Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1906-09-06
The Nihi|ist Kikamsk.
BY L. D. KINDER.


OF an obscure psovince on the eastern
border. attracted 30 little attention ut
81. Petersburg that for months no sue
cessor was appointed. Nevertheless.
affairs went on as smoothly M before
under guidance OF Princess Sonia. who
had In fact ruled In her fathers name
since the latter had been stricken with
paralysis ten years prior to his death.
Rumors OF distant strife produced
but little effect upon the inhabitants
OF this province, who had never had &C.
casion to protest against oppression
by the governor. Thus II was that
while the Little Father" hid In bomb
proof chambers, the princess continued
to hold her Thursday afternoon levees
with perfect safety. The only danger
TO be feared was from outsiders. but
even here the good will OF her people
protected her as no guard could have
done. A dozen times revolutionary In
stigators were driven from the prov
Ince or delivered into her hands by In
iignant peasants. who henceforward
regarded all strangers with suspicion.
Hostile eyes therefore greeted the
unfamiliar garb OF the petitioner Luz
pinski, who came from the mountain
region. a long days journey northeast
If Kikamsk. Sonia. however, received
him kindly and, although compelled
I'd deny his suit, gave her reasons In
ietail and placed In his hands a purse
# silver. The good-looking young
peasant failed to grasp the meaning OF
Ter words. until bestowing the purse,
,he gently dismissed him. Then, real
zing that his petition had failed, his
lull eyes fiared into blaze and his
voice filed the room with passionate
,utcry.
The palace guards precipitously sur
.ounded him and at Sonia's command
ed him without injury to the city
rate, where he was set free with q
warming not to return. With that i'm
passive dignity for which her family
lad long been noted, the princess re-
,umed her audience and continued to
receive petitioners until the last had
,een heard.
Yet, when the days business was
,ver and she reclined in a massive
Gather chair before her boudoirs open
ire, she trembled at thought OF the
PEASANTS frey eyes and menacing
words
Soothed by the warmth Of the fire
md the quieting after-dinner coffee,
he at length forgot her fears. She
;awned and left the chair for low,
vide couch, where she lay gazing into
he fire. Her large, white angora cat
,tealing in from the outer room, sat
composed upon the hearth and washed
Ter face, then crouched and purred.
Gradually objects about Sonia
seemed absorbed in the Pickering fire.
light. Her head sank deeply into the
iuify pillow and her eyes closed.
The blazing wood fell and a feath-
cry coating of ashes gathered upon the
,oals. The glow faded from the walls
md shadows crept up to the hearth,
where the angora still crouched, hei
green eyes intently staring, rs If fas-
.ened upon some prey. The princess
slept, her SWEET face turned towards the
Are, her bosom rising slightly, the
pulse In her white throat throbbing
with the even pulsation OF good health.
The horror of that awakening Sonia
will ever remember. A heavy body
struck her shoulder and sharp-nailed
fingers clutched her throat. With
shrek she writhed back from her as
sailant and losing her balance, Eel!
upon the floor.
Fortunately her outcry had beer
heard. Attendants rushed to her aid
and guards secured the palace doors.
rhe doctor declared the princess unin'
jured, save for several deep scratche:
on her throat.
Meanwhile the palace was thorough
ly searched for the assailant, and thu
guards soon returned from the outer
hall, dragging struggling, curs-ne
man. It was the peasant Lupinski, who
had threatened vengeance.
Passionately he protested his limo
cence, asserting that he had returned
to beg forgiveness for his rude con-
duct Of that afternoon and declaring
.hak ha u,ac most l0va1 tn her and tn
the Russian government.
The princess, however, gazed with
horror upon the hands raised In frantic
appeal, for the fingers were long and
sinewy, and the long nails were curved
and sharp like claws. Again she shud-
dered and waived the guards to remove
the prisoner.
Lupinski was given formal trial
in which evidence Of the accused's
threats against the Princess Sonia, his
forcible election from the city, his
presence in the corridor Of the gov
ernor's palace, his attempts at con-
cealment and desperate efforts to es-
cape, coupled with the dastardly as
sault in the dark upon the princess,
outweIghed his logged denial OF guilt.
without leaving their seats, the jury
convicted him and the judge passed the
sentence Of death.
During the weeks stay OF execution
granted the prisoner in order that he
might settle his affairs, Sonia scarcely