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About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1904)
t , n Y DARKEST RUSSIA DY 11. GRA.TTAN DONNELLY. r Copyright , 1800 , by Street k Smith , All rights rCllcncd. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ r - . . . . . . . --.v - " ' . , . - - - . CHAPTER V.-Contlnued. ( ) "My dear sir , you are very welcome , believe me. My son In his letters , ; from Asia had already spoken of you .in terms which show his high regard and esteem , and believe me , it would have been a matter of sincere regret . had you not given me an opportunity of expressing my thanks In lCrson. Karslcheff ! " The general had been observing the scene and approached. . "You remember meeting General Cobb at the American minister's ? " And the ice thus broken , General F Cobb was soon introduced by the I count to most of the celebrities press ent , and particularly to those with whose fortunes we are more immediately . .atoly concerned. It was now approaching half . past eleven. ' General Karslcheff , leaving the . American enjoying a teto-a . tete with ' . Baroness von Rhlneberg , who , after vainly endeavoring to converse with the stranger in French and German , o had fallen back on English , walked ; across the room in obedience to a 4 glance from his wife , who had just s rejoined her daughter. "It Is true , papa , and will Colonel , . ' " Nazlmoff not arrive to . night ? " asked Olga , as her father approllclw I' ( "Oh , not so bad as that ; the train , is late , that is all. Why do you per- slst in speaking of your future husband . I ' ' ? He band as 'Colonel' Nazlmoff , Olga I was 'Alexis' .to you before. Surely nothlng- " and Karslcheff paused , , , looking his daughter full In the face. ll' servant approached as General Karslcheff spoke , and bowing respect- fully ! said : "Pardon , your excellency , but a gentleman from 203 desires to see you. " " " 203 ! " _ ) . . . . ' Radaloff's \ . , ' Radnloff's official number on the private lists of the ministry of police. ti "Olga , remain with your mother ; 1 will join you presently , " and so saying f Karslcheff followed the servant from , the room. t He had forgotten Olga's rather cold expression ! , "Colonel Nazlmoffj" ; had forgotten the half.formed thought that began to take shape In his mind j had , 9 i 1 f , . . . , . , \ . , . - ' I . " ! ! . . . &t & " -Zifl" GEIVrl24L CO forgotten Olga herself-everything but Radaloft' , the man upon whom all depended - . pended now. The servant led the way to a small . , apartment adjoining the library , I i " opened the door , and General Kar- slchetr and RadaloCf were face to . . . r" . . face. " In a few brief words Radaloft' told of his discoveries j of how in the . Baroness yon Rhineberg's house he had found the evidence which connected - . ed her secretary , Ivan DarosIQ' . with the Nihilists and as he spoke he exhibited . hiblted the documents taken from the secret drawer in the desk. One was Q. copy of the interdicted Geneva publication - llcatlon , and the other ! . _ . . . . - - . - . . - . . . - x . . . . - . . , . . . - Could Karslcheft' believe his eyes ? A list of one hundred and slxty.three . names of "Friends of Russia ! " The great prize ! with this In his possession he had It in his power to strike Nihlllsm a death blow , and by the immediate and simultaneous arrest . rest of aU whose names were on the paper there was reason to believe that he could stamp out the revolutionary - tlonary , fires in St. Petersburg at once and forever. What wonder that when Constantine - tine Karsichetr entered the salon again he seemed transformed. There I was an energy in his step , a firmness In his voice , and a gUtter of triumph in ! his eyes that spoke volumes. "At last , " ho kept repeating to himself - self , as if finding pleasure in the words . j "at last I can do somothlng. " To.night-before another dawn- he would deal Nihilism such a blow as would destroy it ; he would make all Europe ring with his praises as the great official of the empire who had saved the czar ! As his imagination pictured the gratitude of his sovereign , there broke upon the night air the sound of distant sleigh bells coming nearer and nearer. A flutter of excitement began among the throng of guests. Paul Nazlmo1 , his , face flushed with pleasure , suddenly appeared. "Alexis is coming , " he announced. The sleigh bells sounded nearer. There was borne across the frosty air the cheery "hi , hi" of a driver and the quick echo of the hoofs of flying horses as they approached the Nazi- molt palace. The guests crowded to the doors and the band , the famous band or'Dorsld , struck up the welcome march. The foaming horses stopped , the sleigh bells gave a last merry jingle , and , as a loud cheer broke from the crowds of servants gathered at the entrance , Alexis Nazimoff sprang out , and in another moment was clasped In his father's arms. CHAPTER VI. - Alexis Nazlmoff at Home. Alexis Nazlmotr was a splendid specimen of the young Russian officer , and as' he stood by his father a moment . ment after his arrival and received a greeting from the Karslcheffs , whose welcome quickly followed his entrance , he looked the ideal of the dashing cavalrrman. His great coat , cap and sword had been handed to a servant , and his finely proportioned figure was revealed to a perfection In the uniform which became him so well. well.His dark eyes , softened by the expression - pression of the emotion with which he had met his father's greeting , lighted up a face of singular attract- iveness. His hair , of a deep chest- nutty brown , matched well the sun- tanned complexion j and the slightly aquiline nose , finely chiseled , Indicated at once the high birth and the strength of character : while the well- formed mouth showed under the dark brown must ! ! he such lines of deci- sion as to indicate that once the Bps were drawn together in evidence of a purpose formed , that purpose would be carried out at any cost. Alexis , after greeting his father , had turned to Olga , whom he kissed on both cheeks , but those who noticed the salutation could hardly help com- ing to the conclusion that there was little of ardor in the act. It was rather the perfunctory salutation of a sister than the ardent greeting of an affianced wife after a presumably cruel separation of two long years. As he was greeted by one friend after another , Alexis' face indicated the ' pl" igure he felt at the warmth of his I reception. He was the center 01 a group most of whom were old acquaintances - qualntances , when his father , who had observed General Cobb standin ; . . halt.concealed at a curtained window 118 he talked to the Baroness van Rhlnoberger , approached the latter. "My dear baroness , you must not bG last with your welcome to Alexl8- ho was always a favorite with you , anti general Cobb. Come along ! " So saying , Paul Na1-lmoft , offering ! his arm to . the baroness , tscorted her down to the group where Alexis stood the central figure In a joyous hrong "My dear baroness , " was the hearty greeting of Alexis , as he recognized her , and he was about to continuo when his father spoke : "And hero io another aId Crlond- " He had no opportunity to finish the Rentence. . Alexis turned and saw Cohb. His face fairly glowed with pleasure as he impulsively sprang forward with outstretched hands. "What Cobb ! my friend , my dear friend ! Here , here , beneath by father's root. This is indeed a pleasure ! Welcome - come ten thousand times To , d you here when I thought you back ,1n America makes my happiness this night complete ! " The warmth of Alexis' words , no less than the evident pleasure and sincerity with which they were utter- 4\kM * ) I r. ! f ' 't 1 ! itrlll i\tr \ l/ll ' 4'i4 'r r r _ _ "x'03 Ld S 7A _ ) V27" ed produced a feeling ot profound surprise - prise in the assemblage. With the exception of the meeting with his father , when his emotion was appant tu all , Alexis had given no evidence of other than the natural pleasure with which he had met the ' welcome of his friends. His man- ner was not wanting in warmth , but in no case had he shown anything like the spontaneous and hel1rtfelt pleasure with which he had greeted Cobb. There were glances of surprIse and inquiry between the guests , and on the face of the Countess KarslcheCt there was an expression of annoyance which she found It impossible ! to avoid. Four hundred curious eyes had seen the meeting of Alexis and Olga , and she felt that gossip would be busy with Its significance in a hundred places In St. Petersburg. The warmth of Alexis' greeting to Cobb made his cold- ness before doubly apparent , and Katherine Karsicheff raising her . haughty head , made no effort to conceal . . ceal the significance . of the inquiry i which her eyes directed to those of i Alexis. ' Alexis quickly realized that some explanation was required. Taking General Cobb hy the arm ho advanced - vanced from the group. "Father , friends , " ho said , looking at the com- pany , "has he not told you ? LO you not know ? " The puzzled looks answered the question. "Evidontl not , " proceeded Alexis , as he stopped the protest of Cobb. "Then I shall tell 'ou. Aid me to show my gratitude , your regard to my friend , my preserver ! " "His preserver ! " Astonishment gave way to curiosity and an eager expectancy pervaded the assemblage as Alexis spoke : "Ay , my preserver , the man but for whose steady hand and resolute heart I sltclld now be filling an unmarked . . grave in Asl : ! . . " "Ob , come now , none of that , " began - gan Cobb , " - " "The stol'Y-teU ue the story. " The request came from a dozen voices. Paul Nazhnol'f ' , as Alexis 8polco of Cobb au his preserver , laid his hand on the arm of the American with n. kindly gesture , while the baroness , with an eagerness she made no attempt . tempt to hide , exclaimed : "Presorver ? the brave American ! " Alexis began : "About a year ago , , while our command , under General \ Kaufman , was pushIng Its way across : I the Tartary steppes , we had a sharp i conflict with a body of Turcoman caV- , airy. We were apprehensive of an , j attack by the enemy in force , and promptly took a position to repel . any advance. Night fell , and my troop was assigned to outpost duty. I was ordered to advance as far as possi- ble , so as to get some idea of the Turcamans , if they should prove to be in force. We fell into an anibus Clulo , and I Was captured and hurried j to the Turcoman headquarters , where I was thrust into a tent and my fate speedily docreed. In the conflict of . which I have spoken , the Turcoman chief's son was killed , and it was determined . ; termlned to kill me by way of ro prisal. I "While deliberating In my fate , I overheard the Turco- mans allude to another prisoner . oner whom they captured , and his death too was urged. It was pleaded in extenuation that lie was not a Russian j that ho was a civilian and that he would evidently be heavily . ransomed. Toward daylight ! I lJOC1i1U conscious that some one was gaining entrance to my tent from a tent adjoining - joining , and I received a whispered word of warning in English to pre- serve silence , that the intruder was a friend. There in the darkness 1 felt the grasp of a friendly hand , and soon the stranger : ! began to unfasten the bonds which held me fast , hands and feet. "Whl1e thus engaged , he muttered 'hush , ' and silently drew hack into the darkest part of the , tent. A move- ment at the entrance caused me to look in that direction. There , as a silhouette against the light of early dawn , stood a Turcoman. I1is face gleamed with deadliest hate. It was the chief whose son had been killed , and who had demanded my 1lfe. In his hand he bore , an uplifted dagger. I could see the gleaming steo1. He advanced. I closed mr eyes , niur - . inured a prayer and waited. . I could almost feel his hot breath on my face ! I Suddenly there was a fiash and are. ! port. The Turcoman fell , shot throe h I the brain. At the same nnomenii ' tfr > I troops with a wild cheer charged the I Turcomnn cant , , and we were saved. : Cobb , my frIend , my dear friend here , I was the man who fired that shot and . I saved mr life at the risk of his own ! " "Bravo ! Bravo ! "Bravo Cobb ! " I "Noble American ! " "Gallant soldier ! " were some of the exclamations which followed the recital of Alexis' thrilling - ing adventure and rescuo. As lie finished he turned , and grasping Cobb warmly by the hand , he added : "Now friends , aid me to show our brave American that we Russians are not ungrateful ! " ( To be'contlnuod. . ) i Precaution. Mr. Upson Downes ( seated by a : stranger in a railway carriagc- ) i What time is it by your watch , if you I please ? Stranger-I don't lmow. i Mr. Upson Downes-But you have just looked at it. ! i I Stranger-Yesj ; 1 only wanted to i , see if it was still thero.-Stray Stories. Mosquito Experiments Dr. Qultmnn Kohnlce , preslllent of the New Orleans Board of Health , Is in Texas to determine by experiments the feasibllllr of fighting the mosquito IlS a gernn . carrier. He that studieth revenge leopetb his own wounds green which other- wiRe would heal and do well.-Dacon.