The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-04
A Betrayer
Bv EUNICE. BLAKE

When the revolution in Russia was
brewing-that revolution which result
cd 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
Niehofr were members of the same Sc
cret propaganda, and either of them.
we're the fact known to the authorltles'
would have been arrested and sent 10
Siberia.
One person outside of the revolution
arv circle knew of their membership
This was Sonia Nicolaevna. the be-
trothed of Vronsky.
One day when Vronsky, Niehof and
Sonia were together and Sonia was
lamenting at the constant danger In
which her lover stood Vronsky said to
her, IF l am spirited away, put in a
dungeon or sent to work in the mines
at Kara you shall marry Alexander.
| Sonia looked from her lover 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
not lie. said that Niehoff would be
only too happy to be her husband II
| his friend were removed.
| A few months after this the blow
fell upon the lovers. Peter was ar
rested, charged with plotting against
| the government, and sent to Siberia.
Sonia was crushed. When political
| prisoner is sent to that desolate region
| there is no expectation that he or she
| will ever return. A few have escaped,
| 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 aftil-
F, iatiOns. 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
she would devote the rest Of her life
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 revOluti0nists.
was so secret that it seemed impossi.
BILE to gain foothold anywhere. There
were spies in the interest Of the revO-
lutionists who were in the confidence
of the government, and vice versa
The arrest Of Vronsky caused the cir
Gle to suspect that there was 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 Niehoff 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 80
intent on what he was thinking that
he did not see in her expression rev.
elation his words had given her.
What did he say?" she asked.
THAT you should marry me-"
J What investigation would not pro.
duce was OWNED by ne woman. Al
first she thrust the idea away from
her with horror. but it was like an
infecton-once 1t had found a 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 a member Of the circle, bu'