The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-11-30
Too Many Funerals.

elAuon.I
stcpan Metrof rushed into his house
where his wife was getting the dinner
pale as a ghost and his eyes starting
out Of his head.
what is It. stepani For the love O
God. what is It? Have you beer
drawn"
"yes; must kin the minister of tn,
Interior"
The wife covered her face with he,
hands and trembled; then she said, II
Is you who must die, not the minis
ter"
Rather. we must both die"
II mean you must die to the world"
How can I do that, Natalie?p
"Leaye It TO me-"
Metrof shook his head doubtfully
Nevertheless he had confidence in bis
wife's ingenuity and hoped. In a
week he was apparently very III. His
wife sent for Alex Gagin. president OF
the circle. to- come and see him. Me
trof was in bed His wife said that
worry over the order to kill the min
lister was driving him into the grave
In two weeks from that time Natalie
sent again for Gngin, who came and
saw Metrof lying in his coffin. Natalie
had painted his face so that he made
dlsagreeable looking corpse.
"see what you have donew she said,
covering her hands and weeping CO
piously.
"Achr exclaimed Gagin contemp-
tuously. "Your husband was a cow
ard" and went away But In a mo-
ment he returned and, taking hand
glass, placed II before Metrof's nos
trils. Metrof heard him ask for the
glass and when the test was made held
his breath. Gagin, catching no mois-
ture on the glass. went away again
this time for coed.
The next day Natalie, In the garb
OF widow, followed coffin In which
there were stones and boards to the
grave. and q new man was chosen to
kill the minister.
Two years later Metrof and his wife
were living in New York, keeping
wine shop. One day a man entered
the shop and, sitting at table, called
for a glass of wine. At seeing Metrof
he looked at him keenly. Metrof went
into a back room. where he found
Natalie and told her that Peter Kata-
visof, one of the circle which had or
dered him to kill the minister. was in
the shop and had recognized him. 81
shall be followed and murdered" he
added.
Natalie, instead of giving way to
grief, began to think
"You must die again." she said pres.
emily.
"That game VIII not work twice"
att will, but must be done different
~"
Metrof kept n revolver in the house.
His wife went out and got paper
of red dye and a little sponge. Put
ting water and the dye on the sponge
and handing her husband the revolver
loaded with blank cartridges, she gave
him instructions what to do. Metrof
went out into the shop, where he
found the stranger waiting. Metrof
went up to him and said: "You have
recognized me. l am lost But can
stand this strain no longer. I win save
you the trouble Of Furnishing me-"
With that he stepped back to the door.
through which he had come, put the
revolver to his temple and fred. He
fell into Natalie's arms, and red
stream trickled from his temple. She
had squeezed the sponge. She drew
him into the room and shut the door,
refusing to admit any one but the po-
lice.
The next morning the papers men
toned a suicide in the Bowery, and
Metrof's representative corpse was
buried again.
After the funeral Natalie. a widow
for the second time, sold the shop and
went west, where she was Joined by
her husband. Having bought farm
they settled to its cultivation, hoping
ll4dE LnGIE NQulA bE nv hNNEDDlLI IVA
any more funerals.
One day when the couple were on q
train who should walk down the aisle
but Peter Katavlsof. AS he passed
them and saw Metrof he stopped, his |
eyes fxed on him with establishment.
Then he passed on. and the hunted |
man knew that his life was again the
object OF the dreaded circle.
Metrof believed that Katavisof would |
report him to the circle at st, Peters
burg and some one would be commits
stoned to kill him. He never went out
Of his house at night and in the day /
always carried weapons. One night
there was knock at his door. Nata- |
lie motioned him to conceal himself |
while she answered the summons. A
man with shocl1y hair and beard,
whom both recognized for a Russian, |
entered and asked for something to
eat. The reply to his request was a
bullet from Metrof sent through the
heart
Natalie found on the body papers to
satisfy her that he had been sent to
kill her husband. Copying his hand
writing she wrote the circle in his
name that ne had succeeded, but he
must go into hiding TO escape the law.
Natalie told her neighbors that her
husband had been murdered showed
them his corpse, which she had paint
ed as before, and buried the would be
assassin.
well" said Metrof the night after
having been buried the third time,