The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 9, 1900, Page 15

THE SUNDAY CALL. - griz stroke the . f the even- sufficiently go r 1 greeted her w e had day older, m t a hair 1n the iror t & new wt e é age, a a little fuller in the face, 3 as ifyshe ught »jolcing—the resumption bad taken aw the ch garve crows’ feet on ! genlus, nd was that e n had seized her, a mad re- e mortal misgivings which quake, a boundless n the incarnation evanescent firmer s m ttle - the eyes and she ered the first she was a stranger and & r great persongge were wont to bow to with ght back to her senses by - der and the volce he , whispered with an m “But be careful, for two- ear-old. Do not be a 2tage. The bear fruit week. You've got and that is the main ra vanished into her guardian’s houghts seemed turn- oy ening Valda was idol from a g the attitude to- € guecsts, as various in r t e as they wers ©Os- n ix There were rep- E differs countries , Italian, Spanish, rican, British, Russian; the wives secretaries; three including Prince vernor of Peking; the Roman and Anglican Bishops, a sprink- Mng of chaplains, doc consular stu- and revenue assistants, together winter-bour velers and sa- in the capital, one of whom was itery + espondent of the Ik purely Chinese of was « 1 to be more c b € b m 1 ations, and foik iem, t v A somew r 4 i s hat was o W z gain; I b « 2 4 meant 1 was r lad, with at W u r er- ere for trivial fault, 1 do - his sk rs as well a an ey Juie in the inexorable rule stant must on the other side ed; Valda r rtiere as if t ym looking beyon wa 2" she murmured, with a s k which stirred the blood man’s pulses. @ rather not tell you,” he sald you had been drinking.” 1 am ashamed to say, is the very “I had bcen out 0 the hill ular man who In- sisted on mixing stout with my cham- as I had virtually never taker gne, & anything I xicating than a Ver- mouth and bitters 1 simply didn’t know what I was doing. And yet I am well aware that what I did was the very gravest fault in the revenue decalogue— which, if the native feeling had been as hostile then seriously cor m; t is now, might have e service. I gi koff, at I have since that day.” r. Pericord could you not t uched wine & “Now if have heard that explanation and not take steps at onc to r ir his injustice sald Valda , stepping quickly aside from 1 between the curtains, “then i should really believe whtt every one says, that your 8. G. is not a man, but a—" “Mach! * sald a gravely gentle volicc behind t “I am afraid you would oo right, Miss Beriskoff.” Blake started and turned deadly pale— he understood why Valda had decoyed him thither and drawn him on to confess himself. The S. G. had been standing smmediately behind them during the inter- view in copversation with the British Em- bassador. Let me assure you, sir” stammered Blake indignantly, “that had I been t the 8. G. slowly turned his back on him as if he had not heard and walked pensively awa Pardon me If T leave skoff,” said Bl friends &t hand “You are unkind,” without making an Blake turned s ou here, Miss >, haughtily. *‘You I have not.” caid Valda sadly, ¥ motion to detain him. v, a blush of shame fghting with N nded pride. I am a brute,” he replied. “Forgive me. Your intention was of the kindest.” “Come, come,” murmured Valda, slp- ping her hand timidly to his arm and looking up at him with a reproachful shy- ness, “must you be so harsh toward a little trick like that? For punishment * insist that v and pledge ke u shall take me to the buffet me by breaking your pledge.” overwhelmed by coquetries to which he was an utter stranger, suc- cumbed like melted wa “Why have you done it, why have you done it?” he whispered incoherently as they left the t; the glass of cham- his head. sald da you are in love with hy, T she said. 1 left an abiding im- not know what that indisc tion was or you would not tempt Valda 1 ed misch 18! E member the ocecasi very distinctly. / reckiess joy seemed to have seized upon her and to t nglin ins with exube of h galloy Why was it Why ) nappy: did even the mem ) s young man’s 16 m bright s 1ine had found him—fouad tac et low voice; the stead Il had re w w the v W10 appeare Biake joined in i € vith @ hearty gh. The ( lit oird the rious whic 1 CHAPTER VITI THE S. G. CALLS ON VALDA, On the following afternoon there was a Ssu had called in person. ‘His greatness was r a diminutive slip of 1d the air of having rotwe years, and requested the fur- wey it to Miss ng through a win- saw the thin and 1t and round h and burie the hat the poor brought cut wi was so characteris- fresh ing collars « 5 Lehind the man of 'tk mere woman, could f his yc e be- with aid 1 did not suf tion of your 1 & st R med with my auda 1w had put myself Ny in your t k be 1 continue to fling at my head talk of the young men about my Miss RBe koff I envy My is champion. Would I could fair an advocate to take my part sometimes “Oh, Mr. Pericord,” she answered im- retching eagerly forward to and, and the drawing back in “I would do anything—for room was dark save im g f the br for the fire and he » dull and tt winte twilight that crept throu the heavy Tea was brought—tea in tall glasses, ith lemons d brandy in feu of milk—but that was the only inter- ruption of th i M. de Samovar, if he was ir refrained from ning to welcome his distinguished vis- itor. Mr. Pericord remained for two hours; before half this time had elapsed the ru- mor of t unprecedented visit had spread not only to all the other tea tables f Legation street, but into the Forbidden City itsel{, whither certaln magnates of the Tsung !l Yamen were swiftly and secretly b to inform the Duwager Empress wh was meant by this prc- longed stay of the Tsung Shul Wu at the Russian legation And these cverlasting fears of intrigue were not ut reason. A note had been brovg in to Valda by a Chinese servant, which bore the words: “Niuchwang—now She knew that her guardian was listen- ing, and that she was expected to com- e her despicable task at once. Drop- ping the paper into the fire, as she thought, with a sigh, she tactfully brought the conversation round to the po- litical embroglio in Manchuria. r. Pericord was, long before this, talk inog to the girl as to an old friend; it was rarely indeed that he could unbosom him self to a sympathetic listener, for a man position is denied the luxury ot And so here he sat in the pleas- gloaming, forgetful of time and’en- gagements, greedily if unconsclously ab- sorbing this brief spell of sympathy and homeliness and allowing himself to talk as unreservedly as if intrigue and diplo- macy were unknown. At last, with a sigh, he rose. “The best of friends must part, I sup- pose,” he smiled—he was never conspicu- ous for originality. “I am sorry to go. 1 have enjoyed myself more during th few minutes than during many years, Miss Beriskoff.” He looked at the clock. “Good gracious, did I say a few min- utes? Then the treasurer of Paoting must have been walting at the superintendency for an hour! “Nhat excuse shall I maka to him, Miss Beriskoff?" “Let him walt, sir,’ she answered. “You can always rule China, but it is not often you can forget that China exists. Some- tmes I wish it did not—when I see how 1t monopolizes you. I am jealous of China And I know very well that it will not per- mit you to call the Russian legation again.” ““You are right,” he said gravely. M visit 11 certainly be misinterpreted. And vet I don't think we have mentioned poli- tics once, have we, unless it was some reference to the future of my pet port Niuchwang. You see it is seldom I am able to meet any one who does not talk holities. There is an atmosphere of Asiatic intrigue about Peking which affects even the women. You will keep yourseif ur spotted from Its taint, will you not, my chila?”* Valda, with a sob, lifted her face to his. n his ant at He hesitated; then he kissed her on the brow. “But sometimes you will come to see me, dear friend,” he whispered. For full a minute they stood silent in the warm darkness, hands pressed In hands; Valda striving with her sobs, Mr. Pericord carried away with the incense of second youth ait here,” sald Valda prettily, re- luetantly and slowly drawing her fingers out of his. * altogether too cold for you to return in so thin a coat. See, it is snowing. 1 will bring you a robe.” She ran out of the room. M. Pericord turned toward the fireplace. A bit of paper in the fender caught his eve and he picked it up. “Niuchwang—no he read, in the familiar hand of the Russian Min- ister. When Valda returned. bearing a splen- overcoat of sable belonging tc her g! an, Mr. Pericord was leaning against the mantelpiece with bowed head. full of i the his face in tne fire- a wrinkled itude was fatig caught o seemed h ard “You are tired?’ she said gently. I wish you could stay all night.” The S. G. allowed her to wrap iim in he rc Did you say that T was to come to the Keeita Tt Chiao street?”" she whis- 1 I ) in his face affectionate- Iy A ter might, with her hands ve. “But I shall be so afraid of ing vou when vou busy.” tter not—better not,” he replied, col ind atsently, and moved to the Y ing, as if some one hat cruel and treacherous S 1 him—but bitter : bl her beseeching to him, but her dian behind her, little of your conversation with your visitor—on Man- churian politics, T think it was; nothing else reached my ears, I assure you. Of it was quite a confident'al conver- and »ssible blame can attach to yvou if Mr, rd should inadvertent- Iy sald s which he would not ir in diplomacy and vou have heard th v, 1 see. You have our mest vexa'fous enabled me to lear most vital importance. 1 perceive that the United States' open ks clinid tead of belng an empty i ur by any of the military powers, is. on contrary, the indication f f sorepiracy to defeat our ac- quisition of Manchuria. A secret all'ance exists nst us of a far m ormidable remedy becomes imperative. We must ep- al to the ‘last resource’ while Englana still has her, hands full of Egynt and Africa and the Urited States is tied up with Aguiraldo and the Bryanites. A war now en a riot and reprisals— no m so that » can get an Valda lc t her guardian steadfast- ly: had he been less preoccupied with his matic reflections he might kave she had aged by ten years “What will be the ultimate effect of our >cricord?” she asked qulet- 11 ruin for him, T sup- Minister, indifferently. id he hes on the pal- it as long as he collects f the open ports can be alienated or annexed. He scored a tri- umph over us in this connection by means of that bulldog of his. McCleavy Brown But all these Englishmen and Americans must be clearad « Above all, a devoted rvant of the Czar (such as T myself, for \ the shoes of Mr. fnstance) must star Pericord. Now I must write my dispatch for to-morrow’s courier, dear. I shall have dinner served in my stud CHAPTER IX. VALDA CALLS ON THE 8. G. Valda also had her dinner served In private, but she aid not eat. While her French mald was enjoying the savory dishes, Valda was out 6n foot alone in the bitter cold, which was not so keen as the cruel chill at her heart. Now she hurried, now she hesitated and halt turned back, while always she shrank close to the shadow, dreading that even the bright moon should detect the purpos of her errand. The streets were entirely deserted at this hour, and one might hav taken Peking for a vast uncovered cata- comb, so silent, so untenanted, so white and death-like looked its eyeless avenues. rywhere, on either hand, nothing was be seen but plastered and painted walls, and crisp and glittering snow. No lighted windows or hospitable doors broke to this still monoton: Chinese houses of any pretension never abut on the side- walk, but sequester themselves behind stucco walls whose very gates are again blinded by a pleee of wall in front. The few belated passengers she passed intensified the oppressive mystery and silence, for they glided by like wraiths, their hands hugged in their sleeves,: their faces muflied in cowls or hairy ear-flaps, their backs bent to avoid the icy blast, their footfalls deadened by the thick felt séles of their shoes. Valda attracted no attention, because she was cowled in a native feng-mao, a combined cap and cape which is held by a visor-like flap across the chin. Overhead the stars and moon shone down with an electrie bril- lMance, marking the city in white and black squares as rigld and clear cut as a checker board’s. Valda reached at length the spaclous compound which inclosed the Yamen of the superintendency general. Here at last there was an air of bustle, which caused her hastily to shrink into the shadow of the opposite wall. A squad of soldiers were stamping about in the street to keep their feet warm, their rifles carelessiy stacked in the middle of the road, with huge lanterns bearing monstrous Chinese characters on their paper globes, slung haphazard from the muzzles. It looked like a group of goblin glants. The men we iflf braves, tall, stout fellows even when stripped; but in their loose winter uniforms, thickly padded with cotton wool, thelr legs swathed in padded leggings, their heads picturesquely muf- fled in hu black turbans, they were swelled out to twice their bulk. A couple of shabby Manchu ponles stood dejected- ly by the wall, with high-peaked woaden addles and massive brass stirrups; half \ dozen tawdry sign-boards on poles were leaning lop-sidedly by the gate, their ragamuffin ers in conical red hats squatting in a circle hard by and surrep- titiously smoking. Valda learned, by the big gilt letters on these wooden standards, that the mandarin for whom they were walting was none other than the Treas- urer of Chili, an official second only in importance to the Viceroy. At that minute the great man, in his great green pagoda-like chair, carried low down by four bearers using swing-poles, was borne out, obsequiously followed by his fat conical-hatted pipe-bearers and the high-booted and leather-aproned of- ficers of his escort; and behind them - 15 bowed the solemn tingchais of the S. G. vital importance, someth! nreeding im- which terrified her, he produced from his who closed the gates as soon as the rab- mediate action, and you greet me as a pocket the slip of pap ad picked up ble got under wa stranger—you refuse even to listen to th & : Then Valda was alone again jn the me." A clmed. She sank into deserted street, like a shivering angel shut “I am compelied to, Miss Be My God, what can out of paradise. She knew that Mr. Peri- “But wi ? 1 will not cord could not yet have had his dinner; it is simple rudeness; I have known you § she knew that her visit at this hour, so So long! Tell me the reason of ir. Mr. —I I soon after parting from him, alone and in Pericord. I implore 3 te W stealth, would bear the worst construction it shall be too late for us to recover the ¥ in his eyes, and her tortured heart still Sympathies ternoon!” ( felt the dull wound of his inexplicable “You make re- rudeness on leaving her. And vet it was Plied. evident ¢ - impossible that he could have meant any- &t her claiming a o - thing. Thelr conversation had been so have not by any means decidcd to repu- risk sweetly intimate; the pure kiss which he diate the friendship which promised so With a bad pressed on her brow had been a com- AN A0 MM SIS O ¢ " Bk ok pact of enduring friendship, on his. part shed only to i 2 e and a yearning love on hers. Perhaps he B s oman 1 N e ed from Dad been preoccupied by the thought of S4T¥. that the many ye at 1 i e : : ties the visitor waiting for him at home; her Sided in Peking have compelled me to be 1 = . : .y momentary absence from the room had Skeptical. Private ckion 56, - g g allowed him to remember the pressing Pecially when ¢ 1 f calls of duty. If by any chance he had, the legations, ha | - A b By g B in rehearsing the confidences they had in. the reverse of disinterested that I hos » : a tercaanged, concelved a seldom absent Deen compelled to make & rule & o sy ¢ fear of indiscretion—if he had remem- N g o CF CHIOE y ) not g bered that the fascinating young woman oo (PG RS 0 tained tt was still the ward of ‘the Russlgn Min- 3G~ O GXEEB-C% o 0 samovar's o - ister, secret eriemiy; - Wwall, thit news 08 TR ER 08 i with & & ¢ that was bringing to him,now 0 bk et Deve sons A . } would dissipate all these suspiclons and (00 WMEet SEOTE EEC prove at once the thoroughness of her “Let us av | Hitos: T beseech CHA R X devotion. R % e retil iy ) g Fortifled by these reasons. though still ~ gy oo 10cl to him, and taking b s N DI trembling with painful doubts, she turred rejuctans hand, turned het flashing eye T v t was down the side street, and, unfastening the g e wicket gate he had told her of, touched on knowing why you s 1 the electric bell three times. ord R r The door opened mechanically. admit- pr 1 cu o' 0 Sol qicereccr 3 Wens ¢ R grets to in- ting her to a small anteroom, where she qq0 /0SS O E VT T il dise fort ¥ 1 has just seated herself. aware that she would be ¢t or perhaps reminded of some. ir tefegran r spected through a peephole by Mr. Peri- (vl juct imparted by the treasurer t t t announced thout other formalit Taa “Since ¥ T y of 4 8. G., in instructing her, had explained qur quplicity t re, I . that there hing necessarily clan- Swjen (‘! sty Sl ' m secrecy, but that h® (his one favor, of a n to t s and his S petitioners that pglitical affairs, T sha rt r s the only means le could devise to geserve your friendshif o protect his precious time and save them Reluctantly, but wi ster (Continued Nex %) the annoyance of being told that he was not at home in the y ence of official visitors Valda was kept waiting for what seemed to her hours, and her courage dwindled to misery Then Mr. Pericord himse!f entered, and this increased her wretched- ness, for she fully expected that he would at least invite her to his drawing-room, if not to his sanctum. ““Yes. Miss Beriskoft?" he sald ried the robe she had lent him on his arm. “You are going to a party and found that you need this, perhaps?” For a moment she stood looking with the incredulous reproach of a pet animal whose advances are repulsed. Then her n's pride came her rescue and 1d weartl did not imagine that you could treat a woman quite so cruelly, Mr. Pericord. I have compromised myself by this un- usual call In order to give you some in- formation which I have just learned and which concerns you vitally. But I should prefer. not to mention it here where you are liable to be interrupted.” “Experience has compelled me to fore. go recelving private revelations, I regret to cay, Miss Beriskoff. I am not the less grateful for your thoughtfulness. Wil vou allow me to send you home in my chair? To his astonishment, Valda burst into a passion of tears. How was he to know that this simple offer recalled the begin- ning of her life's secret, and recalled it with a contrast which nearly broke her heart? He car- to “Oh, what have I done, what have I done?" she crled wildly, when at last she could control her sobs. “Two hours ago, Mr. Pericord, you honored me with the name of friend. You yourself invited me to use the privilege of this entrance whenever I could spare the time to see you. I come tp tell you something of “THEY WERE BY THIS TIME PASSING UNDER THE LONG AND GLoomy TUNNEL OF THE GATE