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LL I 190a THE A M LT G G C DIAA
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He Suddenly Whipped the Pistol from His Pocket
SYNOPSIS
Frederick Hardy a fashionable Boston
oclcty man lost his wealth was jilted
br a girl and sent by a friend to take
charge of an American Trading Company
tore In Russia On his journey through
Japan tie met Stapleton Novlllu sup
posedly an Englishman They agreed to
ro together to Kussla liecuusu of sus
picious I circumstances they were several
times molested by the Japanese Hardy
was arrested and found upon his peisun
Kere papers showing maps of Jap forts
Hardy was proven guiltless On a trnln
he met Alsomu Suno daughter of a Jap
merchant In Nevilles shoes Jap found
wctures of forts proving him to ho a
Russian spy Hardy departed for Hun
lIa on a steamer which was wrecked
only afterward Ho was rescued by a
nDislan steamer On reaching Vlndl
tostnk he was well treated He started
for Siberia mooting Princess Uomanovim
Dn the train Hardy boarded a vessel for
Amur Hardy showed tho princess his
txpertness us a rule shot The steamer
was stranded The princess and her
maid were attacked by Chinese Hanlv
cared their lives The prlneess thanked
Hardy for his heroism Mnnrhurlan I
Bred upon the craft Hardy slew their
chief Burning arrows wore hurled upon
the Iushklns decks An attempt was
made to board the vessel Tho attacking
Chinese were repulsed Ilotnnnoff sneered
It Hardys solicitude for the princess
Btanka n messenger sent for help wus
nailed to a cross on the shore To put nn
tnd to the awful torture Hardy himself
put Stnnka out of his misery taUlm his
own life In his hands Forest tires men
Ted tho vessel Hardy volunteered to
go for help Refused permission he
lumped overboard and started to swim
With the princess distress message Ito
manorr was angry at Hardy for his brave
Torts to resiuu tho princess He wooed
her In his own suvnse way He I said
Hardy had trade love openly to a Jup
tress girl Help canto and the princess
vas rescued Hardy journeyed on a rnfl
Arriving at his destination he took
charge of the trading companys bust
ness Hardy received u letter from a so
tai leader In Boston and another from
Aliome hardy look lesions III Russian
of a Jew thus connecting himself in a
Wray with that race Hardy received a
letter from tho princess thanklm him
Cor his bravery Hardys teacher waR In
danger of death Ito employed WniiK as
f servant Hardy went to Moscow where
he was Invited to call upon the primess
I He started for the palace home nf 1rln
I revs Rnmanovna Hardy aroused unac
countable Jealousy of his Korean boy hy l
nnounclns that he was going to call on
the princess He engaged a cabman who
drove him to a large house on a poorly
lighted street After entering the house
Hardy discovered that It was u resort of
nihilists who supposed ho was Felix Hu
Jto come to tell them of n powerful ex
foslve he had discovered The real llulln
rived and denounced Hardy as nn Im
postor The nihilist determined to kill
Hardy In order to protect themselves
CHAPTER XXX Continued
At this moment the committee re
entered the room It had transacted
Its grisly business with dispatch
Kourbskt acted as spokesman
Mr Chairman and IJrctlircn ho
announced we have decided that tho
most practical method Is to bind the
Prisoner and drive nn awl Into the
base of his brain Wo havo with us
bere a shoemaker who can do tho
business scientifically Then In the
early hours of the morning when tho
street Is deserted we can throw him
Into Brother Ivans cab drive him to
torte lonely spot on tho banks of the
Moskva anti drop him Into tho water
Tho cornmlttoq already appointed
pull net in this matter said lllellnskl
In J a businesslike tono with tho ad
Wlon of Brother Ivan who Is a
rone man and thoshoemaker
Ivan and tho shoomaker arose and
the five men turned toward Hardy
who during tho absence of the com
mlher had peen staring at tho mes
meric spot of light on tho table
Gentleman he cried backing to
the wall and speaking with an Inspi
ration born of despair and the imme
diate presence of a horrible death
hear mo for one word
The suddenness of his appeal
caused his appointed executioners to
halt while every face in the audience
turned toward him In wonderment
No man is ever executed without be
Ing allowed a last word a farewell
Even the law which you gay is an in
vention of tyrants permits that
Surely ns you say that you are kill
ing me In the Interest of humanity
you cannot be unjust and savage All
I ask is one word before I die a part
ing message perhaps to bo given to
my friends
Speak then commanded Hlelin
ski hut be brief as we have weight
matters to discuss Do not waste
your breath In pleading for mercy
1 was going to visit the Princess
Homanovna said Hardy palo as
death but speaking distinctly not
because I am an aristocrat for I come
from America the most democratic
country on earth 1 was invited to
visit her because I saved her life on
the Amur through my skill with the
pistol My skill which has made mo
famous in my native land enabled me
to kill two Chinese who were attempt
Ing to abduct her It Is second nature
to me I shoot with absolute pre
cision Had I my weapon here I could
pick off In succession from where I
stand the buttons on Mr nicllnskls
coat I
What Is that to us asked the I
chairman You are talking to gain I
time Give us your parting message I
and we will try to get it to those for
whom It is intended
I could hit proceeded Hardy
that explosive hull yonder the inven
tion of Mono Hulln and blow you all
to atoms and by God if any one here
stirs or attempts to lay hands on me
Ill do It
With these words ho suddenly
whipped tho pistol from his pocket
and leaning forward aimed at the
ball
CHAPTER XXXI
In the Name of the Czar
The nihilists wore thrown Into
panic by this sudden iii anneal the
For tho moment heI
part of Hardy I
in control of the situation
was that he
well aware
though ho was
could not romaln so for long
American backed to the door
still The olllling at the ball passed
sOllie little nervous
through It after
knob closed It behind
for the
fumbling him and sturtld to run rapidlY
hInd room In which ho
the elllpty
across found hhnsttt not without how
now maldng Iltl uttort to lock tho
ever Impossible I1S there
which was
door outside and no
the
on
was no key
bullA broke loose In the
uproar
A savage
lJulttclltht
Which ho had just tpdtt
room entrees
struggling
of men
sound had trILIlrsCd hlllf
rl he
shoutsanti of the ball the door be
distance
I the
III
hind him Hew open and a half n
dozen nihilists were vomited forth
Several of them were nrmed and
pointing pistols at Hardy they
shrieked
Drop that revolver or wo shoot
you cannot escape
At this moment the hall door was
thrown open and a man rushed to j I
Hardys side It was Mordecal tho I
Jew with his red eyes his bushy rod
whiskers his big honknose I
Mr Hardy he cried my dear
pupil and he sprang between the
American and the pistols that were
pointed at the latters body Stop
brothers stop ho shrieked What
madness Is this What is this man
accused of i know him llo Is a
friend I will vouch for him on my
life I will defend him If you kill
him you must kill me too
Ho is a friend of aristocrats ex
plained lllellnskl stopping forward i
ho entered hero by mistake he says
but it Is possible that ho Is a spy
At any rate ho knows our secret ho
has overheard our plans and ho will
betray us He must die
And at this moment a loud ham
I
mering was heard on the outer or
street door I
Silence gasped lllolinskl In a
whispera whisper nevertheless that
could bo heard more distinctly In tho
sudden sllenco than a shout What Is
thatAs
As If In answer to his question tho
door opening Into tho hall flew wide
and the old woman looked In dishev
eled and pale moaning as she crossed
herself rapidly
The police The police
Again that thundering on the door
sounded through tho house and a
stern voice could be heard command
Ing
Open In the name of tho czar
Hardy was forgotten The czar
their archenemy was at the gates of
their fortress and his name was a
word of terror Tho nihilists flow
past tho American on tip toe Into the
hall several of them jostling and al
most knocking him over In their eag
erness to escape
Come with me whispered Ba
ruch who had regained his feet You
must not be found heronnd seiz
ing Hardy by the arm he also Jumped
for the open door Hardy made no
resistance and was soon running
down the long hall with the others led
by the Jew They came to n narrow
light of stairs leading to tho cellar
and down this they crowded scram
bling and fighting some of them los
ing their footing and rolling to the
bottom A loud crash arrested
Hardys attention He was standing
In tho darkness but at the farther
end of the hall was a hanging lamp
turned low and by the light of this
he could see the door fly In splinters
and the officers of tho law pour In
Throw your bomb brother throw
your bomb said nicllnskl and
Hulln leaping llko a cat Into the mid
die of tho passage hurled the sphere
down the hall with nn oath There
was a muffled report not loud and
much Jingling of glass The light
went out but by the momentary lash
of the explosive Hardy could see
several policemen pitch forward on
their faces
Come come away said Mordecal
and Hardy scurried down tho dark
collar stops with the Jew
CHAPTER XXXII
I
Hardy Buys an Overcoat
They were In utter darkness now
Above could be heard a hoarse uproar
faint and confused shouts and sounds
of heavy boots on the flooring hero
In the cellar tho shuffling feet of the
escaping nihilists the bump or rattle
of an occasional obstruction kicked or
run against muttered oaths Morde
cal still holding Hardy by the arm
pulled him rapidly across the collar
until they stumbled against the fee
of men crawling on their hands and
knees The American pitched for
ward on tho back of one of these
who kicked him savagely and swore
a foul oath under his breath
Get down whispered Mordecnl
and crawl crawl with me
They passed through an opening in
tho wall so low that It brought tho
American flat on his stomach and
still scratched his back That It was
barely wide enough for two at n time
was evident from the fact that
though he had crowded close to Mor
decal the wall scraped his right side
They were through In a trice and still
In utter darkness The sound or
scuffling feet again could be heard
tho sound of nihilists fleeing
me fools muttered Mordecai
they forgot to put back tho stone
It was evident from his grunts and
a scratching sound that ho was strug
gllng with some heavy object
There ho muttered at last It Is
flush now and Just In time Listen
my dear pupil do you not hear them
They are in tho collar Put your ear
against the wall
Hardy did as was requested and he
could Indeed hear faint spunds on the
other situ of the wall
Whero aro we now ho naked
Wo are In thu cellar of the ad
joining house belonging to a member
of the Order Tho brothers have os
caged by nn underground passage
by nn old forgotten sower But It will
not be safe for you to follow them
They will havo recovered their wits
by this time and some of them will lie
In wait for you nnd kill you fooling
sure that you will tell what you have
seen anti heard
Hardys eyes were becoming accus
tomed to the darkness and In the dis
tance he could see a slit of dim gray
light Ho felt his way to It striking
a barrel mill hitting his head against
a hanging shelf on tho way fly the
cnso of touch ho assured himself
that he had arrived nt the collar win
dow boarded up and that the slit of
gray light came through an Imperfect
joinIng Tho door must be somowhere
near With his lingers against the
wall bo took several steps to the loft
without finding Iti then ho returned
to the right made tho samo experi
ment and his efforts were rewarded
with success
Mordecal was at his side
What are you going to do asked
the Jew
111m going to walk boldly out of
this door replied Hardy The ex
plosion will havo drawn the whole
neighborhood to tho front of the
house on the other street and I shall
not bo noticed If I am I can explain
how I catno here and how I escaped
I am going to chanco It and the
quicker I go the bettermlll ho
jmshed back the heavy bolt which he
hind found by this time Goodby
my friend and thank you I suppose
you will rejoin your brethren You
have saved my life and I shall never
forget It For your sake I will say
nothing about what I havo seen and
heard this night Tho rent is broken
up for tho present and tho police do
not seem to need my aid
The American walked a couple of
squares then turned sharply to tho
Ight and gained the main street Ho
was safe now and he hailed u passing
cab ordered the isvoschlk to take him
to tho Slavlansky Ilazar As ho stood
on tho walk waiting for the vehicle
to draw up he felt chilly and his ex
citement having subsided somewhat
he made a discovery that gave him a
shock and filled him with n feeling of
uneasiness that was destined to pos
sess him for many days to come
Ho had left his overcoat behind
somewhere In that den of nihilists Ho
ot Into the cab and as It tore
through the streets the wheels
squeaking In the snow ho sat there
shivering his chin In his hand rack
Ing his brain to remember If possible
whether thero was anything In the
pockets a letter cards n cigarcase
that might betray the identity of tho
owner To save bin life ho could not
settle this point in his mind
It was late when he reached tho
hotel and just ns the gray light of
dawn began to sift In through the
curtains ho fell Into a sound slumber
It was fully ten oclock when he wont
out Into his o III co and sent for his
coffee As ho was drinking It Wang
entered In great excitement with II
newspaper
Look at this cried tho boy The
police raided a den of nihilists last
night nnd the latter threw a bomb
killing 1 four of the ofllcors and wound
lug six others It was tho society
known as Tho Enemies of Russia
made up of disaffected Russians
Poles Finns even Jewsnil who hat
I
this accursed government
Hardy glanced at tho boy marvel
Ing much nt the revelation of hate In
that Ingenuous word accursed
Why are you nn enemy of Rus
sia ho asked
Oh for no particular reason faltered
tered tho boy turning pale I per
haps I am not And tho nihilists aU
disappeared as though the earth had
swallowed them up Not a thing was
loft to provo tho identity of a mom
ber except one costly furlined over
coat which proves that this society
numbers among Its members somo of
the wealthier classes perhaps of the
nobility I tell ouand Wang
struck tho paper with his right hand
In his excitement that this countr
Is a house divided against Itself
Leave It alone and It will work out
Its own destruction and salvation
Tho boys eyes wero flashing now
and his cheeks were so aflame with
excitement that the scar nearly dis
appeared
Hardy gulped down his coffee and
started for tho door
If anybody calls for mo Wang he
said tell them that I will be back
In an hour
Ho did return In that time wear
Ing an exact duplicate of the over
coat that lie had lost tho night before
And still them was no sign of the
police Ho felt reassured Had there
been any telltale letters cards or doc
uments In the pockets of tho missing
garment tho officers of tho law he
reasoned would havo lost no time In i
laying hands on him
CHAPTER XXXIII
Hardy Makes a Call
The Princess Rornanovna was at
tired In a gown of pale blue silk
decollete trimmed with dainty cream
lace Her neck was encircled by u
string of pearls of priceless purity
evcnucfo of size and perfection at
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What Are You Going to Do Asked the Jew
form There was something In the
creamy softness and whiteness of her
skin faintly almost Imperceptibly
glowing with the warm red hue of
health and youth that suggested tho
dollcato tinting of tho interior of a
seashell or foam shot through with
the first rays of the morning sun and
tho pearls seemed at homo with such
a background
Her shoulders wero so exquisitely
i modeled that revealment became a
duty and a matter of course Im
modesty Is the child of ugllncHS Her
arms were round and linn and beau
tiful when she bent them there wits
no angle at the elbow or unsightly
projection but a perfect graceful
curve and when sho straightened
them out tho skin did not wrinkle
there and corrugate but dimpled rav
ravishingly
As he arose from tho chair in
which bo sat awaiting her entrance
Hardy accustomed to fashionable and
highbred women noticed as sho ad
vanced toward him with welcoming
hand extended that her soft light
hair wan parted In the middle and
combed low over her broad forehead
and that the thick glossy knot con
fined In an Invisible not was set low
down at the napo of her neck
Sho held her head high and
haughtily as tho head of a queen yet
hpr red full lips parted In a dazzling
smile and perfect friendliness shone
from her blue eyes I
I received your note at ten oclock
this morning she said In French
In the most natural way In the world
as though Hbo had soon him only yes
terday and fortunately I had no
unavoidable engagement until 11
They stood In tho center of a lux
urlous salon flooded with n soft rose
colored light from electric bulbs In
geniously disposed about tho colling
I was very sorry ho replied to
disappoint myself last evening and
also to put you to any possible
annoyance in waiting for inc But
tho fact Is
But sho exclaimed In her own
tongue you are positively speaking
Russian And so perfectly tool I
can hardly believe my ears It Is In
credible But dont lets remain
standing here like two posts Sit
down over here and we will have a
nice cozy talk I can glvo you two
full hours
Sho crossed the room to a low
divan and seated herself comfortably
on one end of It among a mass of lux
urious pillows
Hardy took his place besldo her and
said easily
The hope of conversing with you
somo time In your own tongue prin
cess has been a great Incentive to
me in my studies of Russian With
out that Incentive I should scarcely
have made such progress as you aro
kind enough to credit mo with
lie was at homo now more at home
than In the store at Stryetensk or In
tho wholesale houses of tho Moscow
merchants and theso words of doll
cato flattery camo naturally to his
lips Tho princess flashed one quick
searching look at him Tho man was
a gentleman In tho conventional
sense as wall as a hero nnd no mora
afraid of n princess than of u Chlnoao
brigand
So you learned Russian that you
W
might talk with moi she laughed
with a slight tinge of coquetry How
perfectly charming But she i
pouted I fear that your desperate
struggle with the terrible Russian
tongue Is but a poor compliment to
my Fa each Did you then find that t
so unintelligible
Not at all ho replied except as
far as my own poor mastery of It ren
dered It so But my desire to con
verse with you In Russian was qulto
natural I used often to wish that I
could understand you whnn yon were
talking on the Amur steamer Be
sides Russian as spoken by you
seemed a very beautiful language and
ono woll worth acquiring
Sho did not see fit to pursue this
topic further
You shall always speak Russian
with me then By tho way have you
hoard anything further from your he
roic friend Humidors I hope you
have not lost all trace of him I
should so like to know how his lava
affair with tho fair but tantalizing
Chulla came out
Of that I ani ablo to inform you as
I havo recently heard from Smuldors
Ho and Chulla are married and liv
ing In Amsterdam Smuldcrs Is In
time seventh heaven of happiness
Time princess clapped her little
hands with Joy
Isnt it delightful she exclaimed
to hear of a lovo affair that ends
happily And I havo no doubt that
Chulla will settle down Into a sen
sible affectionate wife and repay him
for all his sufferings Was that not a
terrible happening last night the
killing and wounding of those poor
ofllcers The nihilists arc becoming
bolder and bolder every day Only
tho severest measures will stamp out
this ovll of nihilism Thoro Is no oth
er way to deal with those misguided
men who If they could only bo made
to see It are their own worst enemies
Could they know how it grieves the
Little Father to be severe with any of
his children they would not resort to
violence I am sorry for the families
of tho killed and wounded officers I
havo started a subscription for them
Which has already been generously ro
spondod to
May I put my name down forui
small amount asked Hardy
IIardy noticed that tho list was
headed Kllzabetha Romanovna 1000
roubles nnd that several others bad
contributed equal sums Tho last
immo thus far obtained and next to
which Hardy must sign was that ot
Boris Romanoff who was down for
2000 roubles
TO Bi CONTINUED
The Cheering Crowds
The prudent statesman now must pause
Whllo though lly he rtotw I 1
The men who I tfca most jr isury
Dont nlwayg tb otes
t