The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-27
CHAPTER XXV1II.
 The Meeting.


 THEY had imprisoned many of the
 women in one of the stables behind A the great yard of the station. So numerous were the eaptives that the common cells had been full and overflow ing long ago. Zanloff, charged with the command to restore order in the city at any cost. cared not a straw what the world without might say of him. The rifle the bayonet, the revolver, the whip here were fine tools and proved. Let but a breath of suspicion frost the bur nish of a reputation and he would have that man or woman al the bar though arrest might cost a hundred lives. mus it came about that those within the gates were a heterogeneous multitude to which all classes had contributed. The milliner $ assistant crouched side by side with the Countess though she still feared to touch her robe. There were professors daugh- ters and doctors wives, ladies from the avenue and ladies from the novels. And lust as in the great arena beyond the walls. so here Pride was the staff of the well-born, Prejudice of the weak.
 Amid this trembling company in the second of the stables, the gloom shrouid- ing her from suspicious observation, none noticing so humble creature, Alban found Lois and made himself known to her. The amiable civilian with his two or three hundred words of English seemed as e1lileless as a child when he announced Master Zaniloff's message and dwelt upon his honorable masters benefcence.
 "You are to see this lady sir and to tell her that if she is honest with us we shah do our best to clear her of the charge. She knows what that will mean to name the others to us and then for herself the liberty. That is his excellenoy my masters decision"
 Much oblige to him." said Alban, dry ly. and perhaps it was as well that Herr Amiability did not catch the tone of it. ''We have much prisoner" the good man went on, much prisoner and not so much prison. That Is as you say per plexity. But it will be better; later in the time after. Here is the girl this Is the place."
 He bent his head to enter the stable and Alban followed him, silently for very fear of his own excitement. There was so little light in the place that he could scarcely distinguish anything at first nothing, indeed, but great beds of straw and black figures huddled upon them. By and by these took shape and became fig ures of women of all ages and types. Many, he perceived, were Jewesses, dark as night and as mysterious. Their clothes were poor, their attitude courageous and quiet. A Circassian, whose hair was the
  mingled stood out in contrast with the others She had lately been flogged and the clothes, torn from her bleeding shoulders, had not been replaced. Near by the wife of a professor at the Uni Versity, young and distinguished and but yesterday welcomed everywhere, sat dumb in misery, her eyes wide open, her thoughts upon the child she had left. Not among these did Alban find Lois, but in the second of the great stalls still wait ing it's complement of prisoDers. He won dered that he found her Ill, so dark was this place; but lstinct led him to her and he re he had even seen her f
 Lois, dea"
 She stP strain . ing w tkened fro her.
 Tried
 .le plain
 Ind cuffs in
 hair had been
 bound about her
 .sted upon the palms
 -ned down to the pave-
 was but one other woman
 And she appeared to be asleep.
 -ne heard Alban's voice, she cried
 almost as though they had struck .er with the whip.
 Why do you como here?" she asked him wildly. "A1ban. dear. whatever made you come?"
 He stepped forward and kneeling down in the straw he pressed his cold lips to hers and held them there for many min. utes.
 Did you not wish me to come. Lois ?" She shivered, her big eyes were casting quick glances everywhere; they rested at last upon the woman who seemed to sleep almost at her feet.
 ''They will hear every word we say. Alb. dear. That woman is listening. sine is q spy"
 T am glad of 1t: she can go and give her master a message from me. Tell me. Lois, do not be afraid to speak. You knew nothing of Count Zamoyshs death. Say that you knew nothing"
 She covered and would not answer him. A dreadful fear came upon Alban. He began to tremble and could not keep his hands still upon her shoulders.
 Good God Lois, why do you not speak to me? 1 must know the truth, you .din' t kill him.
 She shrank back. laughing horribly. The pent-up settlements of the night had broken her nerve at last. For an instant he feared almost for her reason. Lois. Lois dear, Lois, listen to me; l have come to help you. l can help you, Lois will you not hear me patiently?" He caught her to him as he spoke and pressed her burning forehead to his lips. So she lay for a little while. rocked in his arms as a child that would be comforted. A single ray of sunshine filtered through a slit in the wall above. dwelt for a mo- ment upon her white face and showed him all the pity of it<
 Lois, why should you speak like this because I come to your Is it 80 difficult to tell the truth?'
 "Did they tell you to ask me that, AL ban7"
 Tt was forced from me. Lois. I don't believe it. l would as soon believe it of myself. But don't you see that we must answer them? They are saying it, and we must answer them"
 She struggled to be free, half resenting the manner of his question. but in her heart admitting It's necessity.
 "I knew nothing of it, she said slm- ply, ''you may tell them that. Alban. If they offered me all the riches in the world 1 could not say more. l don't know who did it, dear, and I'd never tell them If I did"
 A little cry escaped his lips and he caught her close in his arms again It was not to say that he had believed the darker story at which imagination, fin q rowardly mood, might hint, but this plain denial, from the lips of Lois who had never told him a lie, came AS a very mes sage Of their salvation.
 You have made me very happy. Lois. ' he said: ''now I can talk to them as they deserve. or course. l shall get you out of here. MT. Gessner will help me to do