The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-11-21

Suddenly she laid down her pen
Gil, and looked toward the window
with expectation visible in every fea-
ture. She had not been mistaken.
From below came the sounds OF, hur-
ried footsteps on thes deserted"pave-
ment, then the creaking Of an iron
gate. ..
She could hear the distant tinkle
of a bell, and a few moments later
some one knocked hurriedly at her
door.
Come in" she said, in a quiet
voice. and she leaned back in her
chair without looking toward the
door.
A tall. graceful man entered the
room.
Marie" he said, "he has come
lie is in London!"
The girl did not move nor look to-
ward him; her eyes were fixed on the
yellow sky over the roof Of No. 4S.
He has come! he is in London!"
she repeated after him, as if to force
the news into her own brain.
One white hand was lying idly Cd
the table, extended toward the young
man.
He took a step forward, and
raised her fingers to his lips. Then
he seemed to remember the shrine
in the corner Of the room, for he
bowed before it., and crossed himself
rapidly, but with reverence.
For some moments he looked at
the fair girl in silence; she was
slowly pressing the hair back from
her temples. Then he suddenly fell
on his knees at her side, and seized
her two hands in his. He forced
her passionately to look at him.
Marie! Marie!" he exclaimed in
Russian; for the love of Heaven,
give this up! 1t is madness! His
life will make no difference; you can
do no good by the sacrifice of yours.
Think of your mother, your sister;
thinK of me! You can not love me,
or you would not hold to this mao
p~urpose!"
She looked down at his pale, mis-
cradle face with an expression which
any but a lover would have read as
fatally kind and afectionate.
Yes, Ivan, DEAR" she said, in a
faint, weary voice, Il love you. But
! love my country first. Oh, Ivan!
will you never understand what this
love of ones country is? I reproach
myself again and again for filling
your brave heart so that there is no
room in it for patriotism. No, no;
a thousand times no! / can not give
it up. Think you that l Travelled to
the south, then home to holy Mos
COW again, only to leave it in a few
days for this doomed land, to give up
my inspired purpose after all? No;
it cannot be. Let me think what
must be done. I am dazed, like the
hunter who suddenly finds himself
face to face with his quarry. Where
is he?"
HE is living with his mother in
Bedford Palace, London. Marie, l
will warn him if you do not listen
to me. 1t is my duty. ] must save
you at all risk"
"Ivan," said the girl, with a pas
sionate thrill in her calm voice, IL
I thought you would warn him, l
should kill you now as you kneel
there! God who gave me this work
to do, will help me to execute it! Be
sides, has he not been warned, more
than, a year ago, and he simply ls-
nores it,"
Then threaten him." said the
young man, rising and walking to
ward the window.
Threaten himl" retorted the girl,
struggling her shoulders. You DO
not know these Englishmen, a
Threats are to them what oil is to a
smoldering cinder-it brings out the
fire that no n thought to be there"
For some moments there was 81
lence in the room. The young man
stood with his back toward his COM
panion.
He was exceptionally tall, with a
slight droop in the shoulders, which
suggested a man of thought more
than of action.
His slim white hands rested on
the centre woodwork Of the window
and he was gazing abstractedly at the
deserted road, parched and grass
CROWN. Gradually there came life
into his eyes. the inward light reflect
ed from an alternating thought with
in his brain.
He turned slowly, and his eyes
rested thoughtfully on the young
girls bent head for some moments.
Marie" said he at length, ii l
swear to kill him, will you marry me
tomorrow? Let me call you wife
for one day, and I will be willing to
take the risk of getting away when
when it is done. We can go to
America; my art will keep US COM
fortably there. See, I have only been
in England a few days, and I have
already sold many sketches. 1t IS a
strange wy to win a wife, by assas-
sinating a man whom I cannot but
admire"
"Admire!" echoed the girl. The
man-the individual does not come
into M thoughts at all. 1t IS the
work he has done and will carry on
unless he is stopped; the harm he has
done to our country. What care 1