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DARKEST RUSSIA
DY n. GRATTAN DONNELL
Copyright ] 896 . by Street II Smlah , AU rights reserved
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J. CHAPTER X.-Contlnued.
' .
, . - - "Now , by my fathm"s blood ! " ho
exclaimed , "this Is indeed a find.
Hold ! " he shouted , as he averted a.
blow aimed at the prostrate and help.
less Alexis hy Hersy-a blow with
an ax , which , had it been delivered
with aU the strength intended , would
have ended its victims life then and
there. " think
"Hold-walt-walt ! Who ,
you , i8 this ? "
"Who ? Speak ! Who ? " ' was demanded - I
manded on aU sides.
"Why , NazlmolT , the cruel , cowardly .
ly- "
Oramlnsly got no further. With a1 i
howl of rage the conspirators sprang i
toward their victlm-"Coward , dog ; :
woman heater , your ; end i8 near "
And Alexis would have been torn to ,
pieces by his Infuriated enemies but'
for Oramlnsly's interference.
"Hold ! " ho shouted , with an oath ,
"don't act hastily. We must i.nd out
what we can. "
tt - "But he must die ! " yelled Hersy.
f " " " " "I'll deal
ry "By me ! "By my hand !
the blow I" ! said others , crowding for-
ward.
) "Walt-tho avenger has been se-
lected. Ivan drew the red rouble. "
.
Alexis heard every word.
. "But Ivan is not here ; give me the
t 'right. I never tilled ] a noble , " shouted -
ed Hersy. fIr will have blood. I love
blood. Give me the right to kill him
here and now ! " And as she spoke
she would have carried her desire into .
to execution but for the fRet that two
or three of her companions restrained -
ed her , by force , awaiting the words
of Oramlnsky.
"The right best belongs to . Uda herself .
self ! "
.
l , . : , Alexis Nazlmotr closed his eyes. It
' . - was true , then , Uda was one of this
vile gang of murderers.
"Yes , Uda ! Uda ! Where is i Uda ? "
was the shout.
Even as they spoke , Uda Barosly ,
entering and pushing her way
through the center of the mass , came
front and stood face to face with
Oraminsly.
"What Is the matter ? " she asked
hurriedly ; "has anything happened to
Ivan ? Has- "
t "We have caught a spy , " said Ora-
mlnsly , "the accursed- "
"Nazimoff ! " said the crowd with
i . one voice , "and there he lies. "
"Nazimoff ! " exclaimed Uda. The
recollection of the terrible ordeal
through which she had passed , the
' memory of the uplifted whip , the
'f- thought of her humiliation and of
I
Nazlmoft's cowardice-all these flashed .
ed into her mind , and a wild desire
for instant vengeance 01\ her foe fllled
her in a moment. With compressed
I
lips and flashing eyes she turned , her
hands clenched , and with the words ,
"tbe cowardly Nazimoff ! " she sprang
: toward the helpless figure hound to
the bench on which he lay. "You coward .
ard ! " she' exclaimed , as she raised
-
her hand , and with a cry of terror
, " _ and dismay she staggered back and
.
. , would have fallen.
\II ! n
She had recognized Alexis.
. f' Her face turned deathly white , the
blood left her lips , and it was only
by a supreme effort that she kept herself .
self from falling by a convulsive
t
grasp of the table.
- . . . . "See ! See ! " said Horsy , "she dares
, not shed blood. She is weak. 1 am
- strong-let me deal the blow. Now ,
: now : now ! " and she rushed forawrd.
" -i : , : ; Uda threw herself before the maddened .
' . . . ! . , dened woman. Twice she essayed to
speak , but In vain. Her lips moved ,
but she uttered no sound. She could
only gaze Into the face of the infuriated .
riated woman and motion her to stand
, . . back.
'
r ' ' : \ "No , I will kill him ! " yelled Hersy.
st ' : ' ' - " moment wait for '
'Jl- : . "Wait a ; , God's
. " . " ' , ' sake , walt ! " came in gasping accents
. from the lips of Uda. She breathed
. )
_ heavily a moment , and then made another .
ether effort. "Il-It Ii i : a ml6tak&-
, . , .
, .
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rti ' I iii
: Sf ' nw
RErQ'7JWZCO '
, AJ.EJ /.5"
mlstalte-mistake , " she said , repeating .
Ing the words three times , each time '
with a painful struggle for hl'eath.
"Thls-thls-Is not-not Count Nazi ;
moft. " She paused , staggered back
to the table for support , and with
agony made a prayer In her heart for
speech , for strength.
"It Is NazlmolT ; Ol'amlnsly found
his papers " The words came In a
perfect howl from the vengeful victors .
tors , who were thirsting for the blood
of their conquered and helpless en-
emy. "Kill him now ! "
The crowd made a simultaneous
movement to advance.
Ilda sprang before Nazlmofr. The
moment's respite in her speech had
been of service. She was once more
able to command her voice. Stretching -
ing both hands toward the conspirators -
tors , with' a mute pathos which arrested .
rested them for a moment , even If it
did not alter their purpose , Hda spoke
ml6tak&I ;
walt , and-and-listen. " The voice '
was broken with emotion , but she
gained strength as she went on.
She felt that now , if ever , she must
succeed In swerving them from their
purpose. "Listen , dear hrothers-sls-
ters o'r the peoplo-liston to . me-to
Uda-to the sister of Ivan ; listen one
moment more-for God's sake hear ,
me-hear me to the end. There , tonight .
night , among-among all that throng
of nobles there was but-but one to
protect me. It was-it was-thls- !
this young officer. Believe me , for !
God's sake ; for dear God's sake , he- I
hove me ! He was my-my defender I
-my rescuer. Do not-do not harm I
him ! Have pity on me ! l-I-oh , '
brothers and sisters , he Is no spy !
I know it ; bo merciful , for me , to
him ; spare him , and let him go ! "
"No , no , he Is a spy ! he is , Nazl-
moff I He Is here to betray ; he
must die ! "
The words rang In the cars of Uda.
There was no hope for Alexis ; he
would be murdered before her eyes.
Horsy had waited - for a chance.
'
She had laid aside the hatchet and
had grasped a knife-a murderous
weapon-and with a fiendish look she
sprang forward with It uplifted
With a cry of mingled anguish and
despair , but with the strength of a
lioness , lid a sprang between the
murderess and her victim , and ,
wrenching the knife from her grasp ,
fairly hurled Horsy hack a dozen feet
Into the arms of her companions.
"Back , murderess ! Stand back , all
of you ; ! "
The words rang out In startling
contrast to the tremulous tones in
which her appeal had been uttered a
moment before , as Uda Barosky ,
standing in front or the prostrate
Alexis , her eyes fairly ablaze with
the courage of despair , met without
quailing the maddened looks of the
surprised and astonished conspira
torl The weak , pleading ; , helpless
- . -
woman or n. moment before had given .
en place to the desperate , courageous
and unflinching heroine , who , standing .
Ing majestically alone , with the knife
held in her uplifted hand , looked the
Incarnation of subllmo defiance to the
murderous gang who Bought the lIfo
of Alexis. . . .
To say that they were amazed at
the transformation hut faintly describes -
scribes the effect lIda's words and
actions produced. They looked one
to the other and then again Ilt the
young girl who stood before thom.
There was not one of them who dill
not know that Alexis Nazlmofr could
only bo reached over the dead body
of his defender , and that lIda would
fight to the death.
There was a hurried whispering ,
and Ill'shltin moved to the front.
Suddenly Ito made a spring for
1I11a.
1I11a.But
But not too quickly for her not to
detect his object. The knife lescen(1-
ed , and Klrshldn , the blood streaming
from his breast , was borne hacl
"Oh , wretches , cowards that you
ar © ! I was weal but. a moment since ,
now I am strong. More of you ; will
die. Stand back ! " This as another
movement was made. "Stand back !
for I swear hy the soul of the mother
who bore me , the first one of you ;
to touch him dies hy my hand. More
-I swear to denounce you , to deliver
you to the gallows , cutthroats and
assassins as you arc ! "
As Ilda spoke she moved backward .
ward , and with a rapid movement
passed her hand behind her. It waR
hut the work of an Instant for Alexis
Nazlmofr to run the cords which
hound his hands against the keen
edge of the weapon. In another moment .
ment he had unloQsed the cord which
bound his feet , and , springing erect ,
grasped the sword which had fallen
when lIe was overborne. -
"Brave Uda ! you have saved me.
Stand hy my Ride-we are more than
a match for the cowardly dogH. "
"Alexis , wo will live or die together .
sether ! "
"They are but two ; are you ; cowards .
ards ? " cried Oramlnsky. "If they escape .
cape wo are betrayed ; perhaps even
" '
now-
nowHo
Ho spoke no more.
The sound of a hurried advance
toward the door on the outside-a
quick , metallic sound of It key as il
touched the locl-arrestClI the atten-
tion of all. To the fevered minds of
the conspirators the sound suggested
the pollee-the metallic ring fetters ,
the hllrrled footsteps a surprise. That
panicky feeling which spreads Instantly .
stantly took possession of lhem.
Their bloodthirsty expressions chang-
cd to one of fear , and as Oramlnsky
turned they interpreted his movement
as the signal for flight.
'Ve are trapped ! " Someone t . b-
ject terror uttered the words.
It was enough.
With one movement the conspira-
tots , actuated by a common and uncontrollable -
controllable Impulse or self-preserva.
t.lon : ranged themselves alongside the
wall with the celerity and regularity
due to their practice for such emergencies -
gencles ; the concealed mechanism
which worked the doors leading to the
secret hiding places was touched ; the
doors opened slowly and revolved as
If by ; magic and the conspirators had
disappeared !
I CHAPTER XI.
-
In the Name of the Czar.
With a sigh of Infinite relief from
the terrible strain , lilla , as the last of
the conspirators disappeared , Celt her .
overtaxed strength relax ; her eyes i
became dim , she swayed to and fro
for a moment and would have fainted
In the arms of Alexis had not the rush
of cold air from the door above , which
now opened , revived her.
Looking up she exclaimed , "Ivan ! "
Ivan entered , and with him a woman
heavily velle'd. But there could be no
doubt In the mind of Alexis as he
caught sight of the figure. "By
heaven ! " he exclaimed , "It Is Olga
Knrslchetf. "
Then turning to lIda , Alexis pressed
her to his heart He spoke no word ,
but there was all of the passionate
devotion and affection in his nature
6
,
-
pressed and understood. .
Ivan 1 came forward ; his companion , .J i
was Olga. f
"I have kept my word , " ho said , ; '
"Olga Is hore. Why , what has happened '
Ilened ? What does this mean ? " ho :
added hurriedly , ns tithing 11111\ from
the arms oC Alexis ho gazed with !
alarm 'nt her pallid [ fllce.
" sister IIfe-sho
"Your has saved my -
can tell you ; all , " said AlexiA , as ho
grasped hath the hands which Olga
holl1 to him
Olga , trembling and agitated , suffered . '
fored Alexis to lead her to It seat
r
1 II
:
,
.
(
'lJ2 J L Llk2
c.A27k7j2 p'
some distance from where Ivan was
listening with hf'lrrllioll ! 'amazement
to the recital by IlIla of the attack by
Oraminsky and his companluns.
Alexis , after the tremhllng girl had
become somewhat composed , listened
to her story. It differed In no ma
tonal particulars to that which ho had
alr'ady heard from Ivan , and as Olga
concluded , and with' tcnr.stulned face
besousht his forgiveness , Alexis was
deeply touched hy her 1l1lpeal. "I
thought ! or all-of my father's anger ,
mr mother's hatred-for she will hate
me when she discovers all ! " said -
Olga , as alto approached the conclusion '
slon , "hut , oh ! Alexis ! I could nut.
help tt , for I love him 80 , I love him
so ! "
Alexis was silent for a moment. .
Then taking the hand or Olga within .
In his own ho said : "Olga , there Is a
power within the human heart which is
stronger than duty , stronger than interest .
terost , stronger sometimes even than
honor , stronger oftentimes than liCe
Itself. It Is the power of love. It '
has changed the destinies of U6 hath.
It has brought us together In this
strange place to-night. It was lo be. . .
Your love has been given to Ivan
Barosly us mine has been to his sis-
ler Uda. But what of the future ? I
am a man , and can hear the conthe
quences of what my father and the
world will call m"y folly , with a man's
fortitude and patience. But you are
a womnn-what does this step mean
to you ? Have you ; thought , of the
future ? Dear Olga , trust me freely-
as 1\ brolhel' Command me In any
way to make your : life brighter , hap-
pier , and believe mo , there Is nothing
I will not dote aid you , " and Alexis
with some emotion laid his hand pro-
tectlngly on her shoulder.
'
( To be contlnuell.
c -
The Cipher Too Much.
While Secretary Hay was In the
country one summer , an important
piece of official business was pending ,
and he arranged with Washington that
any news that might arrive about the
matter should bo telegraphed to him
In cipher.
Day after day he waited , but no
telegram came. One morning , hap.
penlng to go to the lonely little telegraph -
graph office , he said to the operator :
"I suppose you have received no
dispatch for me ? "
" 'Vh ' , yes , sir , " the operator replied -
plied , "there was a dispatch for you
the other day , but Jl was all twisted
and confused. I couldn't make header
or tall fJf it , so 1 didn't think It was
any U'IO to send it up to you . "
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