Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-05-22
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
T6be Sleeper 9
n Story ef Essops From =
RGSJian EyranaH. y
noooo ooo ooooo
sy THERESA G. HOLT.

By THEHESA =. HOLT.
fright, 1903, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Anna Nickalaevna after her days
,k-she was a schoolteacher in Ber-
climbed the stairs to her garnet
days we're short, and the twilight
died away. An exile from Russia
the crime Of educating the peasants
now used her own education as a
ans to a living in the German CAPT
anna Nickalaevna was an orphan.
father and mother had died when
was child. She had had a
other, but he had been conscripted
the japanese war. She had heard
y be was killed In battle. A young
sister, Sonia, had disappeared after
mas flight, supposedly for some DO
cal offeuse, and Anna had not heard
m her In years. Whether her sister
In a Siberian prison or dead she
not know. One who had been in
prisons Of Siberia had told her that
sister was not there. 1t was there.
x to be supposed that she was dead
one year succeeded another and
ne Of her relatives could send any
nd of the missing girl Anna at last
be to consider her sister dead. She
Derienced that awful loneliness one
Is at being the last of family.
Fhe exile opened the door Of her
bm and was about to strike a light
Aen she heard some one breathing.
did not give way to fright-first
eause she was made Of sterner STUFF.
d. second, the breathing seemed to
be from sleeper Nevertheless she
d always had some expectation of
Tradition and had kept a revolver in
bureau drawer, resolved to die
her than be dragged back to Rus
Instinctively she pulled the draw
open and grasped the weapon. Then
stood and listened. The breathing
evidently that of one sleeping.
mother would have inferred that
be one had come into her room and
len asleep. But Anna NickaIaevna
been hunted in her own country,
made long and perilous Journey
constant fear of capture from east
Russia to the border. and ever
ee she had lived in the expectation
either arrest by Russian agents I'M
trumped up criminal charge or
rited away by them Illegally. AS,
listened to the breathing she
med plans for action in case the
eper were an enemy.
but, feeling that the enemy-if such
Were-was at a disadvantage and
likely to be easily awakened, she
Olved to make some move to find
more about who was in the room.
crept toward the bed. where the
eper lay. Standing at its foot, she
althily put out her hand to feel. She
w II away quickly. She felt a
MS boot.
Inna thought Of every probable or
sible occurrence to account for a
q sleeping in her room. She did
understand how, one could have
ned access there. The fraulein who
ted rooms would only admit men In
they were of the same family as
women dodgers. As the breathing
tinued heavily she resolved upon
ther Investigation. Going again to
bed, she put out her hand. One
mot easily move in a straight line
me dark, and this time she struck
other end. for, extending her hand,
ested on a face. She was relieved
there was no beard on it.
u fear Of danger was now gone.
ns to where she kept her matches,
look the box and, again approach
the bed, stood near the sleeper and
aek light. She started. After all,
sleeper was a woman. One foot
a mans boot on it extended be-
the skirt-if the tattered garment
70 be called skirt-but the sleep
lace was turned away.
ne match burned out, and Anna
leK another one, bending over to
different view. A start, a sup
sed exclamation, the burning match
pped to the floor, and again all was
Ahess. Scratching another, she
'ed lamp, and. taking it to the
Sae held 1t before the face Of the
per The first happiness she had
@n IN Years was expressed in her
face.
was Sonia. her lost sister.
W on, that tired. hunted look!
eheeks and eyes were sunken, and
"Ouy seemed to be only bones and
Anna gazed. and despite the
-aeSs In her heart she sighed. But
Aad been through all this herself
vas new strong Sonia. now that
were no more weary night Jour
under the stars, hidings in AutB
-o"drlfts by day, would be herself
and-the loneliness that was
Aing down Anna would be no
hg her treasure to sleep on, she
- her larder, put the samovar
le stove and stood ready to fur
iOod when Sonia should awaken.
sne went back to the bed and
" on the loved one with hungry
g Old not inland 20 .~-.1,av, hap