The Yale expositor., 1915-09-09

NOOuIOuS WulSpeTeu bOm5 WOIuS W
the baron, after which went to
MuriePs cabin and wished her good
by, and we went ashore, taking the
train first to Cole Salvetti, thence 10
Pisa, and afterwards to the beautiful
old city of Siena, which ! had so
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. was quick to
notice that the two men had met be-
fore, and as l sat in the chair and gas
was given to me | saw them exchange
meaning glances. In few moments
became insensible. but when | awoke
an hour later ! was astounded to feel
a curious soreness in my ears. My
tongue, too, seemed paralyZed, and in
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
quickly realized that | hau been the
victim of a foul and dastardly plot.
and that he had conceived ii, fearing
lest | might speak the truth concern
ing the Privy Councillor Polovstoff,
for of exposure he lived in constant
fear. To encompass my end would
be against his own interests, as he
would lose my fortune. so he had 81
fenced me lest | should reveal the ter
rible truth concerning both him and
his associates. He was not rich. and
have reason to believe that from
time to time he gave information as
to persons who possessed valuable
jewels, and thus shared in the plumber
obtained by those on the yacht.
From Italy we travelled on to Ber-
lin. thence TO Petersburg, and back to
dreary Helsingfors, journeying as
! quickly as we could, yet never allow
ing me opportunity Of being with
strangers. Both my ears and tongue
were very painful. but | said nothing.
| He was surely a fiend in black coat.
and my only thought now was how to
| escape him. From the moment when
| that so-called dentist had ruined my
| hearing and deprived me of power Of
! speech. he kept me aloof from every.
one. The fear that | should reveal
everything had apparently grown to
haunt him, and he had conceived that
terrible mode of silencing my lips.
But the true depth of his villainy was
not yet apparent until | was back in
Finland.
ION the night of our arrival he
called in his son, who had Travelled
with us from Petersburg, and in
writing again demanded that should
marry him. wrote my reply--a firm
refusal He struck the table angrily
with his first and wrote saying that
/ should either marry his son or die.
Then next day, while walking alone
out beyond the town of Helsingfors.
as | often used to do, I was arrested
upon the false charge of an attempt
upon the life of Madame Vakuroff
and transported, without trial. to the
terrible fortress of Kajana, some OF
the horrors of which you have your.
self experienced. The charge against
me was necessary before I could be
fncarcerated there, but once within. ii
was the scheme of the governor-gen
eral to obtain my consent to the mar
riage by threats and by the constant
terrors of the place. He even went
so far as to obtain a ministerial order
for my Punishment to Saghalien and
brought 1t to me TO Kajana. declaring
that If in one month did not consent
he should allow me to be sent to exile
While | was in Kajana he knew that
his secret was safe, therefore by every
means in his power he urged me tc
consent to the odious union.
"All the rest is known to you-hov
Providence directed you to me as my
deliverer, and how Woodroffe followed
you in secret, and pretending to b.
my friend, took me with him to Peters
burg. He had learned of my fortune
from the baron. and intended to marry
me himself But now that all is ovel
1t appears to me like some terrible
dream never believed that so mucl
iniquity existed in the world. or tina
men could fight a defenseless woman
|
genuity. All the tortures ! endured
, in Kajana are beyond human concep
ton. Yet surely Oberg and Wood
| roffe will obtain their well-merited de
serts-if not in this world, then in TIN
world TO come. Are we not taught b,
, Holy Writ to forgive our enemies
Therefore let us forgive"
! There my silent loves strange stor
, ended A bald. straightforward narra
tive that held us all for some moment
absolutely speechless-one of tn
strangest and most startling storie
\ ever revealed
She watched every expression c
, my countenance, and then, which ha
q finished reading and placed my arr
= tenderly about her slim waist, sh
. raised her beautiful face to mine to II
= ceive the passionate kiss ] imprinte
. upon those soft. full lips.
!. This, of course, makes everythin
| ~. -