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About Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921 | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1910)
\ ! , " "ARnHU&F&CJfc d ) SYNOPSIS. Baraka , a Tartar girl , became enamored of a golden bearded stranger who was prospecting and studying herbs In the vicinity of her home In central Asia , nnd revealed to him the location of a mine of rubles hoping that the stranger would love lier In return for her disclosure. They wore followed to the cave by the Klrl's relatives , who blocked up the en trance , and drew ot ( the water supply , leaving the couple to die. Baraka's cousin Baud , her betrothed , attempted to climb down a cllfC overlooking the mine ; but the traveler shot him. The stranger wus revived from n water gourd Saud car ried , dug hla way out of the tunnel , and departed , deserting the girl and carrying ft bag of rubles. Baraka gathered all the Items she could carry , and started In pur- eult. Margaret Uonno ( Margarita da Cordova ) , a famous prlma donna , became engaged In London to Konstanttu Lo- rothotl. a wealthy Greek financier. Her Intltnato friend was Countess Leven. known as Lady Maud , whoso husband had been killed by a bomb In St. Peters burg ; and Lady Maud's most Intimate triond was Rufus Van Torp , an Ameri can , who hnd become one of the richest men In the world. Van Toip was In love with Margaret , and rushed t * London as Boon ns he heard of her betrothal. He offered Lady Maud $5,000,000 for her pet charity If she would aid him In winning the singer from Logothctl. Baraka approached preached Logothetl at Versailles with rubles to noil. Ho presented a ruby to Margaret. Van Torp bought n yacht und eent It to Venice. Ho was visited by Baraka In male attire. She gave him a ruby after the Ametlcan had told her of having seen In the United States a man answering the description of the one she loved. The American followed Margaret to the Bayreuth "Parsifal" festival. Mar garet took a liking to Van Torp , who pre sented her with the ruby Baraka had plvon him. Count Krallnsky , a Russian , arrived at Bayreuth. Van Torp believed him to bo the one Baraka was pursuing. Baraka was arrested in London on the charge of stealing from Plnnoy , a Jew eler , the ruby aho had sold to Logolhctl. Two strangers woto the thieves. Lady Muud believed that Logothetl's associa tions with Baraka were open to suspi cion , and so Informed Margaret. Van Torp believed that Krallnsky was the cowboy ho had known In his young man hood. Losothotl secured Baraka's re lease , and then , with her as his guest , went to sea on his yacht Erlnna. Baraka explains her plans for revengeon the man who had deserted her and left her to die. Logothetl succeeds In moderating her rage. Lady Maud arrived In Bay reuth. Margaret and Van Torp entered Into an agreement to build a tremendous opera house In New York. The thief who utolo the ruby from Mr. Plnney Is arrested - od In Now York and the stone recovered. Lady Maud confides to Van Torp that ha believes Krallnsky to be the husband oho had believed dead. Van Torp prom ises his help to unravel the mystery. CHAPTER XIII. Continued. She had already come to the conclu- BOU that if Krallnsky was really Lev- en , the latter had seized the opportu nity offered him by his own supposed death to disappear from St. Peters burg , and had taken another name. Leven had been a ruined man when ho had tried to divorce her ; when ho died , or disappeared , ho left nothing but debts , which were extinguished with him , for no ono attempted to make his widow responsible for them , elnce there waa no estate and she had no fortune beyond the allowance her father made her. Lord Creedmoro was far from being a rich peer , too , and what he gave her was not much , al though It would more than suffice for her simple wants , now that she In tended to live with him again. But If Leven had not been killed and hnd turned Into Krallnsky , he now had plenty of ready money , though It was not easy to guess how ho had obtained possession of a quantity of raluablo Asiatic rubles within the few weeks that had elapsed between his supposed destruction by the bomb and the date of Van Torp's transaction with him In New York. That was a mystery. So was his possible acquaint ance , or connection , with the eastern girl who was looking for him , If there waa a shadow of truth In Logothetl's otory. Lady Maud did not believe there was , and she felt morally sure that the tale had evolved Itself out of the Greek's fertile brain , as a fantas tic explanation of his atrocious con duct. duct.While While she was thinking over these matters and rehearsing In her thoughts the scene that was before her , she saw a gondola making straight for the yacht across the fast fading green of the lagoon that lay between the vessel nnd the Plazzetta. It came nearer , and she drew back from the rail against her cabin door , under the shadow of the promenade dock , which extended over the gang way and was supported by stanchions as on an ocean.liner. The Lancashire Lass , with her single yellow funnel l > her ono short signal mast , her turret- Bhaped wheel-house , and her generallj buslness-llko appearance , looked more llko a cross between a fast modern cruiser and an ocean "greyhound1 than like a private yacht. She oven had a couple of quick-firing guns mounted Just above her rail. Lady Maud looked at the gondola and a.s It came still nearer , she sa that it brought only one passenger and that he had a fair beard. She quietly opened her cabin door , and wont In to dress for dinner. Meanwhile Mr. Van Torp had com pletcd his toilet , and sent for the cap tain. "I suppose you're ready at any mo nient , captain ? " Inquired the million lro. "Yes , sir. The pilot la on board and the gentleman you expected lb Just coming alongside. " "Thon you can start now , " said the owner , after a moment's thought. " \Vhero are wo bound , sir ? " "Oh , well , I don't know. I wantei to say a few words about that , cap tain. Do you happen to know anything about a yacht called the Erlnnu , be- onglng to a Mr. Logothotl , a Greek entleman who lives In Paris ? " "Yes , sir , " answered Capt. Brown , or it was a part of his business to ead the yachting news. "Sho was at Cowes when wo sailed. She was re ported the other day from Gibraltar as having entered the Mediterranean aft er taking fresh provisions , owner and party on board. There Is no further word of her. " "Well , " said Mr. Van Torp , "I have an idea she's gone to Naples , but I want you to find her right away wherever - -ever she is , owner nnd party on board. That's all , captain. If you happen to ee her anywhere , you just come and ell mo If I'm alone , and if I'm not , why end one of your young men to say on want to know something any- hlng you happen to think of , nnd I'll ome to your room and tell you what o do. See ? That's all , and now lot's tart , please. " "All right , sir. " When the party assembled In the leek saloon for dinner , Lady Maud vas missing. Stemp , who did not ntend that his master should dine without his personal attention , no mat er how much the chief steward might object to his presence , approached Mr. Van Torp and whispered something , ady Maud begged that the party vould sit down without her , and she vould join them In a moment. So they took their places , and the vacant one was on the owner's right , between him and the prlma donna. "You see , " said Mr. Van Torp , ex plaining to Mrs. Rus'hmore , which was vholly unnecessary , "we are Ameri cans , and this ship Is America , so the English guest goes first. " Hut Mrs. Rushuiore knew those hings , for she was used to handling Ions in numbers ; and the little lions and the middle-sized ones are very particular about their places at table , iut the great big ones do not care 'one dingle Sam , " aa Mr. Van Torp vould have elegantly expressed their ndlfference. For he was a great big ion himself. "Did you ever meet Lady Maud ? " 10 Inquired , speaking tb Kralinsky. "Which Lady Maud ? " asked the for eigner In his rather oily voice. "There are several. " "Countess Leven , who was Lady Maud Foxwell , " explained Mrs. Rush- nore. Krallnsky turned quietly to her , his single eyeglass fixed and glittering. "No , " he answered. "I knew poor Leven well , but I was never Intro duced to his wife. I have heard that she Is very beautiful. " "You say you knew the late Count Leven ? " observed Mrs. Rushmore , with an encouraging and Interrogatory smile. "Intimately , " answered Krallnsky with perfect self-possession. "We were In the same regiment In the Caucasus. I dnro say you remember that he be gan life as a cavalry officer and then entered the diplomacy. Gifted man , very , " the Russian added In a thought ful tone , "but no balance ! It seems to mo that I have heard ho did not treat his wife very well. " Mr. Van Torp had met several very cool characters in his Interesting and profitable career , but ho thought that if the man before him was Leven him self , as he seemed to be , he beat them all for calm effrontery. "Wero you over told that you looked like him ? " asked Mr. Van Torp care lessly. Even at this question Krallnsky sho'wed no embarrassment. "To tell the truth , " he replied , "I re member that ono or two in the regi ment saw a slight resemblance , and wo were of nearly the same height , I should 'say. But when I last saw Leven he did not wear a beard. " At this point Lady Maud came in quietly and made directly for the va cant place. The two men rose as soon as she appeared , and she found her self face to face with Kraltnsky , with the table between them. Their eyes met , but Lady Maud could not detect the slightest look of recognition In his. Van Torp Introduced him , nnd also watched his face narrowly , but there was not the least change of expres sion , nor any quick glance of surprise. Yet Krallnsky possibly did not know that Lady Maud was on the yacht , for he had not been told previously that she was to be of the party , and in the short conversation which had pre ceded her appearance , no one had actually mentioned the fact. She her self had come to dinner late with the express purpose of presenting herself before him suddenly , but she had to admit that the Intended surprise did not take place. She was not astonished , however , for she had more than once seen her husband placed In very difficult situ ations , from which he had generally extricated himself by his amazing power of concealing the truth. Being seated nearly opposite to him , it was not easy to study his features without seeming either to stare at him rudely or to bo bestowing more attention on him than on any of the others. Her eyps were very good , and her memory for details was fair , and If she did not look often at his face , she watche his hands and listened to the intona tions of his volco , and her conviction | that ho was Loven grow during din- Their Eyes Met. ncr. Yet there was still n shadow of doubt , though she could not have told exactly where It lay. She longed to lead him Into a trap by asking some question to which If ho were Loven , ho would know the an swer , though not If he were any one else , a question to which he would not hesitate to reply unsuspectingly If the answer were known to him. Hut Lady Maud was not Ingenious In such corr vcrsntional tricks , and could not think of anything that would do. The outward difference of appear ance between him and the man she had married was so small that she could assuredly not have sworn in ev idence that Krallnsky was not her husband. There was the beard , and she had not seen Leven with a beard since the first months of her mar riage four years ago , when he had cut It off for some reason known only to himself. Of course a recollection , al ready four years old , could not be trusted like one that dated only as far back as three months ; for he had left her not long before his supposed death. There were the hands , and there was the left hand especially. That might be the seat of the doubt. Pos- Ibly she had never noticed that Leven had a way of keeping his left llttlo finger almost constantly crooked and turned Inward as if it were lame. But she was not sure even of that , for she was not one of these people who study the hands of every one they know , and can recognize them at a glance. She had certainly neve * watched her husband's ns closely as she was watching Kralinsky's now. Margaret was In the best of spirits , and talked more than usual , not stop ping to think how Van Torp's mere presence would have chilled and si lenced her three or four mouths earlier. On the whole It was a guy dinner , and Mrs. Ilushmore and Krallnsky knew that It was a very good one , and told each other so afterward as they walked slowly up and down the great promenade deck in the starlight. For people who are very fond 6f good eat ing can chatter pleasantly about their food for hours , recalling the recent de lights of a perfect chaud-froid or a faultless sauce ; and It was boon evl dent that there was nothing connect ed with such subjects which Kralln sky did not understand and appreci ate , from a Chinese blrd's-nest soup to the rules of the great Marle-Antolno Careme and Hrillat-Savarln's " - "Physi elegy of Taste. " Kralinsky also knew everybody. Between gastronomy and society , ho appeared to Mrs. Hush- more to know everything there waste to bo known. Lady Maud caught snatches of the conversation as the two came near her , and then turned back ; and she re membered that Loven used to talk on the same subjects with elderly women on whom ho wished to make a pleas ant Impression. The voice was his , too , and yet she knew she had a doubt somowheio , a very small doubt , which It was a sort of slow torture to feel was still unsatisfied. Mr. Van Torp sat between her and Lady Margaret , while the two others walked. The deep-cushioned straw chairs stood round a low iixed table on which there had been coffee , and at Margaret's request the light had been put out , though it was only n small , opalescent one , placed under the awning * ing abaft 1110 wheel-house and bridge. "We must bo going very fast , " said Lady Maud , " for the sea Is Hat as a mlllpond , and yet there's a gale as soon as one gets out of the lee of things. " "She's doing 22 , I believe , " replied Van Torp , "and she can do 23 It pressed. She will , by and by , when she gets wanned up. " "Where are wo going ? " Margaret asked. "At this rate wo are sure to get somewhere ! " "I don't know where we're going , I'm sure. " The millionaire smiled in the gloom. "Hut as you say , it doesn't take more than live minutes to get somewhere In a ship like this. " "You must have told the captain what yon wanted him to do ! You must have given some orders ! " "Why. certainly. I told him to look around and see if he could llnd anoth er yacht llko this anywhere In the Mediterranean. So ho's just looking around , like that , I suppose. And It he llnds another yacht anything like this , we'll see which of us can go fast- Cbt. You see 1 don't know anything about ships , or where to go , so I just thought of that way of passing the time , and when you're tired of rushing about and want to go anywhere In par ticular , why , I'll take you there. If the weather cuts up we'll go in some where nnd wait , and see things on shore. Will that do ? " Margaret laughed at the vagueness of such n roving commission , but Lady Maud looked toward her friend In the starlight and tried to see his expres sion , for she was sure that ho had a settled plan In his mind , which h would probably put into execution. She rose. "Do you inina very much if I go to bed. I'm rather sleepy after the journey. Oh , I mustn't forget to tell you , " she added , speaking to Mar garet , "I always lock my door at night , so don't bo surprised ! If you want to come in and talk when you come down just call , or knock , and I'll let you In directly. " "All right , " Margaret answered. Lady Maud disappeared below , leav ing the two together , for Mrs. Rushmore - more and Krallnsky had found a pleas ant sheltered place to sit , further aft , and the Count wis explaining to the good American lady the delicious Rus sian mysteries of "Horshtsh , " "ShtshI , " "Kasha , " and "Smyetany , " after ex tolling the unapproachable llavor of fresh sturgeon's roe , and explaining that "caviare" is not at all the Rus sian name for it and is not even a Russian word ; and Mrs. Rushmore lis tened with Intense Interest and stood up for her country , on a basis of Blue Point oysters , planked shad , canvasbacks vas-backs , and terrapin done In the Philadelphlan manner , which she maintained to bo vastly superior to the Haltimorlan ; and each listened to the other with real Interest. Van Torp and Margaret had not been alone together for five minutes since they had left Hayreuth on the previous day , but Instead of talking , after Lady Maud was gone , the prlma donna began to sing very softly and beautifully nothing grand nor very dllllcult ; not the waltz-song that had made her famous , nor the "Good Frl- Tl - day" muslo which she could novcr Ring to the world , but sweet old me lodious songs she hml learned when n girl ; Shubort'a "Seronado" and "Ave Mtirln " and Tostl's "Malla " , , and then Beothovcn'a " Adelaide j" and Van Torp was Bllont and perfectly happy , as well ho might he. When eho bid Van Torp good-night she pressed his hand frankly , as she had never done before , but ho took no sudden advantage of what ho felt in her touch , and ho returned the pressure BO discreetly that she was almost disappointed , though not quite , for there was just , a llttlo something more than usual there. She did not disturb Lath' Maud , either , when she went to her cabin , though if she had known that her beautiful neighbor was wide awake and restless , she would at least have said good-night and asked her if she was still BO very tired. lint Lady Maud slept , too , at last , though not very long , and was the only one who appeared at breakfast to keep Van Torp company , for Mar garet slept the sleep of a singer , which is deep and long as that of the healthy dormouse , and Mrs. Rushmore - more had her first tea and toast hap pily In her cheerful surroundings of pink and gliding. As for Krallnsky , his man informed Stcmp and the chief steward that the count never thought of getting up till between nine and ten o'clock , when ho took a cup of chocolate and a ullro or two of sponge cake In his own room before dressing. So Lady Mand and Van Tori ) had tile yacht to themselves for some time that morning. "I fancy from what you said last night that your plan Is to catch Lo- gotheti and the Tartar girl at sea , " said Lady Maud , when they were alone. "I supposed you'd understand , " an swered Van Torp. "Do yon see any harm In that ? It occurred to mo that It might bo quite a drastic form of demonstration. How doe's it strike you ? At all low-down ? " "No , frankly not ! " Lady Mand was still Incensed at Logothcti's conduct. "A man who does such things de serves anything that his rival can dote to him. I hope you may overhaul the yacht , run alongside of her and show Margaret the two , making love to each other In Tartar on deck ! That's the least that ought to happen to him ! " "Thank you. I like to hear you talk like that. Capt. llrown will do his level best , I think. And now , tell mo , " ho lowered his voice a llttlo more , "is that man Lovon. or not ? " "I am sure ho Is , " Lady Maud an swered , "and yet I feel as if there ought to bo a llttlo doubt still. T don't know how to express It , for It's rather an odd Bcnsatlon. " " 1 should think It might bo ! Is there anything 1 can say or do ? I'll ask the man any question you sug gest. I'm certain he's not old Lev ! Longlcgs , and If ho's not Levon , who on earth Is ho ? That's what I should like to know. " "I shall find out , never fear ! I know I shall , because I must , If I am ever to have any peace again. I'm not a very nervous person , you know , urn I ? Hut It's more than 1 can bear long , to sit opposite a man at table , again and again , as I shall have to , and not be sure whether ho's my husband , come back from the dead , or some one else ! " She paused , and her nos trils dilated a little , but Van Torp only nodded slowly and sympathetic ally. "I mean to know before I go to bed to-night , " she said , with a little desperation in her voice. "I shall talk to him till I am sure of one thing or the other. At table , I cannot tell , but If we are alone together I know I can settle the question. If you see that wo are talking at the other end of the deck , try to keep Mrs. Rushmore and Margaret from coming near us. Will you ? " To Mrs. Ilushmoro's amazement and Margaret's surprise , Lady Maud made a dead set at Krallnsky all that dav. an attention which ho seemed to appreciate as it deserved. Before breakfast was over , Van Torp had re peated to her what Krallnsky had said about having formerly boon in timate with Leven , and Lady Maud took this statement as a basis of operations - orations for finding out just how much he knew of her own life ; she judged that If ho were not Loven himself , ho must soon betray the fact by his Igno rance. That was the strangest day she had ever passed. She found It very easy to talk to Krallnsky , as it always Is when there has been long familiarity , even If It has been only the familiar Intercourse of domestic discord. Ho know many details of her life In Lon don. That was clear after half an hour's conversation. She alluded to the idle talk there had been about her and Van Torp ; Krallnsky know all about that and had heard , as ho said , some silly story about Levon having found her with the American In cer tain rooms In the Temple , and about an envelope which was said to have contained over four thousand and one hundred pounds In bank-notes. Ho politely ncoutcd the story as nonsense - sense , but ho had heard It , and Lady Maud know that every word of It wan true. Ho know of Luvou's unsuccess ful attempt to divorce her on that ground , too , and ho knew the num ber of her house In Charles direct. Berkeley square. On the other hand , there were many things of which ho Know noui- Ing , or pretended to bo ignorant , such as the names of her brothers and sla ters , her father's favorlto pursuits and the like. Hut she understood very well that If he thought she suspected his identity under the disguise of hi * beard , and if ho wished to avoid re cognition , he was Just the man to pretend tend blank ignorance of some vital matters , after admitting hta acquaint ance with many others. Ho had been very Intimate with Loven , to the last , ho said ; Loven had always written to him very fully about hla life , very wittily sometimes , but always without balance ! That was It ; ho had no "bal ance. " Yes , ho himself had been In Petersburg when Loven wna killed and had , seen him on the previous day. Within a week ho had made n rapid trip to Now York , whence ho had now Just returned. Ho had crossed on live-day boats both going and coming , and ho named them. "I am naturally Interested In meet ing any one who know my husband so well , " Lady Maud said , making a bold dash at a possibility. "Wo had many differences , as you seem to know , but I dare say that if ho could couio back to life and know the real truth , wo should forglvo each other. " She looked up to him with n gcntlo smile as she said this , for she had often felt It ; and In that Instant a flash of light came Into his usually rather uncertain eyes. Her heart stood still ; she looked at the sea again di rectly , for she was leaning against the rail ; then she drew breath , as If from an effort. She had aeon a look that could only mean recognition. Leven was alive and was standing hnnldn her. But she had the courage to go on talking , after a moment , and she tried to change the subject , though not very adroitly. During the afternoon Mr. Van Torp had a revelation , sudden and clear , for ho had watched Lady Maud anil Krallnsky all day and had thought about them a good deal , considering how his mind was occupied with other . matters oven nearer to his heart than his best friend's welfare. As soon aa the revelation came upon him ho rang for his own man. "Stemp , sco hero ! " he began. "You've valeted around with all sorta of different looking men. How long docs It take to grow a board llko Count ' " Krallnsky's ? "A year , sir. Not a day less , and longer with most gentlemen. If you were thinking of it , sir " "You don't bollcvo It could be man aged in three months , by taking an expert around with you to work on your face ? " "That's out of the question , sir. Gentlemen's beards that have shaved all their lives , as I suppose you have , sir , do grow faster , but I should con sider a year a short tlmo for such a fine one as the count's. Indeed I should , sir. " "Do you suppose you could stick it on fresh every day , the way they defer for the stage ? " "Not so that It wouldn't show In broad daylight , sir. " "Well , that's all. I wasn't exactly thinking of trying a board. I waa only thinking just like that. What I rang for was a cap. Got any more llko this ? You see I've managed to get n spot of ink on this one. Had It on the table when I was writing , I oupposo. That's the worst of whlto capa , they spot so. " A little later , Mr. Van Torp waa looking out for a chance to speak alone with Lady Maud , and as soon as ho found his opportunity ho told her what Stemp had said. Strangely enough , it had never occurred to him that such a remarkable beard as Kra llnsky's must have taken n long tlma to grow , and that Lovon , who had none , had not left London morn than three months ago. He watched the effect of this statement on his friend's face , but to his surprise she remained grave and sad. "I cannot help it , " she said 'In a tone of conviction. "Ho must bo Loven , whoever Stemp tells you about his beard. " "Well , then It's n false beard , and will come off , " observed Mr. Van Torp , with at least equal gravity. "Stemp says that's Impossible , but ho must bo wrong , unless you are. " "It's real. " Lady Maud said , "and he is my husband. I've talked to him all day , and ho knows things about my llfo that no one else could , and if there are others about which ho Is vague , that must bo because ho la pretending , and does not want to show that ho knows everything. " Van Torp shook his head , but re mained unconvinced ; Lady Maud did not change her mind either , and was already debating with herself as to whether it would not bo really wiser to speak out and tell Krallnsky that she had recognized him under hla transparent disguise. She felt that she must know the worst , If aho was over to rest again ( TO BE CONTINUED. ) .