Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-09-01

crepancies IN this tale. II was not at
all likely that Ivanoff would have
gone away leaving large number OF
notes on the table. So Olga and
Audrey we're each consigned to a
secret dungeon. In the course of
week the discipline Of the dungeon
life had worked its effects on Olga.
and with blanched lips she related
the following story, to the Jucge OF
Instruction:
Her soldier lover had come to see
her two days before the crime. and
unknown to her master she had kept
him in the house during those two
days. On the morning OF the crime.
when her master and Iyanoff returned
from the bank, she had to 60 to the
room to take In some refreshments.
She saw heap Of notes on the table;
she heard the conversation about the
revolver, and saw Ivanoff hand the
weapon to her master. When the
visitor had departed she thought how
easy 1t would be to murder the mas
ter. take his money, and let 1t seem
as II Ivanoff had done II. Her fellow
servant was i'll In bed: the man-ser-
want was out. Her lover was at hand,
and nobody knew that he was there.
She hurried to him and told him all.
He was entirely under her influence.
She went to her masters room again;
the notes were still on the table, SO
was the revolver He was busy ma
king up his books and did not appear
to notice her. As she removed a tray
containing glasses and biscuits, she
secretly took away the revolver also.
Then she went to Audrey. gave him
The weapon. and they returned to the
room. She opened the door softly;
Riskoff was sitting at the table with
his back to them, still writing. With
cat-like caution Audrey crept in on
his hands and knees behind the I'M
conscious man. He raised the revolt
yer, took steady aim and pressed the
trigger. The bullet sped true to the
mark and Riskoff fell to the floor
without uttering sound. with a ter
rible wound in his he'd. They ap-
preached him and ascertained that he
was, quite dead. The aged. half-deaf
housekeeper In her room In the top
part Of the house had not been dis
turbed by the report Of the weapon
which ended her masters life. All
had gone well for the conspirators.
Audrey took the notes and the re-
ceipt given by Ivanoff to his friend
for the thousand roubles, and imme-
diately left the house. In six months
time he would be drafted into the
reserve; then Olga and he would be
married and go to live with his peo-
pie. 1t seemed impossible that any
body would suspect them Of the crime.
They had framed their plans too cum
ningly for that. Without a doubt sus-
picion would fall on Ivanoff, who was
known to have been with his friend
that afternoon. The evidence was as
suredly strong enough to convict him: :
he would probably die. and dead men
tell no tales. SO there would be an
end of the episode.
All would undoubtedly have turned
out as the criminals hoped had not
Fate willed that Marie Ivanoff should
sppea to Danevitch and interest him
in the case. The horrible story told
by Olga was corroborated In every
detail and the receipt given to Ivan.
OF by Riskoff was recovered. Audrey
expiated his crime in the mines and
Olga was sent to Northern Siberia
for life.
Ivanoff was released and his friends
FASTENED to assure him OF their sym
patty for his sufferings. But although
his name was cleared of all faint OF
suspicion and his honor restored to
him. the unfortunate artist had un.
dergone too many hsrdships in the
secret dungeons to rally from the
shock. He was a mental wreck, and
the devoted wife who had fought so
hard for his liberty was fated to see
her beloved end his days In lunatic
asylum. an innocent victim of the un-
relenting rigor with which the Rus
sian government treats suspected OF
tenders against tie law. Michael
Danevitch had established his limo
cence in the eyes of the world, but
could not save him from the living
death to. which a cruel fate had
df,ornod him