Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-09-09

Last June" commenced another
paragraph. I'VE were in H~elsingfors.
when n day the baron called me
suddenly and told me to prepare for a
journey. We were to cross to Stock
holm and thence to Hull. where the
Iris was awaiting us, for Mr.. Leith-
court and Muriel had invited us for a
summer cruise to the Greek islands.
We boarded the yacht much against
my will. yet | was powerless, and dare
not allege the facts that ] had al
ready established concerning our fell
l~ow-guests. Muriel and l. 1t seems,
were taken merely in order to blind
the shore-guards and customs officials
as to the real nature of the vessel,
which went safely out of the channel.
was reprinted and renamed the Lola,
until her exterior presented quite a
different appearance from the Iris.
THE port of Leghorn was our first
place Of call, and for some reason we
ran purposely upon a sandbank and
were towed off by Italian torpedo
boats. Next evening you came on
board and dined, Muriel and myself
having strict orders not to show our
selves. We. however. watched you,
and saw you pick up my photograph
which had that day torn up. Then
Immediately after you had left Wood
rohe, Chatter and Macintosh went
ashore and were away a couple Of
hours in the middle of the night. Just
before they returned the baron raped
at the door of my cabin saying that
he must go ashore, and telling me TO
dress and accompany him. He would
never allow me the luxury of a maid,
fearing, / suppose, that she might
learn too much. In obedience | rose
and dressed, and when l went forth
he told me to get my travelling cloak
and dressing bag, adding that he was
compelled to go north, as to continue
the cruise would occupy too much
time. He was due back at his official
duties, he said. AS loon as l had
finished packing, the three men re-
turned to the vessel, all of them look
ing dark-faced and disappointed.
Woodroffe whispered some words to
the baron, after which l went to
Muriel's cabin and wished her good
by, and we went ashore, taking the
train first to Cole Salvetti, thence to
Pisa, and afterwards to the beautiful
old city of Siena, which | had SC
longed to see. One of my teeth gave
me pain, and the baron, after a couple
of days at the Hotel de Sienne, took
me to a queer-looking little old Italian
"a dentist who, he said, enjoyed an
excellent reputation. l was quick to
notice that the two men had met be-
fore, and as | sat in the chair and gas
was given to me / saw them exchange
meaning glances. In a few moments
l became insensible, but when awokc
an hour later | was astounded to fee
a curious soreness in my ears. MY
tongue, too, seemed paralyzed, and In
a few moments the awful truth
dawned upon me. / had been rendered
deaf and dumb!
THE baron pretended to be greatly
concerned about me-" it went on, "but
l quickly realized that had been the
victim of a foul and dastardly plot
and that he had conceived it. fearing
lest l might speak the truth concern
ing the Privy Councillor Polovstoff
for of exposure he lived in constan
fear. To encompass my end woult
be against his W interests, as h
would lose my fortune, 81 he had 81
fenced me lest | should reveal the ter
rible truth concerning both him ant
his associates. He was not rich, AM
l have reason to believe that from
time to time he gave information a
to persons who possessed valuable
jewels, and thus shared in the plunde
obtained by those on the yacht.
From Italy we travelled on to Bel
lin, thence to Petersburg, and back t
dreary Helsingfors, j%ourneying a
quickly as we could, yet never allow
ing me opportunity of being wit
strangers, Both my ears and tongu
t we're very painful, but l said nothing
i He was surely a fiend in a black Goa
and my only thought now was how t
escape him. From the moment whe
that so-called dentist had ruined m
hearing and deprived me of power :
n speech, he kept me aloof from ever!
one. The fear that | should revet
k everything had apparently grown I
e haunt him, and he had conceived the
p terrible mode of silencing my lip
But the true depth of his villainy wa
$ not yet apparent until l was back
Finland.
e ION the night of our arrival /
it called in his son, who had travele
c. with US from Petersburg, and
g. writing again demanded that l shoul
d marry him. I wrote my reply-a fir.
refusal. He struck the table angri
IN with his first and wrote saying thi
| should either marry his son or di
1t Then next day, while walking alor
is out beyond the town of Helsingfor
st as | often used to do, I was arrestt
1 upon the false charge of an attem.
to upon the life Of Madame Vakurc
to and transported, without trial, to Il
a. terrible fortress of Kajana, some
in the horrors Of which you have YOU
n self experienced. The charge again
er me was necessary before / could
in i~ncarcerated there, but once within,
I'd was the scheme of the g~overnor-ge
IT. eral to obtain my consent to the mt
ed rage by threats and by the consta
terrors of the place. He even we
lis Sc far as to obtain a ministerial ord
for my Punishment to Saghalien a,
ne ciate. he found the people all sitti
when he was about IN n-ronounoa /.