Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-06-09

sptrators were arrested the police ap-
peared at the home of Vera Scerevich,
the girl who had given the information,
and took her into custody. This was
something on which she had not count
ed. She thought she had laid her
plans so well that the minister would
not dare to suffer harm to come either
to her or to her lover. This move on
his part filled her with alarm. More
over, the police came upon her so sud
denly that she had no time to com
municate word to any one. She was
taken to the same fortress as the con-
spirators.
In the morning, hearing a drumbeat
under her window, she looked out be-
tween the bars and saw one of the
men she had betrayed led across the
prison yard. Several soldiers with
muskets on their shoulders accompa-
MED him. He was white as a sheet.
Indeed, 1t was evident that he was 60
ing to his execution. The party disap.
peared behind a wing of the prison.
Vera listened and presently heard a
voiley. Then she knew it was all over
with the condemned man. She shud-
selfishness Of her treacherous act came
to her in its full force.
Another drumbeat recalled her to
the window. She would not have
gone, but she wished to see if her
lover would pass. No; it was another
of the conspirators whom she had
handed over to his death. He, too.
was followed by firing party. He,
too, was deadly pale. Like his prede-
cessor, he was soon lost to view be-
hind the prison wing. There was a
horrible interval-a volley.
In like manner Vera saw four of the
conspirators marched by her prison
window. They dtsappeared-the in
terval of suspense, the volley. Every
time one Of the condemned men passed
she vowed that she would not go to
the window to see the next man
marched to the death she had pre-
pared for him. But every time she
was impelled to go lest the man should
be her lover. BY the time the fourth
man had passed she had been thrown
into mental condition bordering on
insanity. Surely she was being pun
ished for her Infamous act. She had
lost all expectation that the minister
would keep faith with her as to spar
ing Krikoff. When for the fifth time
the drum sounded she saw her lover
marched past her window. he looked
up, and she saw an expression of
loathing on his face at recognizing
her. By the movement of his lips she
knew that he cursed her. She gave a
wild shrek. She knew that he had
been told what she had done.
She heard the volley. Hardly had
the echoes OF the shots died away
when again came the tap Of the drum.
She started. She had counted those
who had passed. and there were five
all those concerned In the conspiracy,
all the names she had given. For
whose execution could this drum tap
be the signal?
Suddenly the door OF the room In
which she was confined was thrown
open. and there stood an officer of the
prison.
Gomez
Terror stricken. she arose and stag
gered out with him. He led her down
staircase and out into the prison
yard. There stood firing party. Sup
ported, for she was unable to walk
alone, she was marched around the
wing behind which the others had dis
nY, oh In,
she was placed with her back to the
wall; her eyes were bandaged; she
heard the words Aim. Fire. There
was a volley. Consciousness left her.
and she fell forward on her face.
Then she knew that she was not
dead. for she felt herself shaken over
paving stones. She was in carriage
Gradually her full consciousness came
back to her She felt for a wound
but found none. She had not been ex-
ecuted after all.
The carriage stopped before the
house to which she had gone the morn
ing before to inform the minister of
the conspiracy. A man got down from
the box and, opening the door, com
manded her to alight. She did SO and
tottered to the door. which stood open
An attendant conducted her to the of
fee of the minister. He sat at his
desk writing. Standing in a row near
him We're the five conspirators whom
she had seen going to execution, ev-
cry man alive. One of them was her
lover He did not look at her. The