The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-10
A Betrayer
By EUNlCE BLAKE

ed IN the establishment OF the duma
or representative assembly-two younl
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 q
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 Vronslsy, Niehoff and
Sonia were together and Sonia was
lamenting at the constant danger In
which her lover stood Vronsky said TO
her, IF / am spirited away, put In a
dungeon or sent 10 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 10 his face and his
eye. That telltale organ, which will
not lie, said that Niehoff would be
only too happy to be her husband If
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 10 Siberia.
Sonia was crushed. When political
prisoner is sent TO that desolate region
there Is no expectation that he or she
viii 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 affil-
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 revolutionists,
was so secret that 1t seemed impossi-
Bile to gain a foothold anywhere. There
we're 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 |
al ~ xxypc
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 a 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-
what he said to you once
what you should do In case he was !
aiken away from your
Sonia looked up at him. He was so
intent on what he was thinking that
lie did not see In her expression rev.
,lation his words had given her.
What did he say?" she asked.
'Ihat you should marry me.
What investigation would not pro-
luce was OWNED by the woman. At .
irst she thrust the idea away from ,
Ter with horror but 1t was like an II
1t had found a lodg-
nent in her brain it multiplied She e
urned her eyes from Niehoff to the J
Ioor, but made no reply. When she C
poke again she turned the subject
Sonia did not know surely any one s
80 was member Of the circle, but .
he knew her lovers most intimate :
ssociates and judged they were rev 9
lutionists. One Of these, Ivan Ivan :,
vich, she sought and conveyed to him !,
err suspicion that Alexander Niehoff =
ad informed upon Peter Vronsky. I
van said nothing to her Of any action
e might take. but he at once informed -
ne circle of the suspicion. A shadow
r was put upon Niehoff, and it was
OF long before he was seen entering
he office of a member of the secret
overnment police.
Ivanovich informed Sonia that Me
off was a government spy. Whether
g had been so when he Joined the
rcle, or had become so later, or had
ven the government information that
nd compelled him to pretend to be
orking for the car, was not known.
1nia was asked If she would pursue
e matter further. She said she
ould, expressing a wish that no one
Sc be concerned in it.
Sonia threw off outwardly her grief
r her lover and pretended to encour-
,e Niehof TO carry out that lovers
pressed wish. She pretended also to
convert to the government cause
this way she got a confession from
ehoff. who was infatuated with her,
at he had done wsTi1 for the police
lis evidence she gave to Ivanovich.
d Ivanovich transmitted ii to the
Gle. One night at meeting of the
Gle Niehoff was given the alterna- !
e of connecting a plan to bring Vron-
Y back from Siberia or to suffer
ath. He informed the government
1t he had discovered a plot against
: car, but YrOnsky's evidence in the
liter was essential. Vronsky was !
,ught from Siberia, and on the way
guard was attacked by n body of =
and their prisoner lib :
ted. Making his way through Fin ,
n m Euadprs M called co.