Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-08-24
A Betrayer
By EUNICE BLAKE

When the revolution In Russia was
brewing-that revolution which result
ed in the establishment Of the duma,
or representative assembly-two young
men, friends. were coworkers in the
cause of the people against the govern
ment. Peter Vronsky and Alexander
Niehoff were members Of the same Sc
cret propaganda, and either Of them,
were the fact known to the authorities,
would have been arrested and sent to
Siberia.
One person outside Of the revolution
airy circle knew Of their membership.
This was Sonia Nicolaevna, the be-
trothed Of Vronsky.
One day when Vronsky, Niehoff and
Sonia were together and Sonia was
! lamenting at the constant danger in
F, which her lover stood Vronsky said to
her, "If I am spirited away. put in
dungeon or sent to work In the mines
at Kara you shall marry Alexander"
Sonia looked from her loYer to Me
hoff and saw the effect vronsky's
words had produced upon him. A
faint color came to his face and his
eye. That telltale organ, which will
J not lie, said that Niehof would be
only too happy to be her husband If
| his friend were removed
| A few months after this the blow
i fell upon the lovers. Peter was ar
rested, charged with plotting against
; the government, and sent to Siberia.
! Sonia was crushed. When a political
prisoner Is sent to that desolate region
there is no expectation that he or she
I will ever return. A few have escaped,
i but the great bulk Of them die In exile.
The first thing that Sonia took an
interest in after her lovers Danish
ment was how the government had
been informed Of Peters political affil-
4 fations. This matter had been taken up
by the revolutionary circle, and they
had probed it without finding the slight
est clew. As soon as Sonia had re-
covered from the blow so far as to
collect her faculties she resolved that
l
, to running down the informer.
But she did not know where to be-
| gin. Everything pertaining to the
revolution, both on the side of the
| government and the revolutionists.
was so secret that it seemed impossi-
BILE to gain foothold anywhere. There
were spies in the interest Of the revo-
lutionists who We're in the confidence
Of the government, and vice versa.
The arrest Of Vrousky caused the cir
Gle to suspect that there was a govern
ment spy among them, but why he
should betray Vronsky and not the
whole circle they could not explain.
Some months after the removal Of
vronsky Niehof said to Sonia: "vron-
sky is noble man, worthy Of your
love and my friendship. He could not
bear the thought Of your passing your
life mourning for him. Do you re-
member what he said to you once
what you should do In case he was
taken away from your
Sonia looked up at him. He was so
intent on what he was thinking that
he did not see in her expression rev.
elatfon his words had given her.
what did he say?" she asked.
THAT you should marry me-"
(, What investigation would not pro-
duce was OWNED by the woman. At
!, first she thrust the idea away from
her with horror, but it was like an
infection-once it had found lodg-
ment in her brain it multiplied. She
turned her eyes from Niehoff to the
floor, but made no reply. When she
spoke again she turned the subject.
Sonia did not know surely any one
= who was member Of the circle, but
she knew her lovers most intimate
associates and judged they were rev.
olutionists. One of these Ivan Ivan
ovich, she sought and conveyed to him
her suspicion that Alexander Niehoff
had informed upon Peter Vronsky.
Ivan said nothing to her of any action
he might take. but he at once Informed
the circle of the suspicion. A shadow
er was put upon Niehoff, and it was
not long before he was seen entering
the office of a member of the secret
government police.
Ivanovich Informed Sonia that Me
hoff was government spy. Whether
he had been so when he Joined the
circle, or had become so later. OF had
given the government information that
had compelled him to pretend to be
working for the ear, was not known.
Sonia was asked if she would pursue
the matter further She said she
would, expressing wish that no one
else be concerned in 1t.
Sonia threw off outwardly her grief
for her lover and pretended to encour-
age Niehoff to carry out that lovers
expressed wish. She pretended also to
be convert to the government cause.
In this way she got confession from
Niehoff. who was infatuated with her,
that he had done work for the police
This evidence she gave to Ivanovich