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3*^p A ffBE FATHER THE LOVER OF N AMER- ICAN GIRL. THhadANDtdTransslberianArailwad THE MYSTERY OF GRASLOV Copyright, 1901, by Charles B. Etherington CHAPTER I. E grea progressed as far to the eastwar as the Obi, an trains carrying soldiers, con victs, sightseers, railway constructors, laborers and supplies, with some goods for trade with Manchuria, ran from Moscow. The possibilities of this immense line of railway made the people of Eu ropean Russia gasp. It opened up such a prospect of trade as they had never dreamed of. It gave them a speedy entrance into a region of their domain the crossing of which had formerly oc cupied month's and involved much hardship. What a change there was from the old sledges or foot trams of convicts to the swiftly moving cars that were drawn by the puffing, screaming loco motives, at once a source of delight and terror to the people whose terri tory they crossed! Among those who had made this change so remarkable a success was James Gordon, an American engineer, who had charge of much of the ad vance work of the road. Gordon was a typical American, ready to go anywhere to build a rail way so long as the pay was sufficient to make it an object for him to take his daughter with him. For Frances Gordon was her father's companion, secretary and comfort. Left motherless at an early age, she had been brought up by strict aunts till she revolted. Her father had been surveying a route across New Mexico for a new road, fondly and longingly thinking of his daughter in her far away home in New York, when, lo, the young lady herself, then aged nineteen, put in an appearance mounted on a broncho and accompanied by a half breed guide, to whom she spoke in so authoritative a tone that he bowed be fore her slightest wish in abject obedi ence. Since that day Frances Gordon was to be found wherever her father was. A year and a half after they had finished the work in Mexico they jour neyed together to Russia, where Gor don was to take charge of the impor tant part of putting through the rail way that was destined to revolutionize the trade and commerce of the world. This great railway had progressed a far as the Obi river, in the government of Tomsk, Siberia, when a meeting of managers, engineers and government officials was ordered at Moscow. Thith er from the Obi journeyed James Gor don and Frances. Thither also journeyed Nicholas Ne slerov, prince of the empire and gov ernor of the province of Tomsk. Prince Neslerov was one of the wealthiest nobles of the land, was about thirty-five years of age and had, besides his exalted position as governor of'Tomsk, estates in various parts of Russia, particularly a fine one at Gras lov, in the government of Perm. It was after the convention, which had to do with certain concessions and arrangements that were necessary as the road drew near the border of Man churia, the crossing of certain moun tains, the bridging of certain streams, that Mr. Gordon was preparing to re turn to the Obi, where the western end of his operations was laid, the opera tions themselves reaching eastward to Lake Baikal, in Irkutsk. To him one day as he sat smoking at his hotel in Moscow came Prince Nesle rov. "Good morning, your excellency," said Gordon, who had met the prince at several conferences and now knew him because of the fact that the opera tions had passed almost across his province. "Glad to see you When do you return to Tomsk?" "I shall not be long behind you, my friend," replied the prince. "It is a fact, however, that upon your answer to a certain question which I shall put to you depends many of my acts in the immediate future. M. Gordon, you are an American." "So I believe I have heard it hinted at," said Mr. Gordon, wondering what was coming. "And I am a Russian of the Rus sians." "That, too, I believe, is a well au thenticated fact." "I am wealthy, a governor of a prov ince and shall soon be promoted to a better station. Since you entered the rude territory in the southern part of my government we have met frequent ly we have been friends." "Yes," replied Gordon, rather dubi ously, stroking his chin. "When you needed protection, my power protected you." "I believe you," said Gordon, failing to remember the time when he needed the protection of the prince. "I merely express myself thus to re call to you my friendship," said the prince. "Now I come to the real er rand that brought me here. I love your daughter." "Eh!" exclaimed Gordon, rousing himself and stiffening perceptibly. "I repeat, sir, that I love your daugh ter. I want her for my wife, my prin- cess." A cloud of smoke came from Gor don's lips. He was looking at a distant By Ashley Towne church tower with eyes that saw no church. "You seem surprised," said the prince. "Is it a matter of surprise that a man should love so noble and beautiful a young woman as your daughter?" "No," said Gordon slowly, "and if it were I would be used to it by this time. You are not the first." A slight pallor appeared on the cheeks of Neslerov. "You do not mean that sheyour daughter Francesis already promis- ed!" "No," answered Gordon. "I don't know that she is, but I do know that you are not the first who has asked for her. Even now you may be too late." "Impossible! I have seen no one of myof her ownstation near her." "We in America," said Gordon, "look upon this question of station or rank with different eyes than you do. If a man suited Frances, all the rank, titles and wealth in the world would make no difference." "She is different from girls in Eu- rope," said the prince, biting his lip. Gordon let out a joyous guffaw. "I should say she was!" he said. "Different! Why, she is a real, whole, healthy woman. She doesn't smoke "I love your daughter." cigarettes, gamble at cards and race after titles and wealth. Not my girl, prince. Frances has a healthy mind and is as noble as she is good looking. But she has a mind of her own, if it is healthy, andwell, she is my boss, I can tell you!" "You charm me. I am more in love than ever." "Won't do a bit of good, I tell you. If I thought you were the finest man on earth, my wishes would not prevail upon Frances to marry you. She will make her own choice, when it is made, and it will stand." "You lead me to believe this choice has already been made." "No, I did not mean that, prince. It might be so, for all I know to the con trary. Frances might love a man and not yet be ready to tell me, although there is nothing secretive about her. We have each other's confidence." "Still it could not be possible that she would be in love and you not know it." "It might, and I will tell you why. She has refused to marry the man I ebose for her. the finest young man, in my estimation, on earth." "Then you have already given your allegiance to a lover." "I gave it to the lover, but Frances ould not marry him. I have no ob jection to your knowing who it is. It is Denton, the bridge builder. Jack Denton was the son of one of my oldest friends. Old Denton was at one time worth a lot of money, but lost it through the rascality of a man he trust ed. Jack was a sort of genius and ask ed me what profession to take up. I told him bridge engineering. He is one of the best at the business now and is only twenty-five. He is out near the Obi. The big iron bridge we are to put across the Obi will be his work." "It is a fascinating profession. And your daughter refused him?" "Yes, and it was a great disappoint ment to me. Jack and she have been friends since they first went to school. He loves her, and his love is the kind that a father likes to see his girl get. But she won't have him for some rea son. Said they could never be roman tic lovers or some such argument. Couldn't love him because she had known him all her life. Thought it was easier to love a stranger, I sup pose, who could bamboozle her." "And so it was broken off?" "There was nothing to break off. They were never engaged. She sim ply refused him. They are friendly when they meetcoolly so. What could I do? She had to have her own way." "A prosaic friendship such as that is not dangerous," said the prince. "Have I your permission to enter the list?" "My permission is worthless. You can ask Frances if you like, but it won't do a bit of good. You are too rich, and Frances has peculiar notions." "There is some one in whom your daughter is much interested, and per haps you have not heard. It Is my duty to Inform you, although I myself do Hot attach much importance "to the thing. There Is a blacksmith" THE PBINCETOK UKIOK^: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, Oh, the blacksmith of Perm!" ex claimed Gordon, with a slight coldness In his voice, as though he did not relish having the story told him by the prince. "I am fully aware of all that." "Does Francesdoes your daughter love that man?" "Goodness, no! She is Interested, she likes him and is trying to help him." "Through pity, I suppose, and pity soon leads to love." "Well," said Gordon, laughing, "if it does in this case neither you nor I can prevent it. I am sure, however, the girl is fancy free, and, as for him, he is too simple and sensible to look upon their friendship as more than ordinary. They met in this way: When the road was crossing into Tobolsk, I wanted some peculiar ironwork done, and she went with me. The stature and strength and the handsome face of the young ironworker pleased her, and she talked with him. She saw that he was a magnificent specimen of a man and fit ted by nature to adorn a higher station. She is trying to assist him in improv ing himself." "You take this very coolly," said the prince. "But, being Russian, perhaps our customs are so different that this free intercourse between a girl like your daughter and a mere ironworker seems more to me than to you. Then you assure me there is nothing more than mere friendship between these two." "No, I do not assure you of anything of the kind. I do not know. I think, though, if there was Frances would tell me. If there is, she will have her way5 if there is not, the same." "But if this blacksmith asked her to marry him would you consent?" "I'd have to." "Do you consider such a thing prob- able?" "Prince, I know as little about it as you do. There was only one manJack Dentonthat I wanted for a son-in law, and she won't have him. Now, I know little about her plans, if she has any. She might fall in love with you, in which cae I could not prevent her marrying you. If she does not fall in love with you, I could not compel her to marry you if I would." "I am pleased at your candor," re plied the prince. "I shall soon have an opportunity to speak to her myself. I trust that this conversation will not in terrupt our friendship." "Nonsense! I appreciate the honor you have done my girl. But unless she loves you your case is hopeless." The prince bowed and took his depar ture, and Gordon, laughing, turned into the hotel. "I'll have to tell her," he said. Then, with a sudden resolve: "No, I won't either. I need the friendship of the prince, and if she knows he wants to marry her who can tell what trouble it may cause?" As Neslerov was leaving the hotel he met Frances returning from a drive. "I am pleased to see you, Prince Neslerov,'* she said, offering her hand. "And I am always glad to meet you, Mile. Gordon," he replied. "Did you enjoy your drive?" "Yes, but I did not go far. I visited several bazaars where books are sold. See, I have quite a number of pur chases." "You love books as well as action." "I love themyes. But these are for a friend, a young man fitted by nature to adorn a higher station than the one to which he was born. I send him books, and he studies. You could help him, prince. With your power, your influence, you could do much for him. I refer to Vladimir Paulpoff, the black smith of Perm." "You are very kind to my poor coun tryman," said the prince, with a smile. "To please you I will make it my busi ness to see this blacksmith, and if there is any way in which I may be of use in assisting him along the lines you suggest I shall be pleased to do so." She thanked him and passed on into the hotel. CHAPTER II. lata O TH E BLACKSMITH AND THE PICTURE. N a road leading from the city of Perm toward the forest on the south there stood a rude cluster of buildings, all of them old and in a poor state of repair. This collection of huts was the home and forge of the Paulpoffs, ironwork ers. Here worked old Michael Paulpoff and his son Vladimir, and it had been to this uninviting place that Frances Gordon had come to make the chance acquaintance of the young giant. The huts and the surroundings were rapidly growing even less inviting, for nothing was being done now to keep anything in repair. A collection of household goods, over which old Mamma Paulpoff watched carefully, gave evidence that the fam ily were about to remove themselves and their belongings to another place. But still the old man and the young one were at work. The blows that Vladimir struck were tremendous. The iron under his hammer bent and flat tened as the-sparks shot like fireworks to the far corners of the place. There was a gay laugh on his handsome face a face that was almost childlike in its simplicity and guilelessness. "Oh, that will be a happy day, Papa Paulpoff!" the young man said glee fully, plunging his tongs into the white fire and withdrawing a bar of iron. "What will?" asked the old man, looking sidewise at his son, but contin uing his work. "The day I can take you and the lit tle mother to a better home." "We have been happy here," replied old Papa Paulpoff, looking round at the dingy interior. "Yes, we have been happywe shall lalways be happy, for we are simple and require little. But with greater comfort and more money greater hap plftess ought to come. It is fine to feel yjjrsel growing to be somebody in the worldto feel yourself expand, broad- en. It is study that does it, and work. I think the knowledge gives me more pleasure than the wealth. But we also need the wealth." The old mah sighed. "Yes, that is good, that knowledge. But you will grow away from us. You will perhaps marry that American girl, and she would not like our simple ways." The hammer in Vladimir's hand came down with redoubled force. "What is that you sayour Vladimir talking of marrying?" asked the trem ulous voice of Mrs. Paulpoff. "I came to say that the meal is ready, and I findwhat do I find?" "Oh, Papa Paulpoff is dreaming one of his dreams," said Vladimir, with a gay laugh. "But is it not so, old woman?" asked Papa Paulpoff. "Is it not quite possi ble that our Vladimir may marry that handsome American girl?" "I have seen it so," answered the old woman. "It seems that no young wom an would take this interest if she did not love" "Oh, nonsense!" cried Vladimir. "We are friends. She is good. I admire. Why, I could almost worship her, bui I am a peasant. She is" i There came the sound of cursing out side and the fall of a horse's hoofs. A shout took the old man to the door. "Curses upon this beast!" came an angry voice as a man about thirty-five, clad in a neat riding suit, entered the room striking his high boottops with his whip. "I have just been thrown. In some mysterious manner my horse, who never stumbles, caught his foot in something, tore loose his shoe and hurl ed me to the ground. The horse is un injured, but he has lost the shoe. I heard the sound of a smithy and camt to you for assistance. must reach Graslov tonight, and the delay is seri- ous." "It is long since we were mere horse shoers," said the old man. "The rail road" "But surely you can make a shoe and put it on. I must go forward, and I do not wish to lame this valuable horse." "Certainly, we will shoe the horse," put in Vladimir, whose kind heart could never refuse any request that was reasonable and proper. "I will at tend to it at once." "But the meal is waiting," said the old woman. "The meal is but a short distance, and Graslov is far," said Vladimir. "1 will shoe the horse and permit the prince to proceed." "How did you know that I was a prince?" asked the stranger, looking about him with a keen eye that was full of inquiry. "The horse is of the herd at Graslov the seat of the Neslerovs," was the answer. "I know the herd and think I have shod this very horse before." "Good! That is better than putting him into the hands of a stranger," said the rider. "Is your name Paulpoff?" "It is. I am Vladimir Paulpoff. The little father here is Michael." "Ah, I have heard of you. You havt guessed correctly. I am a prince. My steward, who has charge of my estate while I am away in Siberia, has told me of the giant who is growing rich working for the railroad. It is said that you can bend an iron bar with your hands." Vladimir in response picked up an Iron bar about four feet long and an inch thick and bent it double with no apparent effort. "Good God!" exclaimed the prince "Are you that powerful?" "We acquire muscle in this work," Vladimir answered, "and I was born powerful." A look of wonder had spread over the face of the prince. He sat upon a rude stool while the other two began to pre- "What is it that you sayour Vladimir talking of marrying?" pare for shoeing the horse. The fine animal was brought inside, and he like his noble master, seemed surprised at his surroundings. The old woman, patient now under the rebuke of Vladimir, stood waiting "This is not much of a place for sue cessful men," said Neslerov, looking around him. "Ho!" chuckled the old man. "You have come too soon. See, nothing Is being done. We are about to leave this place for a spot nearer the railway." "Business is not good, then?" "Oh, Is It not?" said Vladimir. "When one has a powerful friend to send the ironwork to him, it is easy to get along. We shall have a fine shop and ten men employed in the work. Instead of this hovel my father and mother shall live in a fine house, and my father shall work no more. I shall make money for all." "Ah! Then I suppose you will be get ting married?" "That is something I have not thought of, I do not know." "Somebody else knows," chuckled the doting Papa Paulpoff. "There is an 1 American girl who thinks well of our" "Hush!" exclaimed Vladimir impa tiently. "You are speaking of some one whose name must be sacred." His face was flushed, and Neslerov looked at it searclnngly. "You are very fortunate," said Nesle rov jokingly. "I can get no one to mar ry me." "You but jest. Any %ne would be pleased to marry one of Russia's wealthiest princes "But such a one!" continued the in discreet old man "She is beautiful, she is rich, and she sends him books "Good! She is educating you. She must love you," said Neslerov. "Oh, as to love, that is different. Her acts are kind, and I feel grateful. But for marrying it will require a fine man to make her happy." "He will make any one happy," put in the old woman, with a glance of pride at the young giant. "Any girl, even though she might be a princess! would get no better for a husband! Look at those arms! Can they not pro- tect?" "They could fell a bull!" said Nesle rov. "How do you pass the time here? Do you go to the nearest village or to Perm and play?" "Not he!" said the old man, pausing long enough in his work to add his tribute to this son they loved so well. "That young man spending his time at a village! I think not, your excellency. With his books he spends his nights. He studies or he.paints.'*^ "What's that? Paints!" "Aye, indeed yes. He is a born paint- er." "And shoeing horses?" "One gets a kopeck or two for shoe ing horses One must paint for the pleasure of it, unless one is well known. It will come in time," said Vladimir. "See, he is not so simple as he looks," said Papa Paulpoff, nodding his head toward the big boy. "Very far from simple, I should say," answered Neslerov. "Old woman!" shouted Papa Paul poff suddenly, so suddenly that she Jumped in alarm. "Go get the picture. Let the prince see the face of her who is so kind to Vladimir." The old woman obeyed and ran out. "Her picture! You have her picture painted!" stammered Neslerov. "Yes, I, and the good part of it is that she knows nothing of it. I shall give it to her when she comes again to see us," said Vladimir. "But I do not understand. How could you draw a face without having it be fore you?" asked the prince. "Ha! It is never from my sight. The most beautiful face! A face that one could not forget. I drew itI painted ittwothree and four times from memory, and always alike." At this juncture the old woman re turned with a picture in a frame. Si lently she handed it to Neslerov. He sat with it in his hands, gazing down hungrily upon the features he knew so well. It showed two thingsfirst, that there was, undeveloped in the young man, a talent'that would make him famous if it ever got a chance sec ond, that he must have the picture ot the girl indelibly in his mind to paint so true a picture from memory. And, knowing Frances Gordon, Neslerov knew that this man was a most dan gerous rival for her hand. "But that is not all he has done," said the old woman exultingly. "Pshaw!" exclaimed Papa Paulpoff. "He has done nothing else worth men tioning." Vladimir looked up in surprise and caught a swift look of warning flashed from Michael's eyes to those of hi& wife. The warning flash was also seen by Neslerov, and his curiosity was Whetted. "Surely this cannot be all," he said. "Such a talent must have an outlet. There must be something else. Come! I will look at all you have and buy What I want." "But not that," replied Vladimir. "I could not sell that." "But another of the same face?" "No, I could not sell that face." "Then let me see something else something as good as thisand I will buy it." "There is another woman's face" began Mamma Paulpoff. "Yes, and as beautiful a face as this. but a Russian," added Vladimir. "L was a picture. Papa Paulpoff had it. I found it one day and painted one from it." "Show it to me," said Neslerov. His eyes were fixed on the face of Vladimir with something like fear in them now. He glanced from one to another of the group. Papa Paulpoff showed evidences of nervousness, but Vladimir was eager to satisfy the prince. He sent the old woman for the other portrait. She brought it and placed it in the hands of the prince. At the first glance his face went white to the very lips. His hands shook. His frame trembled. "Good heavens!" was breathed under his mustache. The words were not heard, but the manner of the man did not escape Papa Paulpoff. "Who is thisit is a beautiful wom anbut her name?" asked Neslerov, and his voice had turned suddenly hoarse in spite of the effort to control himself. "I found a small picture one day aft er a party of nobles passed by," an swered Papa Paulpoff. A swift glance of suspicion shot from the eyes of Neslerov to the face of Papa Paulpoff. But the old man's face was perfectly impassive. "1 will buy this. Name your price," said the prince. "And I will buy the Other, the one you found." "Alas, it is lost!" exclaimed Papa Paulpoff. "It was in a small house we had years ago, and It burned down." "And the picture destroyed?" "Alas, yes. It was so pretty, a noble woman, perhaps even a princess," said Papa Paulpoff. "I wept like a .child when it was lost." Tears came Into his eyes now at the remembrance of it "I will buy this. How much do yqu ask for it?* ne asked of Vladimir. "On second thoughts, it is not for sale/' Vladimir answered. "I do not wonder," he said. "It is a beautiful face. We do not have them in this part of Russia. In St. Peters burg, perhaps." He shot a glance at Papa Paulpoff as he spoke, but the old man was bend ing down putting the hot shoe on the horse's hoof. The job finished, there remained nothing but to pay the Paulpoffs and depart. The prince did this, bade them a pleasant farewell, mounted his steed and rode away. "Explain the mystery!" cried Vladi mir. "You have not lost the picture! You commanded me never to lose it! Why the lie about the fire?" "The picture," replied Papa Paulpoff, turning white under his thick beard, "is that of a noble lady who was a friend of my family and whom we as children worshiped as a'-saint. I do not want to lose it. That prince seem ed to know who she was, and I did not want him to get the picture, so I lied. Old woman, what about that dinner?" "It awaits," said Mamma Paulpoff. "Then come. I am famished. If one speaks to me to disturb me eating, I will use my foot." Once at the table, Papa Paulpoff at tacked the meal with the rude manners of the uneducated Russian, and the old woman sat with downcast eyes eating her own meal. Vladimir, though devoured by curios ity, knew the peculiarities of the old man and ate in silence. [TO BE CONTINUED. I BaKe3.No To bake well is the first require ment of a good stove. "Acorn" Stoves and Steel Ranges fill the bill, and help to keep the month ly coal bill down too. This item,with three others printed in this paper, when read as numbered, makes an interesting and truthful statement. Send for ACORN STOVE BOOK, free. RATHBON E, SARD & CO., AUKOKA, ILLINOIS This country will probably be able to get along fairly well without the Danish West Indies, the Danes having concluded that they do not want to sell them. The treaty which failed of ratification by the Danish landsthing was for the cession by Denmark to the United States for $5,000,000 of the is lands of St. Thomas, St. John and St Croix, composing the group of the An tilles known as the Danish West In dies. The treaty was ratified by the United States senate on Feb. 17 last This will probably end negotiations for some time. William Ziegler, backer, is looking for another arctic explorer, and Eve lyn Baldwin, explorer, is looking for another backer. It is probable that Mr. Ziegler will find what he is look ing for sooner than will Mr. Baldwin. The woods are full of men who are willing to sacrifice themselves in the interest of science on a generously financed arctic expedition, but the "angels" of that sort of enterprises are extremely rare. There is something pathetic in the suicide of Jim Younger, who seems to have made the attempt to be a good citizen too late in life. Less promi nence as a bandit in early life would have adapted him for the struggle which, as it was, he found hopelessly hard. His life and tragic death con vey a sad but impressive lesson. Lord Kitchener has sailed to take command of the British army in India. Unlike most of his predecessors, he did not get his training in the Indian aimy, but this fact will not hinder him from making a good commander in chief. A fashion bulletin issued by the London tailors says the stylishly dressed man now must have a small waist and padded hips. The man who Is expected to cultivate this style al ready has padded brains. 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