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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1904)
The Secret By JAMES i i CHAPTER XIII. With evident HiiH)l(.'ioii tttitl mini rust, BernlkolT viewed the growing Intimacy between IiIh prisfUHT Ivnn nurl the Scot tish captain; nnd though ho neither rec ommended lluit It should cease or Inter diet od it, lio mmlo many mental notes thereof. Though Bnlgonlc .aytnpnthized with Ivan lo the fullest, extent, he knew too well the dancer of doing more; nnd he felt that lie had IiIh own shnro of Hecrel norrow and anxiety, and might yet have greater to endure. 'I'he girl he lored wan already a political fugitive; her father nnd cousin were prlKonerH, and perhapM In chaliiH; lier brother and IiIh kinsman, Unakoff, already viewed as criminals; nnd with the terror of despotism hang ing over them all. Nntallo a fugitive and where? In the wild forests, perhaps, where wolves nd outlnwH lurked, what perils and pri Vntlons might, she not he suffering! Na talie, so delicate, so pure, ho gently nur tured, and so highly bred. Balgonlo was aware, also, that inti macy with the family of Mierowitz, and tho deep Interest he had in their fate, wan fraught with personal peril to him solf In such a land of tyranny as Russia. Full of such thoughts as these one fore noon, he was leaning on a cannon In one of those deep embrasures of the fortress which faced the drawbridge communicat ing with the land. The guard was In the act of lowering the bridge to penult a man to pass otit. This person was just parting from Hornlkoff, with whom he had been for some time In close and earn est conversation, and from whom he was evidently receiving money an unusual circumstance, as that distinguished lield ofllccr generally lavished more kicks and cull's than thanks or coins. On beholding this man, as ho bowed humbly, cap in hand, cross the bridgo and disappear among the houses of the town beyond, Bnlgonio experienced a species of nervous shock. He could not doubt that this fellow, so gigantic In stature and powerful in muscular devel opment, in tho coarse coat and leathern girdle, with the long lock of grizzled hair dangling behind his right ear, was Nich olas I'aulovltch, the murderer of Po dntchkiue, the gypsy woodman, and tho swindling mendicant of the barrier at tho Neva. "Tills man hero in Sclilusselburg," thought Halgonle, with indignation and nlarm; "here in earnest conversation with Bcrnikoff. Tho spirit of mischief seems to pervade the air again I" A few minutes afterward a Cossack named dagouskl, who had been severely kuouted by HernikofT for pilfering a pipe ful of tobacco, came forward with tot tering steps, and looking painfully thin and feeble from recent suffering, and with tho crouching bearing of the Mus covite toward a superior, said that his Excellency the Governor wished to speak with him in his (iniirters, whither Bui gonlo at onco repaired. "Carl Ivanovltch," nald Bernikoff, who certainly had rather a perturbed air, "oomo suspicious characters aro in our vicinity, and have actually been hovering in boats about tho fortress. What think you of that?" "Suspicious characters, excellency how?" "In tho town one dropped this coin a ollvcr rouble of the prisoner Ivan Ivan tho Unknown Person. To possess one, unless as 1 do this, for proof of treason, la to court death or Siberia." "And from whom had you this?" "A spy," replied tho colonel curtly. "Tho man who has just loft you?" "The same." "Nicholas I'aulovltch," continued Hal gouie, with Increasing astonishment at tho other's coolness; "tho assassin of the corporal tho wretch of whom 1 told you when I first arrived here!" "All that may or may not be," replied Bernikoff, with a stern air, almost amounting to rudeness; "when I require this fellow no more, you may Impale him, if you please; but molest hlin not at present." "I do not see, excellency, that all this In any way concerns me," ciid Halgo ulc, haughtily. "It does concern you thus far. I shall anticipate any attempt that may be made by those lurkers, whoever they may be. You must remember," he added, lowering his voice, "tho tenor of tho dispatch you brought me." "Perfectly," replied Charlie, In a some what faint voice, as lie knew not how tcrriblo or repugnant might be the duty assigned him by tills military despot. "Well, you shall pass forth into the town to-night, with a patrol of twenty men, armed with sabers and carbines. Surround and search the main street, and compel all therein who seem suspi cious, to -produce their papers; and, if thoy nro without such, bring them to me, and I shall question them in a fashion of my own." "And 1 nin to tako twenty men with mo?" said Bnlgonio, after an unpleasant pause. "Yes! tho bridgo will bo lowered for vou after sunset. Whoever theso lurk ers are, they haVo been soen and over 'heard; and this coin is proof suHlcient to warrant tho transportation of a whole province. Bo they who they may, by ov 'ery dome In sacred Mother Moscow, they tdiall find mo ready for them!" . Bnlgonio had no resource but to pbey In silence; nnd an nngry sigh escaped him ns ho stuck his loaded pistols in his girdlo when tho sun sank behiud tho green painted roofs of the wooden town Dispatch GRANT and the evening gun boomed from the ramparts. Defiling in the twilight through the streets of .SfhltiMHclbtirg. he marched straight to where lie knew that the prin cipal tea house was situated; and while his heart sank within him in fear of whom he might arrest perhaps Natalie himself he at once mtrrounded the building to prevent all egress, and to the evident alarm and perturbation of all who were within. When the crooked sabers of the dis mounted Cossacks were seen Hashing In the porch, and when Halgonle entered with his sword drawn, passing along the narrow way between the numerous ta bles, at which the groups wero seated, amid an oppressive odor of strong tea, coarse tobacco and Russian leather from bootH, caps and girdles many a peasant in his canvas coat, and many a stout merchant In his fur cloak felt his heart quail with apprehension, he knew not of what; and every saucer the tea is not drunk from cups was set down uutasted, while one or two men nearly choked themselves with their lumps of sugar, for usually it is not put into the tea, but is retained In the mouth of the drinker, so that, in a spirit of economy, tho poor Muscovite may indulge in two, perhaps three, cups of his favorite bever age, and use thereto but one piece of sugar. For his Intrusion Halgonle apologized; tills, though a very unusual proceeding In a country so despotic, failed to reas sure the tea drinkers, who were all hush ed in silence and expectation; and a girl who had been singing for their amuse ment crouched down in a corner for con cealment. Halgonle counted the number of per sons, and noted the exact hour by his watch; ho then proceeded, with a heart full of anxiety and dread, to examine each person in succession, in reality look ing for those he had no wish to find. All who possessed the requisite papers allowed them; others proved, all in suc cession, to be soldiers and drivers, sail ors anil serfs; tints, after a time, a load seemed to be lifted from tho mind of the young olllcer. Ah ho turned to leave the apartment without a prisoner, the Cossack .Tagouskl rather roughly drag ged the singing girl from the nook where she had sought concealment, and then Halgonle recognized tho fine dark face, the black eyes and tho large glittering earrings of Olga Paulowna, the gypsy girl whom ho had befriended at Lougu she who saved him from a terrible fate in tho forest. "Let the girl go freo, Jagouskl," said Halgonle; "I shall answer for lior If re quired." Olga drew a paper from her bosom and showed that it was her passport from tho commandant of Krejko, permit ting her to travel to and from Schlusscl burg. ilagouskl saluted and withdrew a few paces; and now, ns If the cloud of doubt and dread Halgonlo's arrival had cast over all was dispersed, again the noisy hum of voices pervaded the long room of tho tea house, and laughter even broke fortii at intervals. "Olga," said Halgonle, "you hove so far from home?" "Yes, Ilospodcen. for my home is any where, or wherever night finds me; but 1 have news for you." "News and for me?" "Yes," said slip, sinking her voice to a whisper; "X have news of Natalie Mlerowna. Shf is here. In the neigh borhood of Sclilusselburg." Charlie felt his heart ilie within him at tills intelligence, for such a vicinity was full of peril. "He to-morrow at noon on the road that leads to Tosna, and you shall learn more. Till then, adieu; and God be with you." CIIAPTKIt XIV. The noon of the following day saw Charlie Halgonle after an anxious and almost sleepless night proceeding on foot along the road that loads southward to Tosna, a little town which stands on a stream of the same name, a tributary of the Nova, but some ten miles distant from Sclilusselburg. Before him rose the tall fir trees of the forest where ho was to meet Olga the "wood of the honey tree," as it was named. There, as Halgonie approached, all was still save the "voice of tho wood cock, and the hum of insects; he lingered for a few minutes on the outskirts, just where tho highway to Tosna dipped down into the deep and gloomy dingle of Intertwisted branches, which formed a species of leafy tunnel overhead. To the northward he could see the place he had left, the gloomy Cnstlo of Sclilusselburg, moated round by the Neva and Lake Ladoga, jutting into the latter on its rock, its towers wearing a somber brown tint even in the noonday sunshine, as if no light could brighten them; and tho whlto tlag of Russia was Muttering on tho summit of tho keep, whero Ivan was pining away tho years of youth In silence and seclusion. Halgonle heard a voice waking tho echoes of tho dlnglo; three notes were struck on a tambourine, ns a slgnnl to him, and Olga approached singing. "I havo kept my appointment, Olgn." "And I mine," sh'o replied gayly, wlillo tripping toward him In a playful man ner; "now follow me, Ilospodcen, and I shnll tako you to those who .will bu right glnd to seo you." "First let us be sure that we nrc un-wnlched." "night," mild she; nnd stooping In her earnc diHSH, her keen, dark nnd gilt tering ejes swept tho whole lnndscape that lay between the vood and Schlnssel burg, and glanced keenly beyond the stems of the trees into the dingles and vista; but, save the birds on the branches and the gnats revolving in tho sunshine, no living thing was visible. "Follow me, Ilospodcen," snid the gyp sy; "we have not far to go." They descended into the dnrk dingle, or hollow, and then quitted tho highway. Olga gathering up her skirts that she might tread with greater facility among the thick gorse and long rank grass. She explained to Halgonle that, as there was no path to guide them, her chief clews were a set of notches, cut to all appear ances carelessly, as If with a woodman's ax, on the bark of the great pine trees. "These marks seem fresh, and recently cut who made them?" asked Halgonie. "The Ilospodcen, Basil Mlerowitz," she whispered. "Poor Basil!" responded Charlie, in a low tone. After toiling through the dense forest for more than half an hour, they Arrived at the foot of a gray granite cliff, the face of which was screened, or nearly covered, by masses of depending Ivy, creepers and green lichens, forming a background which, at a little distance, blended willi the greenery of the woods. "We have arrived." said she, turning, with a flush mi her dark face which made it radiantly beautiful. She struck three strokes on her tambourine and shook its bells. Charlie thought of her kinsman, Nich olas Paulovitch. and instinctively grasp ed one of the pistols at his girdle, on see ing the dark and bearded face of u man appear among the ivy leaves some twenty feet above li Int. A rope ladder was low ered, and whatever doubts or misgivings were in his mind, he felt himself con strained now to go through the adventure to its end. He clambered up, and on the great screen of ivy being lifted aside, found himself face to face with his old friend Basil Mierowitz, tho subaltern of his company, who. grasping both his hands with kindly warmth of manner, led him into a cavern or grotto, one of a series of many, into which the granite rocks had there been hollowed by some long past convulsion of nature. Another hand was instantly laid on his, a smaller and softer one and two beautiful dark eyes were bending tenderly on his face. "Natalie!" lie exclaimed, in a tremu lous voice, and would have pressed her to his breast, but for the presence of Basil and several other men. Amid the twilight of the cavern, lie could perceive its rough natural walls and arch, with hazy but sunny rays that streamed faintly in the background, athwart the obscurity, as if the vault communicated with other galleries in tho rock, through which the upper light of day stole in by the crannies and ('liasms. He was also enabled to see that, with Natalie, her brother Basil, and her cousin Usakofi', who had been a lieutenant in the Valikolutz tircnadiors, there were about twenty men in tho place, all clad in sheepskin coats, the invariable dress of the Russian peasant, and nearly all had red serge breeches, rough boots and girdles of rope or untanned leather. Though attired like woodmen or labor ing serfs, all these men had unmistakably the bearing of well-trained soldiers; all were strong, active, and resolute in as pect; and Halgonie had no doubt that they wero those natives of the Ukarino, the deserters from the Livoninn frontier, of whom Bernlkoff had spoken; for against the walls of the cavern wer ranged a number of muskets and bayo nets, with sets of accouternients, sabers and pistols. There, too, stood a regi mental drum, decorated with the impe rial arms, and the forbidden name of the Emperor Ivan! Every moment seem ed to increase the perils that surrounded the luckless Halgonie, for now lie wna in tlte very den of the conspirators. "Oil! Hasil UsakofT my friends, if indeed I may yet dare to call you so, and live," said Halgonie, in a voice that was broken by emotion, "for what rash and dreadful purpose do 1 find you and theso unfortunate fellows here?" "Vou and all Russia, too, shall learn ere long," replied Mierowitz calmly and tderuly; yet with a grave and noble air, with which his coarse canvas cont assort ed oddly. "And poor Natalie!" exclaimed Hal gonie, in a tone of grief and reproach; "have you no love for her?" "Until Natnlie informed me, I knew not, my friend, Carl Ivanovltch, that you were the bearer of that secret dispatch, which might have cost you limb or life, when it was too late to arrest tlioso I had set upon your track." "Well, certainly, I was not much in debted to the good olllces of your rogue, Podatchkinc." "The corporal's orders were simply to abstract the document and bring it to me; not to slay its bearer, unless such a catastrophe became unavoidable." "lie fell into his own snare a dark and deadly one." "Happily you escaped it, and I have saved two hundred silver roubles for tho service of the emperor." "Who do you mean?" asked Balgonlo, In a whisper. "Ivan the prisoner of Sehlusselbucg!" exclaimed I'sakolT, with enthusiasm. "Alas!" added Halgonle, "you court but your own destruction." "Think not so; but join us, and sham our perils and our glory," replied tho other. "I am bound by nlleginnco to tho cm press," "You nro but ft tool in her hands, Carl Balgonlo." "Perhaps so; but ono with n sharp edge, 1 hope," replied Balgonie, who felt only genuine sorrow; and n silenco of nearly a minuto ensued. (To bb continued,) A Good Index. Listen to what your friends say o others if you would know what they say of you. Chicago Dally News. I ' ' ? Her Sweeping. "I suppose your now servant girl is like the nvorngo now broom," said Miss McCall. "Yes," replied Mrs. Hiram Offcn. "She really sweeps elenn, eh?" "Very likely. At any rate, she doesn't sweep the dirty places." Philadelphia Press. Ingenuity. Doctor Why, you said In your note that you had the croup and I come here to llnd you have the rheumatism. Patient Well, doe, there wasn't a soul in the house who could spell rheu matism. What We May Kxpcct. Another great opera had arrived from Europe and was being produced In New York. "I shall assigti twenty men to write It up," said the great editor. "Twenty?" echoed the assistant. "Yes. Nineteen to describe tho poo pie in tho boxes nnd one to describe tho play." AWFUL LANGUAGE. Mr. Smith (to Rastus, whose mule refuses to move) Rastus, what do you call your mule? Rastus I reckon under do circumstances, boss, what I calls dat nuilo wouldn' be fit to print. Of Courne. The kindergarten teacher had been giving her class a little talk about the moon. "And now," she asked in concluding, "can any one tell mo why wo can't see the moon when there is a storm?" It had rained the preceding night. Young Eddy had a reply. "Why, cause," said he" "If the moon came out the rain would put out his light." De troit Freo Press. Taking No Chances. "My intended husband Is a finan cier." "How do you know?" "no didn't buy tho engagement ring until I had accepted him." Of Moro Importance. Meekorton I wonder who really is tho greatest person living to-day? Mrs. Meekorton Well, I know who the greatest person living In this house Is, all right. Wonder Why? A maid she Is, hut if willed old, Sho declares it is a libel; Yet, strange to say, she hid away Tho dear old family bible. Settling It Amicably. Mrs. Strongmind (police innglst, ,'lsts a few years hence) And so you hav been having trouble with your wife? Mr. Meek Yes, your honoress, sin has Just driven mo out of tho house. This big bump was made with a lint) Iron. Mrs. Strongmind I see. Well, wall until it hoals, and then, perhnps, if yoi go back she'll forgive you. Now Yorl Weekly. A Dangerous Statement. Nowitt He's anxious to bo consld ered a man of some social distinction Blinker He's taking a queer waj about it. Nowitt Why. Bunker lie snys golf is "mere torn myrot." Philadelphia Press. Alimony. "If any man realizes that his wlf is worth her weight In gold Gaymnj does." "Why, I understand they were dl vorccd." "Exactly, and It cost him just nhou) that much to got rid of her." Phlla dolphin Press. Merely u Suggestion. Borem (11 p. m.) Yes, I'm a perfect martyr to insomnia. I've tried evoryi thing I ever heard of, but I slmplj can't get to sleep at night. Miss Cutting (suppressing a yawn Did you ever try talking to yoursoll after going to bed? Menus to nn did. "Mad? I should say so! I oxpecto a cup of hot coffee to warm mo u and when I got it it was stone cold." "Then it seemed to produce the do sired effect, after nil. It made yoi hot." Philadelphia Press. IHh Sole Avocation. "So your Uncle Tottcrly lived to tht great age of 109 years! How do yot account for his longovlty?" "I attribute it to tho fact that hi was never known to do much of any thing else." Smart Set. Hanging On. "Did you know that leeches are stiB used in the practice of medicine?" No, but I know that some collection agencies still employ them." Cincln natl Times-Star. Sonic Good in It. "Did dat hist Job o' yours do an? good?" asked the first burglar. "Well, It'll improve my education, J guess. The man of the house was a book agent and before I got away h made mo buy a cyclopedia." Philadel phia Press. Wouldn't Do as Well. Regular Guest Have you anj clams? Waiter No; we haven't had a clam in tho house for a week. Regular Guest Oh, well, bring rm some clam chowder. Exchange. Would Not Hurt Them. Stranger Gracious! What rude con ductors! Native This is tho elevated road, you know. Stranger Well, it wouldn't hurt tin conductors to be a little moro elevated Chicago News. An Awful Shock. Prunolelgh Our landlady 1b laid U with nervous prostration. Porkand What caused it? Prunolelgh A new hoarder caraf yesterdny and insisted on paying s week in advance. Straps. L Sharpe now aro nil thoso citlzeni who stood up for tho trolley out here! Whealton Why, most of them stnud up In the cars now: o