Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-10-17

deaVOr to collect his deb on the very
day the latter was to turn over his
estate; that he was in the house when
Ivanovich entered and, after Demi-
DORIS departure, going into the room
where the two had met, had found
Ivanovich with the money. Petroff
had claimed 1t and in the alteration
that followed had killed Ivanovich,
though probably unintentionally.
This theory was considered ingen-
ious. but improbable. 1t was simply
a theory and counted for very little
against the great inducements that had
impelled Demidorf to get rid of the
victim. Vronsky, the lawyer who had
conceived the hypothesis, made every
effort to secure evidence that Petrolf
had beer seen at or near the Demi-
dorf estate about the time of the muir
der. but failed. The last person to
leave the premises was a servant maid,
who departed half an hour before her
master.
All Vronsky could do for his client
was to prove his excellent standing.
his genial disposition and his generosi-
ty. He brought forward his theory.
saying that some one had gone into
the room where Demidorf and Ivano-
vich met soon after the former had
left it and. finding gold there, had
killed Ivanovich in order to possess
himself of the money. He proved that
Demidorf had the amount he claimed
to have possessed, a thousand rubles
($500). and this was very nearly the
amount he owed Petroff. But. while
his theory was well enough. there was
little or nothing to support it. His
client was convicted, but since the evil
dence was circumstantial. 10 one hav-
ing seen the murder committed, in
stead Of receiving the death penalty
he was sentenced to the mines in ST
IBERIA.
The day before the sentence was to
be carried out Demidorf was aston
ished by the appearance of his lawyer
at his prison with an order for his re-
lease.
"The real culprit has confessed" he
said. "but only after an arrangement
with the government prosecutor. A
woman killed Ivanovich. She had VOW
ed that he should not enter upon the
estate he had acquired. and, entering
by the real as you went out at the
front. she found him in the library
with the money. She killed him and
took way the gold to make it appear
that he had been murdered by a rob
Der. her own reason being that he had
Tilted her."
"Who is the woman?" asked Demi-
lori as soon as he could recover suffi-
cient control of himself to ask the
question.
'That. by arrangement between her
and the prosecutor. is to be kept a Sc
cret. Besides. she is to suffer a very
short sentence in a Jail in Russia
Demidorf. since the man who had
won his property in the courts was
dead without issue, returned to his
home. He expected to be nengratulat-.
ed by Olga and her parents, but moth
ing came to him from either. He went
to their home, but was denied admit
lance. The next day he received a
message from them stating that the
events through which their daughter
had passed had broken down her
health and they had been obliged to
send her to a retreat. 1t would be
some years before her recovery, If in
deed she recovered at all.
Demidorf's happiness at the outcome
of his affairs was sadly broken in upon
by this misfortune of the girl he loved.
He shut himself up in his house. sell
dom going out of it and never enter
tanning company there. He made re-
quests at different times to be allowed
to visit Olga. but they were denied on
the ground that her mind was affected
and a meeting between them would
doubtless have a bad effect upon her.
One morning Demidorf was sitting
in a room in his home into which he
had removed his books and papers. try
ing to divert his mind from his loss by
reading, when, glancing out through a
gateway and a girl spring out and run
up to the house.
Great heavens! She was Olga.
Demidorf ran to the door to meet her
and clasped her in his arms.
"Why. except for a little paleness.'
he exclaimed. holding her off for a bet
ter look, you appear to be perfectly
we'll. You are restored to health and
to me-" And be embraced her again.
When they were inside and the first
transports were over she said to him:
Eve have all deceived you ever since
you were released. To save you from
going to Siberia l. through your oun
sci, opened communication with the
prosecutor with a view to making a
confession of having committed a MUIR
der of which both you and | were in
nocent. Vronsky succeeded in secur-
ing a sentence of ten years imprison-
ment for me on condition that ! would
confess. | did so. and you were re-
T-z--1