The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-06-28
A Mystery Solved
lOriginal.l


came to America to join his brother,
Dmitri On reaching the little hamlet
in the far west, where he expected to
find his brother, Petrol learned that
he had disappeared under very sus-
picious circumstances. !.
Dmitri Remsky, who had come over
some years before, had sought work
with John Mason, who kept a store.
Dmitri had found it difficult to get on,
not knowing the language or the Gus
toms of the country, and when he APP
piled to Mason for employment was
literally starving. Mr.. Mason took pity
on him and fed and clothed him. Ma
son, seeing that he was intelligent. adj
vanced him gradually from mere err
rand boy to clerk and at last gave him
charge of the store during his own alb
sence, which was quite often.
The youngster, who was now about
twenty, showed the most intense graft
tude for his treatment-indeed, he con-
sidered himself so we'll off that he sent
his savings to Russia to bring his
brother over, knowing the dreadful
condition of the Russian peasant and
desiring to give Petrol the same adj
vantages as himself. Petrol was due
to arrive in week, when one evening
blizzard such as is not unusual in
the west came up. During the night
Mason heard footsteps in the store be-
low his rooms, but as his clerk slept
1,f 9TH
morning Mason went to his cash draw
er and found the contents-some $3.50
gone. The clerk was nowhere to be
found.
All that day the snow swirled, the
wind howled, while the thermometer
stood at 20 degrees below zero. 1t was
impossible to go in search Of the fugi-
tive. Indeed it was not expected that
he could get very far away, though the
blizzard had not reached great severity
till near morning, and he might have
covered q good deal of ground during
the night. When it cleared the snow
was still too deep to warrant search,
and it was not for some time longer
that 1t completely disappeared. Then
Mason went out by different avenues
looking for his money, but found no
trace Of it and gave it up for lost.
1t was about this time that Petrol
appeared to learn that his brother had
repaid his benefactors by making off
with their cash. The poor boy was
crushed He could not believe that his
brother could be so base. The NIasons
treated him kindly and, though they
had been robbed by one brother, con-
sented to put the other in his place.
But Petrol was too much absorbed in
what had become of Dmitri to be Of
steady use. AS soon as he had earned
a little money he would sally forth to
search for him, only returning when
his money was gone. Mason humored
y = - -.-.--' .,,s.4-llitted him to spend his
opfin this way without discharging
81.
But week after week, month after
month, passed away, and there was
no news of Dmitri Mason believed
that he had made his way to another
region, though he did not see how he
could have done so in face of the biz
gard, against which no human being
could have striven long. But if he
had fallen surely his bones must be
bleaching not far from the scene of his
robbery. Every foot of ground had
been searched, and no trace had been
discovered.
Petrol alone refused to believe that
his brother had taken the money.
Spring passed into summer and sum
mer into winter but the young fellows
excursions instead of ceasing grew
longer. Instead of hunting within a
dozen miles of the village he extended
his tours over several principal routes
Into other regions. He neither heard Of
Dmitri or found his remains The rob
berry would have been forgotten had it
not been kept alive by the persevering
Petrol and his interest in saving his
brothers honor. AS it was the affair
became more and more mystery. For
miles around the people were discuss
Ing the possibility of Dmitr's getting
he had done it.
Then Petrol one day set off, resolv-
ing to follow course in which he
would be best shielded by an imaginary
tempest. He first circed around
low hill; then struck out for wood.
Emerging from this, he deliberated
how next to proceed. Finally he con-
cluded to follow creek. Reaching a
place where it appeared that the bank
had cavcd, he stopped and looked
about him. Below him he noticed
boot protruding from the soil. He
went down to it and pulled it away, ex-
posing foot. Scratching away, he
came to leg and at last exposed
body thinly covered by earth that had
fallen on it. 1t was the body of
Dmitri.
AS .sooa as Petrol had recovered
from the shock he searched the cloth
ing for the missing money. There
was only a little change in the vest
pocket.
Dmitri had fallen on his face, had
been covered with snow and when II