The Detroit times., 1908-02-19
THE MURDERER
BY koRL HELLEsYLT.

had come to an end. but. unfortunate
ly, happiness did not follow.
This was five years ago. and ever
since then DIR. Sobanow had been
travelling all over the world with bis
wife Lydia. Wherever there was some
thing to be seen they had gone. To
regattas at Cowes and Kiel, to bull
fights at Sevilla and Madrid. to grand
opera In Paris, and to Selamhnks at
Constantinople.
At first he. who had never seen
anything outside OF st. Petersburg,
had been delighted. but soon the con-
slant travelling tired him out, he want
ed TO work. TO be useful. to do some
thing and especially to get away from
the terrible scenes between him and
his wife. who had a most disagreeable
temper IL he would say: Isn't 1t
beautiful weather today?" she would
rush at him and tell him that he was
tactless, selfish and ungentlemanlike,
because he did not see that the climate
did not agree with her constitution.
II he would say: To-day II Is raining"
there would come an eruption as IL
Mt. Vesuvius was splitting fire and
lava.
"Oh, you do not feel like going out
today, and l know very well why.
Only because you are afraid that
shall discover that you are faithless,
that we might meet your mistress in
the street"
II he remained silent she declared
that he was stupid and that it was i'm
possible to live together with such a
bore.
often he had thought If IL we're net
better for him to run away from her
into the world. More than q dozen
times he had thought OF getting a sep
aration. but every time he had remem-
bered his former poverty, and some
thing had whispered In his ear: Hold
on TO what you have"
But when these scenes were repeat
ed every day, when his health was
suffering, when he had changed from
a strong. healthy young man into a
prematurely old man with tired eyes
and heavy step, another thought arose
within him: Without money you can
not live, but no more can you live to-
gether with Lydia. All you can do
then Is TO take her money and leave
her!
For months he fought against this
thought, for months he struggled
against a voice which whispered ever
louder into his ears: Run away from
her, steal everything she has, II neces-
sary kill her!" But at last he had
to surrender and resolved to take the
desperate step and rid himself OF
her.
PINT bov7
First he thought OF poison. but he
soon gave that UP because IL would
be too dangerous and he would imme-
diately be suspected.
"She must die by accident" Evil
IDENTIFY this was the only right way.
She must drown in the sea.
He studied Baedecker and at last
found a place on the Riviera which
seemed to him eminentiy suitable.
When he was sitting opposite his
wife late that night he skillfully be-
gan to talk to her about the heat and
oppressive air OF Florence and how
much better 1t would be to go to the
Riviera where the sea breezes are al
ways cool and pleasant In summer.
Lydia smiled contemptuously: 80
you want to move? Well, we are go
Ing to move, but we are not going 10
the Riviera, we are going to Russia,
we are going home, and II you want
TO know the reason. why. Will tell
you--because I want to see Sonia, my
only relation In the world. because
am looking for faithful heart, and
because I hate you"
She mumbled words which awaken
ed strange suspicious In the doctors
heart, and when she was asleep he
opened her trunk. took everything out
of Il and found letter which told
him ALL His wife had decided to
alter her last will 80 that Sonia was
to inherit everything and he nothing
at all.
Now II was necessary to act quick
ly. He thought Of killing her while
they were riding through the tunnel
into Switzerland, TO pretend that they
had been attacked by robbers and to
infict wound upon himself to prove
the truth of his claim. but Lydia dis
turbed this plan. She said: "A rail
road7 DO you think that I want to