Show srzan + rrur + onrr r r V = t The Nihilist Kikamsk I t BY L D KINDER 11 hllu luinrchy raged 1 openly In the eider cities of the Russian empire which threatened to collapse beneath t ho nNbnnUb at the revolutionist the J loath of Prince Urobokon governor if an obscure province on tho eastern t r border attracted so little attention at Bt Petersburg that for months no sue cf sor was appointed Nevertheless affairs wont on as smoothly ns before under guldanco of Princess Son in who bud In fact ruled In her fathers name educe tho latter had been stricken with i paralysis ten years prior to his death Humors of distant strife produced but little effect upon tho Inhabitants i of this province who had never had occasion oc-casion to protest against oppression t by the governor Thus It was that i whllo tho Little Father hid in bombproof bomb-proof chambers tho princess continued to hold her Thursday afternoon levees with perfect safety Tho only danger to bo feared was from outsiders but a h ti oven hero tho good will of her people protected her as no guard could have done A dozen times revolutionary Instigators In-stigators wore driven from tho province prov-ince or delivered Into her hands by In jdlgnant peasants who henceforward regarded all slrungors with suspicion Hostile eyes therefore greeted tho unfamiliar garb of the petitioner Lu plnskl who en mo from tho mountain region n long days journey northeast g of Kiknmsk Sonia however received him kindly and although compelled to deny his suit gave her reasons In detail nnd placed In his hands a purse of silver The goodlooking young pennant fulled to grasp tho meaning other ot-her words until bestowing tho purho a kilo gently dismissed him Then real ising that his petition had fulled his dull eyes flared Into a blaze and his voice filled tho room with passionate outcry 4 Tho palace guards precipitously surrounded sur-rounded him and at Sonlas command led him without Injury to the city gate where he was sot free with u warning not to return With that Impassive Im-passive dignity for which her family i had long been noted tho princess ro stoned her audience nnd continued to receive petitioners until tho last had i been heard Yet when the days business was i over and she reclined In a massive Jenther chair before her boudoirs open fire she trembled at thought of the peasants firoy eyes and menacing words Soothed by tho warmth of tho fire and tho quieting nftcrdlnnor coffee she at length forgot her fears She yawned nnd left tho chair for a low l wide couch whore she lay gazing Into the fire Her large white angora cat stealing In from the outer room sat composed upon tho hearth and washed her face then crouched and purred Gradually objects about Sonia scorned absorbed in tho tuckering firo light Her head sank deeply Into the fluffy pillow and her eyes closed I The blazing wood fell nUll a feathery feath-ery coating of ashes gathered upon the coals Tho glow faded from tho walls and shadows crept up to tho hearth where tho angora still crouched her green eyes Intently staling as If fastened t fas-tened upon some prey Tho princess slept her swet face turned towards tho fro her bosom rising slightly the pulse In her white throat throbbing with tho even pulsation of good health e e r e e The horror of that awakening Sonia will over remember A heavy body struck her shoulder and sharpnailed fingers clutched her throat With a y shriek she writhed back from her assailant as-sailant and losing her balance fall upon the floor Fortunately her outcry had been heard Attendants rushed to her aid and guards secured tho pulnce doors The doctor declared tho princess uninjured r jurod save for several deep scratches on her throat Meanwhile the palace was thoroughly thorough-ly searched for the assailant and the guards soon returned from tho outer hall dragging n struggling cure mg man It was time peasant Luplnskl who had threatened vengeance Passionately he protested his Innocence Inno-cence assorting that ho had returned to beg forgiveness for his rude conduct con-duct of that afternoon and declaring that ho was most loyal to her and to tho Ruslsan government The princess however gazed with horror upon the hands raised In frantic appeal for tho fingers wero long and sinewy and the long nails were curved and sharp like claws Again she shuddered shud-dered and waived the guards to remove the prisoner Luplnskl was given a formal trial In which evidence of the accuseds rents against tho Princess Sonia hU Sprclblo ejection from tho city his presence In the corridor of the governors gov-ernors palace his attempts at concealment con-cealment and desperate efforts to escape es-cape coupled with the dastardly assault as-sault In the dark upon tho princess outweighed ills dogged denial of guilt Without leaving their seats the Jury convicted him nnd the judgo passed Hi cntcncn of death During tho weeks stay of execution granted tho prisoner In order that ht might settle his affairs Bonla scarcely gave him a thought As u woman she might shrink at thought ol his death on tho gallows but ns acting govcrnoi of Kiknmsk she regarded him dispassionately dispas-sionately Tho evening of tho sixth day as she sat alone In her boudoir she had completely com-pletely forgotten that Lupluskl was tc be hanged at sunrise when a serving woman entoied to say that a young woman craved audience on a matter ol life and death Tho slender figure that followed the servant let fall a heavy shawl and advanced ad-vanced She was still In her teens tint pretty with a wholesome country beauty beau-ty although her usually rod cheokt wore pale and tearstained Her brovr oyes told as plainly of a hard dayt journey as her mudstained skirt and muddy shoes What Is It my child demanded Sonla dismissing tho atteudant will a nod They art going to hang Ivan my sweetheart cried tho girl lIe Is innocent In-nocent Noble princess save him I His name Ivan Luplnskl lIe Ho assaulted tho governor of his province with Intent to kill said Sonia sternly There Is some mistake Ho could not Ho received a fair trial There Is no doubt of his guilt Mercy gentle princess and spare his life As a woman I forgive him his cowardly cow-ardly attack upon my life But as tin czars representative at Kima tusk 1 must enforce his laws i Tomorrow at sunrise muttered tho girl turning away ho will She stumbled and fell halffainting towards tho princess who supported her to the couch You poor thing You are all woru out she said sympathetically I have Been walking since midnight mid-night tho other answered attempting to rise There there said Sonia Lie still and rest for a few minutes Sho rang for her woman who brought a glass of wino which she made her patient sip Then ordering more wood thrown on tho tire Sonia dismissed tho servant and from hoi favorite chair watched tho girl who vainly struggled to keep awake As tho wood caught and blazed up tho princess turned out the lamp for she loved the glow of an open fire The pot angora cat which had vunlsheo at tho girls entrance reappeared ana rubbed Itself against Sonlas chair ana at length sought her favorite place or tho hearth where she crouched blinkIng blink-Ing at her mistress The latters heart was filled with pity for tho sleeper In vain she tried tc think of some way of alleviating the others grief Pardon Luplnskl slit conscientiously could not Moreover hail not Providence saved this young woman from an unhappy marriage will a desperado Nevertheless Sonia win certain that the girl would bo heartbroken heart-broken Again she looked with pit at the figure on the couch motlonlesi save for her breathing and tho even throbbing of the artery at her throat Tho wood was consumed and list light grew dim The dropping of i halfburned chunk with its accompany tug flare aroused Sonia Looking up ilia was startled by the greenish ra dlnnce of two orbs that blared with ho Intensity of lamps Sonia sailed at her fright and looked curiously at tho cat whoso eyes did not waver COIn COI-n second Instinctively thinking of E mouse she drew her skirts closely about her Following the direction o her pets gaze she discovered to hoi amazement that the green eyes were Intently fixed upon the pulse In the sleeping girls throat As Sonia looked the cat balanced and sprang Screaming tho girl started from the couch and supporting herself on bee elbow stared wildly about as u awakened awak-ened from a nightmare Your lover Is saved cried the pi In cess joyously I have found th < guilty one Then hounding the bell for the captain cap-tain of the guard she gave the order Set free tho prisoner Lnplnskl and bring him hero lie is Innocent Copyright 1606 by Dally Story Pub Co |