Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-25

deed which she was contemplating, and
she, too, started for the distant Siberian
village. There she had spent three days
waiting for a favorable opportunity
until the morning when she had at last
succeeded in getting close enough to
him to plant in his body the knife
which she had carried about with her
for more than two years.
This whole story was related by
Gouisewa with the utmost composure,
and without any hesitation at all. She
considered RaspuJIn as the incarnation
of the devil, and she had thought it a
good deed to put MIN out of the way
of committing any more evil. For the
rest, she did not care what was to be-
come of her. At it was. she knew that
she had not long to live, and with the
illness with which she was afflicted ex-
istence in itself was not so sweet that
she should sacrifice her revenge in order
to retain it, She had had no accom-
plices, and she had consulted no one. In
spite of the efforts which were made
to induce her to say that she had acted
under the directions and the inspiration
of IIiodore. she denied 1T absolutely,
adding that had she spoken to him about
her intention she knew that he would
have dissuaded her from it and that he
might even have warned the police so
as to Illustrate her design.
In the meanwhile, Resputin had been
carried back to his room and kilograms
dispatched everywhere for doctor. The
wound. though deep, was not a serious
one and il had not attacked any vital
oagns. The man was in no danger but
his disciples chose to say that il was
miracle Of Providence that he had not
succumbed at once under the blow which
II. ~. hot -
when he had felt himself stabbed, had
cried out that some one was to arrest
that who had hit him" Then he
caused several kilograms to be sent to
his friends in st. Petersburg in which
he described the attempt against his life
as the work of the devil. who had in
sp'red the woman Gousiewa and induced
her to commit her abominaDle action.
He added that at the moment when her
weapon had touched him he had seen an
anged descend from heaven, stop her
arm. and then put a hand on his wound
so as to stop it from bleeding. and that
il was only due to this direct interven-
ton Of the Almighty that he had escap-
ed with his life. OF course, the story
was believed by the credulous people
who accepted every one of his words as
a manifestation of the will of the Lord,
and he became more than ever a saint,
to whom one began to raise affairs ana
to regard in the light of another Saviour
come to redeem mankind from the ter
rors of sin.
HOW ST. PETERSBURG REACTED TO
THE ATTACK
In St Petersburg the news Of the at
tempted assassination of RaSputin had
produced an immense impression, and
had been commented upon in different
ways Some people saw in il an inter-
vention of the secret police, who had
been told to get rid in some way or
other of a man who was fast becoming
a public nuisance and embarrassment
for everybody. even for those who had
benefited through their acquaintance
with him. Others declared that it was
a Just punishment for his evil deeds,
and that the woman Gouisewa had not
been badly inspired when she had tried
to revenge herself on him for the terri
BILE wrong which he had done to her.
Every one was anxious to learn how the
news would be received in certain quar-
ters and among the bevy of feminine
worshipers whose existence was wrap
ped up in that of Rasputin. Public curl
osity. however. was not destined to be
satisfied. because nothing was heard
concerning the feelings of these adopts
of his in this remarkable occasion.
The only thing which one learned in
regard to the whole affair was that two
ladies who had figured among his most
prominent supporters had started at once