The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-03-07

SAAS osASA SASh VI AONoS5LAS1oAAs AS'aS was
alone and sat at one end Of table
where there We're no other diners. Her
back was to Borden. so he could not
see her face. He left the dining room
before her and waited in the adjoining
room. where he hoped to get another
sight OF her. While at dinner he had
made story to fit her case. This was
what he fancied:
She had suffered in the mines of
Kara. She had joined hunger strikes.
She had fallen under disease in the
damp prisons and living upon un-
wholesome food. She had found an
opportunity for escape. She had toiled
through snow or over frozen waters to
some country. Sweden probably. where
she had arrived hungry, frcstbitten.
more nearly dead than alive. And now
that she was free she was consumed
by one all absorbing I'ession-revenge.
And here the presence in Paris of the
man who stood for all this wrecking.
the emperor Of Russia, furnished a
climax.
She was there to kill him.
The girl must have gone out by an
other door. probably to avoid him. Dis
appointed. he was about to go to his
room when a servant approached him
and handed him bit OF paper. Open
ing it. he read:
May l ask that you will join me for
few minutes in my private parlor?
"Most assuredly." were the words
that came to him. but he did not speak
them. He simply followed the servant,
who led him to door. knocked and
left him. The door was thrown open
and before him stood the woman who
years. She shut the door behind him
and stood for a few moments as If
striving for composure. Then she said
in a low. unsteady voice. as If fearing
to be overheard. II have sent for you
to ask you not to mention to any one
having seen me on my way to Kara
II certainly will not mention it."
Borden replied. ION the contrary, is
there anything can do for you:"
",rhere is. Engage passage for me to
America as your sister or some other
relati
II will do so with pleasure. When
do you wish to sail and from what
port?"
AS to your first question, it depends.
AS to your second, Cherbourg will prob
ably he the best for me. Engage a
room for the next steamer. If am
not ready to leave then | must take the
next later
IF | am to trust you it is but right
that YOU should trust me. Tell me your
story"
She did so. and he had been right in
his SurniSes as far as they went. Her
fate had made II mailman of her fa-
Their. Her brother had gone to Kara
and had arranged for and effected her
escape. Rnt he was killed by the
guards in doing so. Her mother had
died of grief induced by the family mis-
fortunes.
"And now" said Borden after she
had given Il synopsis scarcely more de-
tailed than this. you are here in Paris
for revenge
That he had OWNED her secret was
evident from tlie stare She gave him
and Il nervous Shldder that passed
over her. Almost in Il whisper Borden
added:
"You are here to assassinate the
car
Whether it was that the danger. the
horror of it all. was suddenly revealed
n
had been SO READILY OWNED. causing
her to realize that her design was i'm
practicable. does not matter. Possibly
she did not know herself: possibly il
was a transfer of the burden she bore
to one who symlmthized with her. Her
frame shook convusivey: then, throw
ing herself back in her chair. she gave
way to passionate SOILS.
Borden deemed the last of these sup
positions correct and permitted her IT,
take her time to decline from being
strung to the highest pitch to Il normal
relaxedness. Then. reaching forward
he took her hand in his and said:
For two years you have never Tor
Il day been absent from my mind
Heaven has sent me to befriend you
Let me bear your burden. This meet
ing has brought Il change for us both.
see for You. If not 81 happy future. at
least one of comparative comfort.
Give up this mad design and let me
help you. plan for you. that you may
gradually throw off Il terrible past and
take on more inviting future"
Borden in telling the story added:
"There is an undercurrent to this ex-
perience that no words can properly
express Yet without it my story
would be like salt without SAVIOR. 1t
would have been merely an episode.
Had it not been for that of which
speak this girl. suffering from a mad
ness to which she had been driven by
cruel fate. would have stunned me
instead of calling on me to come to
her when we met in Paris. Whether
she would have tried 60 carry out her
daonnratn intention I dO MT know