The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 8, 1904, Page 4

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY each other on either side of the nd it was known that at a v would wheel toward they formed ore line sising of the at the cha atehing Re ! ing @ t one of ns at t cide hall 50 the o ne a r from v his the - ractions the stage, Vol- s tercepted anrd t k s te by the b 5 - two rows s ith untold . } e of th n res rr ¥ £ b g he i Y th a g Herr Fric sig: and the cay t ¢ 1 b tho: being the r said Volbe t no apparen performa to the scowling The cur- Restofski's arms. tain ¥ been d twenty sec- onde W A Is it pistol or bomb? he was hitherto bare b rve m hear e paint with which she had encased her swarthy features was all raddled into streaks by the cold eweat tk broken out The ter- ror « f that weary road to Siberia was v her Restofsk & deft pass or two r ng with his left hand, required information and tself—a small but ser- er loaded in every cham- was have been the Volborth calmly You main with her here, Res- lose of the concert. I ce before my k ,and afterward estigate. By the etter. It was an ch other erates ars that last moment.” proffering me from this she- d went out, stop- ler the nearest lamp which was as fol- etter ake beware of the extra »-day was allotted a place chorus.” ¢ addressed to Res- rg, and had been the same afternoon ndication of the sender gathered from the writing. as printed in capitalg, but Vol- grimly as he noted the ntention of the disguise. enna these clever amateurs,” he mur- murec The deduction is, of course, the writer's real hana is not that Hastening on toward the hall, he met Herr in passing urged once =ity of absolute silence 1 have conferred together the concert came to an nger and shou the audito- of Russian He resumed his seat in rium just as the choir ladies was singing the last line of their naticnal hymn. The occupant of the next seat chancing to be an Austrian officer, much too starchily polite to show interest in his temporary b- sence, he was free to pursue his work which en consisted of a close study of Vassill. Still deathiy pale, and slightly leaning ferward kept her eyes fixed on the stage, bu a@s soon as the last of the curtseying performers had retired she sank back in her chair and her shoulders heaved visibly. A minute later she was chat- gayly to her neighbor That sigh of relief was eloquent thought Volborth. “Her feverish ex- citement and anxiety about Restef- ki at dinner—above all her recent ter nt pretty plainly to the author- letter. If T am not in e 1 find our Boris at the bot- te-ni > attemnt 1 which, for n, the devices of the e concentrated b ing fail remainder of the concert in here would be no in th crin was « he even 1 item of the yman?” said the led Volbortk abutting on only pe: you, Herr,” Frickhaus pros 1 are & hav and Between iant the Nus that f of the an vished ie on business, and t up to the box indicated. When ented myself, a young offi who & name, if I rem A D ki, har er had b Peiersbur person. Or 1 fcund r the ir capital to engage a the , thinkin above s was ne throu roduc you alluded the letter before liste to derly gentle- you ¢ greatly er tened wme, Herr, and 1 do not k ced trouble you further beyond send f ed that the director had al 1 this precaution, and that storf was waiting with ity to learn the cause wns, the discreet F haus having been true to his prom to preserve absolute silence At the brief conference that ensued between borth the Austrian chief of po- wa nged§ that Anna Tchi- should be conveyed at once, se- cretly, to the central prison, and be ther i till the Tsar should have ned to Petersburg, when her ulti- mate disposal could be decided between the two governments. the removal of the prisoner te Eckerstorf and Restofski. Volborth went out and despatched a cipher telegram to the chief of the Petersburg, reporting the and re- should be set upon every movement of Princess Olga Palitzin, He added that he had rea- son to believe that the Princess was pulling the strings of a conspiracy in which there were many members, and that, as it was desirable to detect and capture the others, he did not recom- mend her arrest at present. It was ten o'clock when he returned to the Hofburg, but late as was the hour for the transaction of business, he sent in his name to Prince Lobanof with an urgent request for an inter- view. The Russian Foreign Minister, for the convenience of frequent consul- tations with the two Emperors, was not lodged with the inferior members of the suite, but had his apartments close to those of the Tsar in the private wing. Volborth was able, therefore, to ap- proach them without exciting the curi- osity of his compatriots, and he gained instant admission. The old statesman was writing at the table, with a plethoric dispatch- box open before him. A greaded mar- tinet in his own department, and un- bending in his relations with foreign chancelieries, he was all suave urban- ity to those not under his actual con- trol. There were not wanting some— and they were those who knew him best—who believed that hig genial man- ner was not all superficlal, and aho credited him with a kind' heart. “Well, stormy petrel!” he cried, throwing down his pen. “What does this fcrebode? As @ man you are wel- come, but if you are come in an official capacity, 1 would much prefer that you went to bed.” “I could echo your Excellency’'s wish, for 1 fear that there will be none too much bed for me during the next two months,” Volborth replied. *“I bring serious news. Anna Tchigorin, armed with a six-chambered revolver, was taken on the stage of the concert-hall to-night—in the nick of time.” And he went on to narrate the circumstances of the capture, and the steps he had taken to conceal the incident for the present. Lobanof heard him to¢ the end in silence, too inured to plots of this kind to show, or probably to feel, surprise: but he nodded a grave ap- proval of the measures adopted for se- 3 have done well,” he said. “The condition her Majesty's healih makes it of paramount impor- tance that she should be safeguamded from alarm. It would be terrible if an heir to the throne were born under the ate influence of fe But tell me, Vol- borth, is this only the beginning of trcuble S word to hang over us at Dres] agen. at Balmoral and Paris 3 Have you reason to suspect an organized plot? By heaven!" added e Prince, with growing excitement, u dom’'t mean to say that your mareaver with the aide-de-camp this morning had a bearing on Tchigorin's attempt? Surely the betrothed of my ¢id comrade Constantine Va zhter is not mixed up in trea a wh I v ured to con: 1 ency.” replied Volborth Dubrowski is in it up to the Rlind eyes that do not sce, it may “Captzin be. but the result is the same. It his Majesty yin God preserve, had died to would have been Dubrow- eki whe nlaced the sseassin within stri stanc 1h y views as 10 take with him, I shrink, not from but from =acting An immediate deci- sion is necessary, and it woula be im- possible by telegram to put Granovitch sufliciently in touch with the undercu! rents to make his advice of full value.” o on,” said the Prince. ‘“Place me in a position to judge, and I will say how I should act if I held your office. I can do no more.” So Volborth gave, in what, if taken down, would have formed an excellent pr , the dry bones of his discoveries, of his proofs that Boris was being used Princess Olga as an intermediary, of the anonymous warning which could only be the handiwork of Ilma, and of the latter’s probable penetration of his own proper functions. He contended that, though as yet he had no direct evidence connecting Olga Palitzin with known bad characters, after that night's affair they were no longer groping in the dark—that the presenta- tion of the letter introducing Anna Tehigorin by Dubrowskl, in conjunction with the latter's infatuation for the Princess, confirnied his theory. Here Lobanof interrupted. “I am with you in that,” said the Prince, “but it pagses my comprehension how you first came to pay attention to the Prin- cess Palitzin—with the fertunate re- sult of finding her with that suspicious American, and of overhearing the ar- rangement with Dubrowskl" Volborth smiled slightly at the Min- ister's grip of details. He knew well that Lobanof had laid his finger on what, if it had not been for the event of the evening, would have been the weak spot in the fabric which he was . conetructing, and that weak spot the foundation of all. As was he felt his foundations secure. “Chiefly instinct, he renlied. your Excellency.” “But there was one little matter—five years ago—that set me thinking. perhaps. Her portrait was found among the belongmgs of a sus- pect—quite a humble person—who was afterward condemned_and transperted to Siberia. | was never able to estab- lish that the Princess had any acquaint- ance with this mar and it would have been easy for him to have purchased the portrait. But there was the chance that a®great lady might have had a ret Jover of Jow birth.” do not throw away *Well. what Dubrowski? if only for is your He deserves Siberia at least- hig behavior to sweet Iima.” “I doubt not that Siberra portion in the end, but, briefly, my clinaticn is to let him run loose for the proposition about will be his in- present,” replied Volborth 1 know that this course has its dangers, but to arrest him. even 1o let him see that he is distrusted, would have greater onés. We know now wnere to lay our hend on the connecting link between the directors ard the active agents of the plot. With Dubrewski out of the way we should be fighting the air. and doubtless they would soon find another medium for gaining information.” “You desire then to give him rope enough to hang himself—and the oth- ers—Pacr Tlma! Congt. ne Vasgsili would rise from his grave before Plev- na did he know that his daughter's afflanced was within the clutch of the section,” said the Prince sadly. “See here, Volborth,” he added more briskly after a pause, “why not give the young man a chance—for the sake of the girl? Tell him—I will do it, if you approve— what have already been the conse- quences of his infatuation for the Pal- itzin, and warn him that he is in dan- ger of losing his liberty and his life. He would be llkely to turn round and hate her, and crave Ilma's pardon, if the imbecile knew that he was simply being used as a tool.” “That is quite true, your Excellency,” replied Volberth coldly, “but I want him for a tool myself—to lead me to the others.” “To his own undoing, poor devil—and the breaking of that true heart,” com- mented Lobanof with a deprecatory shrug. “The Third Section is not concerned with such matters,” Volborth returned. “And there is the question of publicity. In his present frame of mind Boris Du- browski is in the nature of a high ex- plosive, and to tackle him openly in that way might lead to a revelation of the Tchigorin attempt, which it is im- perative to spare the Tsarina. He would never believe that the Princess was incriminated without proof, and we could scarcely furnish him with that without throwing the fat in the fire.” “That consideration outweighs the others,” Lobanof reluctantly assented. CAL “You are a ruthless player, Volborth, but it is the right game, I grant, to sacrifice the pawns to save the Queen. Yes, in your place I should do the same; though I imagine that I should pity the pawns a little more than you do, my friend. Have it your own way— and good-night.” And gnawing his gray mustache, the Prince tock up his pen and resymed his work, little thinking that in allowing his devotion to the Empress to van- quish his private sympathies he had sealed his own fate. Volborth went out, well pleased with the result of the interview, for he had carried his point in the face of greater oppesition than he had expected. There is no doubt that he honestly valued the sage old Minister's advice, but it is open to conjecture whether he would have sought it if he had not desired to safeguard himself by imparting his confidence to some one high in quthor- ity who wou!d be able to testify to his good intentions in the event of his policy of “letting Dubrowski run loose™ bringing about the very catas- trophe which he was straining every nerve to prevent. That there was a risk of this he was aware, but it seemed a r one than losing touch of the conspirators, and he never for- gpt that he was charged not only to preserve the lives of the Tsar and Tsar- ina, but to save them the horror of knowing that they were dogged by desperate criminals. On leaving Prince Lobanof’s apart- ments Volborth made his way to the wing occupied by the suite and en- tered the grand salon. In view of the military spectacle to be held in the morning, and of the commencement of the long rallway journey to Kieff, he expected to find that most of his fel- low-travelers had retired to their rfooms, and in this he was right. There were only two persons in the salon. Not by the quiver of an eyelld did he show any emotion, but they were just the two people in all the world whom at that moment he would have least ex- pected, and most wished, to find to- gether and glone. Facing one another from either side of one of the huge fire- places stood Boris Dubrowski and Ilma Vassili. Volborth always half cynically de- spised himself when he had to prac- tice the spy's most degrading duty— that of eavesdropping—and he was, therefore, not sorry that beth saw him before he had taken two steps from the door, But in that brief interval he had been quick to note that their attitudes and expressions were the reverse of lover-like, and he shrewdly suspected that he had interrupted a quarrel. Di- rectly Boris saw who the newcomer was he burst into a fit of laughter more jeering than mirthful, and Volborth at once conceived the idea that he himselt was the cause, or at least the subject, of their bickering. “See! here comes this terrible schem- er,” cried Boris boisterously. “Come in, Paul, and face the accusation that mademoiselle repeats against you. Know then that she insists that you are a police spy, and that you have evil designs upon myself—aye, that you maneuvered me into duty to-day so as to have the handling of that telegram. Refute the charge, monsieur, or prepare to meet me at the point of the sword.” Volborth affected unrestrained amusement at his moek herdies, and, adapting his tone to the young aide-de- camp's mood, exclaimed: “What! would you challenge a mem- ber of the Third Section who is on your track for the most mysterious crimes? That would indeed be a novel manner of dealing with the section.” Then turning to Tima, in whese proud face disdain and feaar were struggling for the mastery, he sald with theatrical solemnity, “If you have made this charge, mademoiselle, 1 shal] have to meet him. Politeness would mot per- mit me to refute anything you had said, however I might wince under it.” Int! ely he grasped the situation. Tima had been warning Boris against him, and, the warning having been first scornfully rejected, was now being ridiculed before her face. This suited the line upon which he meant to work, which was to divide the two that Iima's influence upon his future dealings with Boris would be reduced to a dead letter. Whether the girl guessed his intention or not, she made a gallant effort to frustrate it. “Captain Dubrowski takes jest for earnest,’ she said. “He is fatigued after attending his Majesty, and he is in ill-humor through not having met with good sport. I was but playing with him when I bade him beware of trusting you with his correspondence.” Volborth could. not help paying a si- lent tribute to her nmerve and clever- ness, Vilely as her betrothed had just treated her in laughing at her warning X SOON "IN OF Al before a third person, and that person the very man against whom she was setting him on his guard, she was yet, for the sake of not exposing her hand, willing to retract her words. He knew well what a sacrifice that meant to one of her nature. But though he could ad- mire, he would not spare. The quarrel must be fostered at all hazards. “My dear mademoiselle, pray do, not take me sericusly,” he laughed, ®or, for the matter of that, our dear Boris either. I never dreamed but that you were making fun of me—both of you. I am well aware that the nature of my scribe’s duties makes me fair game for all you courtiers and soldiers. But talking of police agents, I just now heard a good thing about Restofski at the concert. It was told me in confl- dence, so if I regale you with It, it must not go further.” Ilma hal shown signs of leaving the salon, but at this she leaned again against the flreplace, scanning Vol- borth’s face with eyes that strove hard not to be startled. “Let us have it, Paul,” said Boris, with a carelessness that was unmis- takably genuine. ““We shall not com- promise you by making It public.” “You are neither of you likely to,” chuckled Volborth inwardly, as, with all the aid of imparting a joke at the expense of one absent, he proceeded— “A few moments before the overture commenced, Restofski, who as usual was hovering here, there and every- where, was In the concert-hall, when a footman brought him a letter which had only just been delivered at the palace. Figure to yourself his surprise, his hor- ror—what you will—when, on tearing it open, he found an anonymous warn- ing against a lady who had been added at the last moment to the Russian chorus. What this terrible female was golng to do was not specified, but doubtless visions of pistols, daggers and infernal machines gripped poor Restof- Anyhow, he heir own. o] ol terviewed t hind the scenes, cal directer, and ir the lady—one dame ( stantly removed. ¥ e ticed an unaccountable curtain at the close -.r the Ilma, who kept calr very pale, noddsd: ar carelessne: cegled impatience, “Go on."” “Well, while the curtain Madame Gregorivies tire, and as soon as she up in an empty dres: ski hurried out intc her address and test methods the of herself. the sto antecedents were proachable, and herself perfectly cor turning to the palace r to Restofski lady with pre one had As he concluded, V fashion of raconteurs. to the other of his he but none with the forthcoming. perfunctorily, b looking face was sist n havin egorivies— but had accou Wher Madame he axed “It was a shameful shameful and unjustified,” scowling at Ilma in a ma almost a direct cu ceiving that his wra to disclose his perso matter to Volborth, len “Good-night’” and ¢ salon. From their reception t of the f his narrative of the supposed hoax Volborth gat ered several points: First, fhat - had not noticed the disappearance of Anna Tchigorin frem the stage, and, therefore, presumably did not himse know her; secondly, that then quite in the dark ¢ ing having been atte sults; and thirdly, th horrer on seeing R warning sprang from was being delivered too I service. It all e theory that she tmmediately after t telegram, her quick in the introduction of the n of which she chanced to know, a p ble cause for the police surve der which she believed F And now for the seec lay the police agent and the or were left confronting each other with a gense of war I sen them. Volborth gained had thought that he and that by ex sion of the event of the e widened the breach betw lovers. It was n notice Dubrow it Tima’s entire night.” own apartments Volborth sprang to “Do you think s struck me that he s full of youthfy them ?—high s Tima made no reply sound in the great swish of her court preceded her to the open, bowing Then suddenly him squarel searching his neth “You are a cleve borth, but I beli you,” she sald “And you, woman, but I ¢ stand you,” he rep himself as he watche ure down the corridor, your loyalty to that fait Then he, tc but not to sl night wait the faciliti would enable clock on the ke had chi f message was effect: Yours received ¢ But regret Olga Palitzin ostensibly for B fcan Colonel I brought to ngrat ns left Petersburg. t ot CHAPTE THE WALK IN THE WOODS Another day had passed, and the long shadows from the Wavel were merging into the darkness of the night as the imperial train, preceded by its flery herald hun- dered past t! onument Into the anc 1. No sooner had the coaches come to a 4 station than there b fus on to the platform, w d Cracow in the carefu n erary was the mag D for dinner.” Though the station was surrounded by a cordon of cufrassiers, Restofski at once encircled t T 1 gold loon in the center of the train, for the Tsarina being fatigued by t festivities, th clded to have ¢ train. Volborth e had in was fon d of his fel- the com- to ac- however, pelled by his undefined po: company the hungry crow who gers trooped the 2 cove lald for th to choose his course it wot 1 been the same. His usefulness at pre 1 still } ent was to be quity to the ju intrigue had not yet d wart ycung soldier knife and fork asured by h or aid The ler of Vienna visit had pas ) urther alarms or discoveries. The p 4 revies had taken place that g t Schmelz parade ground e Austfia cannon had thundered, and the sqt rons had gallopad past, the sover had driven to their final parti 1 nothing had oc npletion of the prog ammne at brought any re ties. With the gorin he believed as scotched for tr not bable 1 tempt had been but in his mind w it was only the of a s which eaclf scheme wouid be subtle than the last. He efntered the improvised restau- rant at the elbaw of Boris Dubrowski, to whom the Countess Vassili, already seated with Ilma at a distant table, was beckoning frantically Continued Next Sunday.