of wolves hun
,Iy for his blood. He heard the wind
roaring through the Siberian forest,
aOw ana again laden with the shrieks
IF some prisoner crszed by suffering.
Above this wall came family the
words ION guard spoken sharply by
his second 10 call him to himself. 1t
failed to rouse him. Those looking on
wondered. His condition was 50 pitt
full he seemed such easy prey, that
both parties looked 10 see the woman
throw down her sword and give him
his life But She, too. saw in memory
the throng of his victims She saw. too,
tie handsome fellow that had won her
heart for the purpose of betraying her
and those whose secrets she had given
him Not one look of womanly pity
II lighted her face, dark with her own
4 and others revenge.
ION guardr' she cried.
II ION glardr' shouted the men OF both
II parties as matadores strive to anger
dropping bull.
!. Aleksei I.ukitch heard and reused
himself to die
A few minutes later the woman
\ threw down her sword and walked
quickly to her carriage. There was no
III r-nrna nIr reaction She did not shnd-