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About The Alliance herald. (Alliance, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1902-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 24, 1904)
k 4 1 flt, R i woW DARKEST RUSSIA nr m. oratta donneixt. 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 S teMf ktf 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 f3 Jf J : J5 n J'Jy 73 9 lad 5? ST " tot t r xii . S) leak fsjfff- TMAJrvST ri I V r- "" mmmBOUN&A!VJ CtUUTfCff y-X r&jl XSS fY 3r ' fr""3f" """"" Vvr b ' l w v IT rj re re a; r Iftaftn $teft , kxtf2 $s tho so-called Republic of Acre was formed, but It was Uttlo more than a throat, for thero was never any renl attompt at government. Bolivia np poarcd to think that a nont solution of tho ombnrrasslng situation would bo to sell a concession to work tho rub ber lnnds. Cnpltal was readily found In this country nnd Germany, nnd tho Bollvlnn syndlcato was formed, and Ilko tho great trading countries of tho seventeenth nnd eighteenth cen turies, It was empowered to admin ister tho region as well aB to work It. it was given nlmost sovereign rights. In November, 1902, tho agent of tho syndlcato attompted to tako posses sion, but so great was tho fooling that ho was only a blind for a great Ameri can annexation Bchcme that ho barely escaped with his life, by abandoning his Journoy. Tho agont nrrivod at Porto Alonzo, on tho Aero river, 2,800 miles from tho mouth of tho Amazon, just at tho tlmo tho Bolivian government officials woro being overpoworod by tho Bra zilians and tho Republic of Aero was fyDispute-t-erntort i)o$ 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.