El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-04


flashed Ivan TurgOff angrily. 1T is
| SIavinski who has won your heart!
You cannot deny it,"
The girl blushed-
You turn away from me. an honest
man, and give your love TO one who IS
( A spy and a coward. an enemy of our
1 society and an agent of the police,
| continued Ivan.
Vera Strengthened proudly and said:
| Il confess that I love him and l am
proud of it. Perhaps the love OF a
! woman may lead him back to the paths
| OF righteousness.
There was moment of silence
And have you realized" said Ivan
at last what your marriage to him
Will mean? You viii never have an
hours peace, for an order may come at
any moment from the headquarters OF
| our society which viii put an end to
| his life"
You think they will murder him?'
| she asked. with shudder.
| Yes am not allowed to say any
! more. Ny lips are sealed 50 lar we
( have no proof against him. but sooner
or later he will be found out and then
I he is doomed. And you think of marry
! ing him.
! yes" she said firmly. It will stand
! by him and share his peril
! Ivan turned and left the house. He
| went to a dingy residence in the Latin
/ quarter. Here he whispered a password
| at the door and entered room dlmly
]
| dozen men were smoking and talking
! together in low voices
! Ivan sat down on a chair and the
/ men next to him asked in a whisper:
! .sDid YOU hear about the latest re-
porte"
/ What do you mean asked Ivan.
( Z mean the report of the committee
/ which was appointed 10 investigate the
| case of Michael LestrOff who is now
! on his way to Siberia. You know. We
I had some difficulty is discovering who
betrayed him"
Yes"
Wei it was Petroff slavinski-"
! Slowly the room filled with people
and a tail. white-bearded man, the
! president of the secret court sat down
/ at the end of a table and began to read
] from a document
/ saThe brotherhood of the Black Seal"
he said has at last discovered tnat
! Iestroff, was no other but Petroff Sla-
, vinski It is our duty to try the traitor
! Call the witnesses.
The witnesses told what they knew.
and the faces around the table grew
dark Finally the votes were cast ana
Slavinski was found guilty
( The judge then arose to pronounce
sentence.
the Black Seal" he said, sentences
Petroff SIavinski to death, the eNecu-
iiOner o. the sentence to be chosen Dy
the Drawing Of lots, as usual. -.
Turgoff listened with beating heart
Suppose he was chosen to Kill MS
rival? He felt he could not do 1t, no
matter how he hated the man.
Five minutes later he breathed easier
for the terrible task had fallen to an
other. Slavinski was to be killed the
same night
Iyan's first thought was Of Vera He
thought he could hear her Sobs as she
hoard the dreadful news Perhaps the
blow would kill her, for women love
deeply.
He tried to smother these gentler |
feelings but his good heart conquered
Vera's lover must be saved, If II were 7
within his power.
was to carry out the execution coulo
not start before midnight and II was
then only half past IL Ivan drove
quickly to Slavinskis house All the
lights were out. Slavinski must have
gone to bed.
the wall and, mounting this, Ivan en-
tered the house through an open win |
dow AS luck would have ii. it was Sla- |
vinskfs bedroom The man was sleep |
ing as peacefully as a child He touched (
SIavinski's shoulder and he awoke with /
a start. .,-, /
wrOnged so deeply Pale as DEATH ne /
whispered;
me at last! Have you come TO kill me-
Ivan But you must hurry Time IS
short"
what do you mean? What brings !
you here at this hour!
In as few words as possible, ivan eA- /
planned the situation to him
THE executiOner may be at your door i
even now. I have come to warn you /
and save you, if it is possible"
Slavinski dressed hurriedly and ran
where are you going?" questioned /
Ivan. -,
He will give me shelter tonight. To- I
morrow / leave for England. where l /
shall be safe, thanks to your Warnlng-
Ivan nodded and Slavinski left the
room. A moment later he slammed the
outside door behind him.
Turgoff drew a sigh of relief: He
turned to leave the apartment, put
face appeared in the window IL was
I,oris Bobrikoff, who had mounted the
You. Turgoff" he cried. What are
you doing here
His eyes fell on the empty bed and
he understood everything
Traitor he Kissed, You have
warned him and helped him to escape
Perhaps YOU have also helped TO be-
tray Lestroff.
away" said TurgOff calmly. But L
had nothing to do with Lestroffs ar
rest and 1 am no traitor to the brother
hood. i nelbeQ TINS AeASCe-A " escape ~
Cause his life was dear to a woman L
love higher than my life. ] would be
proud to do the same thing over
You Iier' cried Bobrikoff, and as 7
am too late to kill one traitor, L viii
kill the other
A knife glistened in the light and
ivan Turgoff fell mOrtally wounded
His slayer looked at him contempt
ucusIy and left the room.
He who had fought so hard for the
woman ne loved. was dying. Blood was
cushing from the wound s he crawled
towards the table and picked uD Nera's.
portrait.
7 die in the hope that we viii meet in
the next world"
And the lips Of the picture seemed to
whispeT- Il viii come"
TEXAS.