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Copyright, 189, by Street A
MllVMMi)
CHAPTER VII.
Ilda Barosky.
Thero nppearod for a moment a
young girl, bearing a violin and bow
It was only for a moment between
tho two servants, Azof and Hanajka.
With a quick gesture sho threw
aside tho servants, and with flashing
eyes and head erect she advanced to
tho center of tho room.
"Who Is responsible for this out
rage this Insult? Who is master
here?" she demanded, in quick, Impas
sioned tones, while her face Indicated
tho terrible excitement which pos
sessed her.
Paul Nazlmoft advanced quickly.
"Stop, girl! You forget yourself and
who you are. You were commanded
hero by me Paul, Count Nazlmoft "
"Who and what is Paul, Count Na
Elmoff, that ho should command me?"
was the Imperious answer. "Am I
your servant, your serf, your child,
or your debtor? I am a free-born
Russian, no slave, and I shall not
obey you!"
Count Nazlmoff, by his command
had thrown down the gago of battle,
and Ilda Barosky for It was the
exile's daughter had taken It up. Two
strong natures were In conflict. On
tho one hand stood Paul Nazlmoft,
rich, powerful, noble, accustomed all
his life to command and to bo obeyed,
and now humiliated, if beaten, in tho
presence of all his guests.
On tho other, tho young girl, proud,
haughty and unbending, her woman's
pride stung to the quick by being
thrust like a serf Into tho midst of
tho brilliant throng, and commanded
to play, as a master commands a
slave. It was not hard to see that
hers was a nature that never would
yield to force, not even If resistance
meant the loss of life Itself.
How was tho battle to end?
"I shall not obey you!"
The words that ended tho young
girl's speech kept ringing In tho ears
of Paul Nazlnioff. "I shall not obey
you!"
No such words had ever been ad
dressed to him before. Could ho be
lle e the evidence of his own senses?
Surely everybody In St. Petersburg
knew that he, of all the great nobles
In tho capital, was tho ono whose
autocratic ways were best known. A!l
his guest3 knew It and yet here, an
unknown girl, an humble musician,
dared to stand before him, under his
own roof, and to fling In his face the
bold defiance, "1 shall not obey you!"
Paul Nnzlmoff's face, flushed be
fore, now turned to a ghastly white,
anil his eyes seemed to turn to coals
of Are. He no longer shouted. He
appeared calm, but It was the calm
ness of the tiger about to spring on
his unsuspecting victim.
"And 1 swear" the words came
slowly, with a hissing sound, from be
tween the lips "and I swear you
shall obey me. You forget who I am.
I am Paul, Count Nazlmoft."
"And I swear I shall not obey you.
I nm Ilda Barosky, the daughter of an
exile, and I shall not play 'God Save
tho Czar!'"
No ono spoke.
Tho strain was fearfully Intense.
Paul Nazlmoft shook for a moment
as the tree shakes when It feels the
first blast of the hurricane! The storm
was now beyond control, rio forgot
himself, his guests, his position, man
hood, nobility all everything. With
an oath he snatched tho whip from
the hands of Hanajka and raising It
advanced a step toward the girl.
"Father!"
"Count Nazlmoft!"
The two expressions rang out as one
the fir3t by Alexis, the other by
Cobb.
Alexis was first ho seized tho up
lifted hand. "Father, you must not!"
"Must not! must not!" shouted
Nczlmoff. He fairly thundered now.
Rage had dethroned Reason. "Stand
back!" ho shouted. "Stand bac, for
II WlH
if j - &
I swear this girl shall play or sho
shall suffeer. Let no ono come be
tween us." His voice grew louder.
"Sho has Insultod me. my guests, the
czar I swear sho shall suffer. No
power on earth can save her. Hanajka,
Azof seize her! Selzo her!"
, Tho servants obeyed. They would
i have strangled her there and then
(' had they been so commanded.
"Now, girl, for the last time." he
raised the whip, "play, or I swear to
degrade you by the lash. There is
nothing can save you. Now what think
you of defying Paul, Count Nazlmoft?"
The lash was uplifted. '
It was a lace distorted by insane
rage and fury that, with eyes aflame
- iWwVWrfVyW
Smith. All rights referred.
with devilish resolve, looked Into tho
face of Ilda Barosky.
Sho never moved. Thero was no
sign of fear, whatever she may havo
felt 8ho looked defiance.
"Tako hold of her arms and com
pel tho bow to cross tho strings!"
fairly screamed Nazlmoft, as ho again
raised tho whip.
Tho servants obeyed.
Paul Nazlmoft held tho whip up
lifted. "It la th) last time," he
yelled. "What will savo you now?"
"This will!" Tho answer of Ilda
Barosky, shrill and clear as a trumpet
sound, rang out, as with a quick mo
tion sho raised tho violin far nbovo
her head, and, before any ono could
prevent, dashed the Instrument Into a
thousand pieces at the feet of Na
zlmoft! Ho was baffled beaten.
x There was a gasp as he made a mo
tion with tho whip. Cobb and Alexis
sprang forward to avert the blow, but
It was needless. Tho whip fell from
his hands nnd ho fell forward. Tho
strain had been too much, and tho
next moment ho was unconscious.
With a quick motion Alexis sprang
to tho sldo of tho girl. "Quick, come
with me," ho said In a low voice, as
ho grasped her by the arm. In all
tho confusion Cobb seemed to keep
his mind. "Get her aWay," ho urged
Alexis, and at tho same moment ho
supported tho stricken count to a low
couch where several physicians among
tho guests attended him. A moment
consultation and they decided that It
was nothing serious. Paul Nazlmoft
was suffering from the effects of n
shock and overtaxed nerves. It was
all Tight. A few hours rest and ho
would bo quite himself again.
With a word of apology to tho
guests for tho unhappy affair that had
Drought the festivities to such an un
pleasant termination, Alexis bid good
night to such as remained. Cobb ho
asked not to leave him.
Alexis Nazlmoft, Immediately after
tho departure of the last of tho guests,
retired to his own room, accompanied
by General Cobb. He was laboring
under Intense emotion, and it was
some minutes before he becamo suffi
ciently composed to trust himself to
speak. When ho became somewhat
calmer he turned to tho American,
and putting out his hand as If to ask
for friendship and sympathy, said, in a
voice that still Indicated the intensity
of his feelings: "Cobb, my lato was
decided to-night!"
Cobb was about to answer, when,
with a movement, Alexis stopped him,
and In an Impassioned strain broko
out: "You do not know you do not
know that sho who stood before my
father to-night sho whom ho would
have degraded by the lash Is tno
woman I love tho only woman who
will ever be my wife."
To say that Cobb was astounded
mildly expresses It.
He sat amazed and expectant, not
knowing what to say. Alexis went on:
"Three years ago I first met her,
when she was a pupil at tho Conser
vatory. Sho had appeared before a
brilliant assemblage, and won tho ad
miration of all by her wondrous beauty
and her genius. I sought and obtained
an Introduction to her through tho
Baroness von Rhlneberg. I loved her
madly, passionately, devotedly I
loved her then as I love her now. I
offered her my name, I asked her to
beebmo my wife."
Cobb started. He had anticipated
a different avowal, and In his mind
had framed a reply to Alexis. But
ho was not prepared for his.
"Ilda refused," contlnuod Alexis,
"unless I could gain my father's con
sent. My marriage with her, sho
urged, would do a blow to ray fondest
hopes of military distinction; would
ostracise mo In St. Petersburg, and
would alienate tho affections of my
father. All this was true, but I ca?od
nothing for It. I begged. Implored
her to listen to me to give her con
sent. I offered to resign my commis
sion in tho army, to leave Russia with
her, to make, In short, any sacrlflco
but all In vain. My father heard
of my lovo for her and wo had a
stormy scene, which ended in my
leaving the nouse. I went directly to
see Ilda sho was gone! In vain I
sought her everywhere; sho had dis
appeared as if sho were no longer on
earth. A week later I received per
emptory orders to proceed to tho
frontier and join the Don Cossacks
for a campaign In Turkestan, and a
short time after my arrival in Asia
I received a note from my father that
a marriage had been arranged be
tween Olga Knrsicheff and myself, tho
ceremony to tako place on my re
turn to St. Petersburg. Broken-hearted
at tho loss of Ilda, I made no objec
tion, and you know tho rest. I never
saw Ilda Barosky from the time I
left St. Petersburg until to-night. Now
all my lovo has returned with tenfold
strength, and I swear that no other
woman shall ever bo my wife!"
"But your father, after to-night "
"He does not know that it was Ilda
ho never saw her. Carried away by
his rage at her refusal, ho know nor
cared not who It was that dared to
thwart a will that all through life
had never been gainsaid. To-night,"
and Alexis arose, "to-night has de
cided my fate. I am going to find
Ilda Barosky I am going to make
her my wife! I am going to ask
you "
A knock at tho door interrupted
him.
"Come In!"
A servant entered, and bowing re
spectively said a word or two, and In
nnswer to Alexis quick rosponao
withdrew to reappear a moment later
with a soldier wearing tho uniform of
tho same regiment ns that to which
Alexis belonged.
Then followed a few words of dla
loguo In a languago Cobb could not
understand, and tho soldier withdraw.
When they were onco mora nlono
Aloxls turned to Cobb. "I am going
to trust you fully and freely." he
said. "My servant has just returned,
having followed Ilda to nor destina
tion. I know whero sho Is and I am
going thero to-night. If my father
should awake, I ask you, in the name
of our friendship, to make such ex
planation of my absonco as will cause
him no uneasiness until my roturir.
You will do this for me, will you not?"
said tho young soldier, holding out his
hand. '
Cobb could say no more. Ho grasp
ed tho proffered hand of Alexis nnd
Ave minutes later was alone.
Alexis was on his way to seek Ilda
Barosky.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Nihilist Rendezvous.
A long, low room, with heavy wood
en rafters supporting tho celling,
which was grimed and blacked by
the smoko of a dozen oil lamps.
A room with a hot, Btlfllng, suffo
cating atmosphere tho result of tho
smoking lamps, tho fumes of tobacco
and an almost red-hot stove, which
had raised the temperature to an un
comfortable, almost an unsupportablo
degree.
A long table, upon which was scat
tered a miscellaneous collection of
Implements, a couple of rudo benches,
a chair or two, and some rough boxes,
utilized as seats, constituted most of
the furnishings.
Tho half-dozen steps, leading up to
a heavily barred door. Indicated that
tho room was a cellar, and the two
small windows, both with heavy shut
tcis of solid wood, which were only a
few Inches higher than tho bottom of
tho door, were of apparently little
practical use, either for light or von
tllatlon. Within this underground apart
ment, for such it really was, wero
gathered, on tho same evening as that
on which tho events described In tho
last chaptor occurred, some twelvo or
fifteen men and three women. Their
faces, darkened even beyond their nat
ural color by tho smoko and grime,
were marked by suppressed excite
ment, while their conversation, ani
mated In the extreme, was carried on
In that suppressed way suggestive of
extreme caution and ceaseless appre
hension. Not that all wero talking.
There wero workers there, men who
tolled and delved and whoso grimy
hands, hard and knotted, gave evi
dence that theirs had been no child's
play. A long coll of wire, somo elec
trical Instruments, nnd somo curiously
suggestive metal globes, were somo
of tho objects on tho table of which
mention has already been made.
The conversation, after an interval
of silence, had begun ngaln.
(To bo continued.)
Out of Pocket, but Got Even.
A 'squire not a great distance from
Philadelphia was visited by a client,
who protested that a liveryman had
"shaved" him dreadfully, and ho want
ed to como up to him.
"I asked him," oxplained the client,
"tho chargo for a horso to go to Ded
ham. He replied . I ordered tho
horse, and on my return offered in pay
ment $1; ho insisted on another dollar
for coming back, and made mo pay it."
The 'squire gavo him legal advice,
which follows: Going to tho livery
man, ho asked: "How much will you
charge for a horso to Salem?"
"Fivo dollars," replied tho stable
owner.
"Harness him up!" Tho client went
to Salem and returning by railroad,
went to the stabler, saying, "Here's
your $5."
"Where's my horso?" asked tho liv
eryman, in surprise.
"At Salem," answered tho client. "I
only hired him to go to Salem."
Sure Sign of Death.
The doctors who soothe the demon
of drink In tho alcoholic ward of a
Now York hospital havo recently dis
covered an unfaliing Indication of tho
approaching death of patients. Ono
of them described it In this way:
"Tho great majority of alcoholic pa
tior.ts in this city aro truck drivers.
Naturally, when they are driving a
team and aro continually urging their
steeds ahead. It's all right as long
as they keep driving aheaw, but tho
moment wo hear them begin to back
their horses wo know It's all off, and
we might as-well order their shrouds.
In dozens of cases I never knew this
sign to fail."
WoltaioNs nm
Bifexzi ml
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i.
wnen last Novomuer mere was
signed In the city of Petropolls n
treaty betweon Brazil and Bolivia, tho
impression was given that tho dlsputo
about tho Aquirl or Aero territory
was at an end; but recent events
show thnt only ono corner ot tho tri
angular dlsputo has ?cn settled, for
Peru Is yet to bo satisfied.
This territory furnished no end of
frontier conflicts during tho Inst gen
eration, owing to tho fact that It Is
a wedge-shaped area at tho juncturo
of the threo republics, Brazil, Bolivia
and Peru, all threo of which, before
tho treaty of Petropolls, laid claim to
It. Tho so-called Acre territory has
an area of about 80,000 square miles,
or nearly that of Great Britain. Tho
exploration of a part of It has bven
of the most casual kind and no ade
quate map of the area has been mndc.
Being at tho extremity of tho three
republics, Uttlo attention waB paid to
tho fate ot the great western water
shed of tho amazon river until In re
cent years attempts wero made by
syndicates to obtain concessions to
work tho rubber forests and to mlno
tho gold believed to bo In nbundanco
In this region.
Tho dispute at first waxed hot be
tween Bolivia and her eastern neigh
bor, Brazil, although thero was at tho
Bamo tlmo a series of vigorous pro
tests entered by Peru against Bolivia.
In every map of Bolivia tho wedgo
shaped territory Is allotted to that
state, and In the government maps of
Pom the wedge nnd something more
Is allotted to that republic. Bolivia
and Brazil had been for several years
practically at war over tho wilds in
the Alto Purus, but by tho tronty of
Petropolls Bolivia agreed to codo tho
Aero territory to Brazil, In return for
which Brazil agreed to cedo a small
triangular territory at the juncturo of
tho Abuna and Mamore rivers, to
form the Madeira, a giant arm of tho
Amazon. In addition to this cession,
Stetcb Map of tye covqtry
which was admittedly Inadequate,
Brazil also agreed to glvo an Indem
nity of $10,000,000. This money, how
ever, is to bo used mnluly In the con
struction of railways and other works
tending to Improve tho communica
tions and develop commerce between
the two countries. Brazil also agreed
to build on her"'own territory, parallel
with the Mamoro river, n railroad
about 240 miles long, from San Anto
nio to Guajara-Mlrlm, around the rap
Ids nnd cascades In tho river, which
malN the stream within that length
unnavigahlc.
In addition to these stipulations
Brazil agreed to tako tho quarrel with
Peru off tho hands of Bolivia; conse
quently, under tho convention, Bolivia
is now experiencing that tranquillity
that has been withheld her for many
years.
Tho history of tho dispute is con
siderably involved, nnd will no doubt
havo to bo decided by either arbitra
tion or war finally. Although thero
aro In existence boundary treaties of
1851 and 1867, neither Peru nor Bra
zil can at present agree upon their
Interpretations. Brazil contends -that
there are 10,000 Brazilians in the dis
puted country; that there should bo
no question to her right of occupa
tion. On the other hand, Peru claims
to havo maintained n military occu
piftlon of tho country unmolosted for
years.
Like most boundary disputes (and
Peru has had a lengthy history of
them) Uttlo interest was manifested
in tho remote district until It became
apparont that It was a land of virgin
riches. For years the rubber gather
ers had worked the rubber lands cu
the Amazon, but these becamo work
ed out and tho Interest moved up tho
river. Finally they entered tho Acre
district, which was found to abound
with rubber trees. In a Uttlo whllo
between 10,000 and 20.000 Brazilians
wero In tho territory, working tho vast
rubber lands.
In 1899 Bolivia took steps to oc
cupy tho region. She found tho Bra
zilians had doveloped tho rubber in
dustry to an enormous extent, and ut
onco soucht to coerco them. Finally
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tho so-called Republic of Acre was
formed, but It was Uttlo more than a
throat, for thero was never any renl
attompt at government. Bolivia np
poarcd to think that a nont solution of
tho ombnrrasslng situation would bo
to sell a concession to work tho rub
ber lnnds. Cnpltal was readily found
In this country nnd Germany, nnd tho
Bollvlnn syndlcato was formed, and
Ilko tho great trading countries of
tho seventeenth nnd eighteenth cen
turies, It was empowered to admin
ister tho region as well aB to work It.
it was given nlmost sovereign rights.
In November, 1902, tho agent of tho
syndlcato attompted to tako posses
sion, but so great was tho fooling that
ho was only a blind for a great Ameri
can annexation Bchcme that ho barely
escaped with his life, by abandoning
his Journoy.
Tho agont nrrivod at Porto Alonzo,
on tho Aero river, 2,800 miles from
tho mouth of tho Amazon, just at tho
tlmo tho Bolivian government officials
woro being overpoworod by tho Bra
zilians and tho Republic of Aero was
fyDispute-t-erntort i)o$ no-
In tho procosa of making. With tho
ousting of tha Bolivian officials who
wero to hand over tho region of Aero
to tho syndicate's representative, tho
syndicate's occupation failed, for It
was Impossible to tako possession
under tho circumstances. Brazilian
warships were sent up tho Amazon
and troops wero put on transports nnd
sent along to occupy tho disputed ter
ritory. About that tlmo a protocol
was signed, then followed tho troaty
of Petropolls, and ono of tho litigants
was removed from- tho troublesome
business.
Peru has always had pretonslons In
tho Aero region, nnd has had Innum
erable disputes with Bolivia on tho
subject. In fact such a dlsputo was
on at tho tlmo Bolivia made tho ces
sion to Brazil, but as tho lattor agreed
to assume the responsibility, tho pres
ent disturbance in tho region will
havo to bo settled betweon those two
states. Porn has occupied the uppor
Purus valley, and rocontly thoro wore
reports of a battle having takon place
botwoen tho Brazilians and Peruvians
at Santa Rosa.
Brazil insists that her right to tho
region is of long standing, and that
this right was recognized by tho treaty
of 1S51. Sho also insists that, that
being In possession of tho coast, and
also of tho territory extending to tho
sourcos of the rivers Junta or Yurua
and Purus emptying into that coast,
long peopled by Brazilians, she is In
tho right undor tho application of the
rule established by Plncknoy ami
Monroo In tho note of April 20, 1805.
This rulo is as follows:
"When any European nation takes
possession of any extent of sencoast,
that possession is understood as ex-
wif Aefe
CBMvftBrtteto
tending Into tho Interior country to
tho sourco of tho rivers emptying with
thnt coast, to all their branches and
tho country they cover."
It will bo seen by this contention
Brazil claims tho entire watershed of
tho Amazon, ono of tho most oxton-.
slvo In tho world. However, feeling
sure of her stand, Brazil offers to hear
any claim Peru haB to tltlo. but in
sists upon tho withdrawal of Peruvian
troops first.
Tho Peruvian attitude is simply
that Penr never admitted Brazil's
tltlo to tho territory now In dispute,
thnt tho troaty of 1851 contains no
recognition ot It, and that tho Peru
vian government has no recolloctlon
of over having admitted Brazil's "pro
tended right."
Peru assorts her willingness to
resort to arbitration, but without "de
manding provlous conditions unneces
sary to governments really wishing to
rench a prompt, just and pacific set
tlement ot their differences." In
other words, Peru insists upon hor
military occupation of Aero whllo tho
case Is arbitrated. Brazil makes it a
condition that tho Poruvlan forces ro
tiro first beforo sho will listen to ar
bitration, consequently at present tho
two governments aro deadlocked.
Among tho South Amorlcan states
war and revolution aro a part of tho
life and, therefore, at this time no ono
would havo tho hardihood to predict
whether tho dlsputo terminates In
hostilities or In arbitration. If tho
two states resort to forco thero ap
pears to bo tho favor of numbera on
tho sldo of Brazil, which has a rogular
army of 28,160 mon, gathered by com
pulsory servlco and by conscription,
has a regular forco estimated at 4,000
and the possibilities of increaso aro
not sufficient to offsot tho Brazilian
advantage. Each republic has a navy,
both of them small, and Peru's rather
insignificant. Brazil could send somo
of her ships as far up tho Amazon aa
je beer? Occurarely cn.rted
Acre, tho head of navigation on tno
Aero river. Peru, however, could
mako no use of her navy unless sho
trust thorn sufficiently to send them
around Capo Horn to harass tho Bra
zilian coast, which Is not nenr so like
ly as that Brazil might send somo of
her ships to make an assault upon
Callao, although tho chance of suc
cess in this undertaking is so small
as to scarcely warrant the undertak
ing. Philadelphia Ledger.
Strict Eastern Etiquette.
By a remarkable law of royal eti
quette, which has ruled for centuries
at the court of Slam, no person Is per
mitted to Bleep In an apartment over
that occupied by tho king. A deliber
ate breach of this custom has on
more than ono occasion been punish
ed by death. When tho King of Slam
honored Paris by a visit somo years
ago, by a singular oversight at his
hotel tho bedrooms reserved for his
dusky retlnuo wero placed directly
above that of tho monarch himself,
and tho blunder caused considerable
consternation among his fearful cour
tiers, until tho matter was explained
its tho management of tho hostelry
and duly rectified.
Hydrophobia Antidote.
During tho last year 58-1 persons
luten by dogs having hydrophobia
-.veto treated by tho Pasteur Institute
of India. Thoro were only six fail
ures to Immunlzo tho patients. Six
other casos came after the dlseasa
had devolopod.
The Misanthrope.
I In neither joys nor grieves,
Hut cavils nnd mistrusts;
HIm hopes nro like the wizened leaves,
Swirled down the nutunin gusts.
Uo looks nskauco at Life,
If so be Mirth lurk near;
He has 111 humored Doubt to wife.
And is the slave of Sneer.
He makes a mock of Love,
And all thnt on her wait:
Yet, howsoe'er desire may move,
He cannot rise to Hate.
Crimes of a former birth
Must wreak on him their spoil,
Llse why, while yet upon this earth
Must he abide In hell?
Clinton Scollurd. In Smart Set.