New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

into his circle of friends, and she
too, became a worker on "The Word
Each day increased his passion. She
surely must have noticed it, yet she re-
NAMED unmoved. Always soft, tender,
with friendly smile. but always barrier
between them, a certain aloofness on her
part, her friendly hand was stretched out
to keep him from approaching too near
Fer eyes shone warmly, ever so warmly,
but with q certain circumspection; care
full. on their guard, measuring their
movements She would visit him often, vet
never act at home, and when she received
him in her own room she played the very
friendly hostess.
But he mab no attempt to declare his
feelings. Between them stood the fright
ful nightmare of the Ochranka He was
not sure of himself of his future When
he rose in the morning he was not at al
certain to What that day would bring
forth; even as at evening he did not know
whether he wotld sleep through the night
Each new day-indeed, each new hour-he
expected visi' from them. They would
come, get him nto their clutches and not
release him. And who knows? Perhaps
at this third tine they would seize him
and really send him off to Siberia? Still
worse, perhaps he would be unable
to hold out, and would speak as at
the first time. In that case he would be
lost, morally ruined. Under such circum-
stances how could he think of linking
himself with arotfer?
How could he speak to her Of his love
and omit his experiences with the secret
service? But no,. these he could not relate
to her. To hide them from her, on the
other hand, together with various other
episodes of his life which must remain to
her an eternal secret was equally impos-
sible This secret was not in his hands,
did not depend upon his will, and might be
exposed at he least expected moment,
damning him forever in her eyes.
He was in an agony Of doubt. He could
have torn the hair from his head That the
cursed Ochnnka should arise between him
and his happinessi Godi If they had ar
rested him On that eventful night and had
sent him off to the cold solitude of distant
Siberas North, it would have been as moth
ing compared to the mental and moral suf-
ferings which they had visited upon him
with their contemplate offer and their
criminal persecution OF him.
How he langushed in his yearning for
her. He stood before her like one cursed
with contagious disease, and conscien-
tiously avoided all contact
Worst of all, he believed that she was
waiting for a word from him, for his dec
laration of love. He could see the expecta-
ton in her eyes, in her motions, could feel
it in her breathing. In her voice echoed
impatence suspense, expectancy.
"She is wondering why I am SILENT" he
thought, "and thinks l do not love her, the
poor little darling"
He was al the more happy, on this score,
that he had introduced her to a wide circle
of people where she could find mach dis
traction.
He was happy, too, that she was liked,
that she had been we'll received He was
not jealous, but it hurt him that the
Ochranka had come between them and that
he could not openly announce her as his
own before the whole set Of young men
who swarmed SO attentively about her.
Thousandfold accursed Ochranka!
Spring had come again. The call to life
Teed up strongly in Vilbushevitch. New
strength breathed within him. He even
began to shake off the fear of the secret
Service. He began to feel free. Now he
could forget the Ochranka and-maintain
Silence. And at some future date he would
tell Anna why ne had been so dilatory in
declaring his love.
New courage flowed in his veins With
each succeeding spring day his resolution
grew more firm, and the spring was Won
derful one, indeed, and the days glorious
At tae close If one day, when he was
bidding good night to one of the newspa-
per's staff befor, the door of the printing
shop, he was approached by with &
nat, knotty face, who turned upon him
coarsely, vulgarlJ.
Who was that you were talking to just
now! What does he do in the printing
shop"
man of such type is worthy only OF
tne utmost scorr--of swift blow in the
Jaw of sending to the devil. But Vilbushe
witch lost himself completely. The grea
terror had again descended upon him. i
seemed to him taat down his spine fowe(
something SLIM, ice-cold, sticky. Hi
thoughts grew confused. It required al
tAe viii power a. his command not to revea
anything. Witt the last effort of con
Sciousness he pronounced the first name
mat came to hi mind, and assigned to it
position that does not exist; the stat
word counter.
The coarse fsllow was unwilling to hav
appear that ,e did not know what wor,
counter was, 50 he added: "How often doe
ne come to ths shop?"
But before vilbushevitch could reply, tn
agent made Up his mind to learn what kline
vi trade word counting was "What sor
'i thing Is n word counter?" he aske
gruffy.
Vllbushevtch raised his eyes to tn
speakers fare. AS he did so, his heart be
CaMe Ephtc Hn cn., orlanco that %