The Argosy — page 120: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

312 THE ARGOSY, Her only answer was to stare with the saine stony intensity right into my eyes. ‘‘ Shall I send for my own sister to identify me?’’ I cried, with what I intended as sarcastic emphasis. But the effect of my question quite discon- certed me. It broke down her reserve, and with a cry that was almost a scream she threw herself into a chair and gave vent to emotions that were no longer controllable. : For an hour she was in this semi hysterical condition, and I could guess her leading thought. If I was not the manshe had believed, she would jump to the thought that Olga and I were lovers, and not brother and sister. Her jealousy made her a madwoman. By the time she had recovered from her frenzy I had resolved on my course. The only thing possible was to hold strenuously to the old decep- tion. What had shaken her belief in me I could not, of course, even guess. If by any means she could make her words good, it was clear she carried my life in her hands. Strong as the story which she had concocted as to my supposed crime would have been against the real Alexis, it was a hundred times stronger as told against some one impersonating Alexis, for what she would of course declare were Nihilist purposes. ‘The mere fact of the imper- sonation would be accepted as proof of guilt in everything, while Olga’s share in the conspiracy would render her liable to a punishment only less in extent than mine. . As I thought of all this, my rage against the woman passed almost be- yond control, but I forced it back and listened when she spoke—telling me of all the things which had made me seem so different. My conduct to her ; my manner; my lack of love; the difference in looks, in gestures, and in what I said and the way I said it; the thousand things that had set her wondering at the change in me. Then she spoke of the change in my sister’s conduct : how a word from me had made her friendly where a thousand words before had failed. And when she spoke and thought of Olga, she seemed to lose all self control, declaring she had been made a tool and a dupe for some purposes of our own. | My protestations were of no avail. She brushed them aside with abrupt contempt ; and when I tried to find out indirectly what her proof was, she laughed angrily and would not tell me. ‘*T will tell you when I bid you good by for Siberia, or see you for the last time in the condemned cell. Youshall not die in ignorance,’’ she said ; and then she went on to dwell with horrible detail upon the punishments that were in store for both Olga and myself. But she overdid it all, and showed me her weak point, and thus gave me a clue to my best tactics. Her feeling was not hatred of me, but jealousy of Olga. This strange and most impulsive woman had had her love tricked as well as her judgment, and the love which she had had for Olga’s brother was now transferred to me. Her chief fear was lest Olga was really to come between us. When she stopped, I tested her. comicbooks (Ee)