The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 15, 1904, Page 3

THY SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY "CALL. quite an interesting spot. In it there is an eikon of Saint Gregory, be- lieved to be the oldest in Bussia.” . n Dubrowski,” sald a pleasant i a general hush Every man's hand gear in salute; every Jow. Behind the na, with Lobanof, ned to a confer- € s volently in the back- Er oulse of his 5 gr clicked his heels ttention. to overhear v s h s “The is, then. e 2 g yonder wood 7" Eo 1 lied Bor! f ak from know edge g this way be- 1 your esty’s permission tion master?” a gesture of dis- - urselves test the value of * said he. “Her king a study of eikons, hiseeing will break the journey.” n was to a well-known arina, who, since her developed & mania ges of the Russian ner was the Emperor's wn than Volborth con- with Restofskl. was all he was able to otion was inspired by our friend.” N\ e also questioned a raflway man, and gathered that there certainly was a of Saint Gregory in the wood and shrine SBomewha by the cioud of section offi themselves round the party. tached elf to Boris and Ilma, and owed the imperial couple out of the reassured this. of the grow drawing it, as and drawing it aged priest whom charge of the elkon. The the ground by n the Tsar and Tearina wi Lobanof ap- proached unconcerned way in which he went on arranging several baskets of roses he did not seem to know his visitors. But & few kir from the sover- his feet and made low fox ho blank, save f they found old man was s the red-stone hed eign he rose tc ot x e questions put to and explained ere for sale to pilgrims, asket and begged t it. Just as her gras s to close on the handle and, seiz- his courtly k to the train rvened e good en at my ed to me to shed r And I ing from one gers which he had mbling thanks ne party started n, Volborth s d I'ma a lit taries. Sudde his saloon car- before they laid him through the awe- t the Prince was dying the confusion had possessed himself of the bas- which Lobanof had away, white as a roses d, slipped ski was standing, success from his tle excursion. y about “death But at the and summoned assistants o the wood and arrest the he said. “Make no bones about him if not catch him.” T r the Tsar's great servant had breathed his last the men returned. They reported that the priest was not to be found, and inquiry eli- r within the memory of kon of Saint Gregory f Scheptowka been at- priest K cited that nev an had he wood tended by a ¢ the CHAPTER V. THE FORSAKEN ROOM AT BRES- LAU. The hall of the Hotel Golden Gans at Bres! was full of lounger The cap- ital of & German province, as distinot hionable Bads and s usuzally a center of ed only by the freaks But on this occa~ ving waked to its im- e meeting-place of two rrow, had grown Journalists and ists and a good service element, of Sllesia, ab- ery corner of its limited ac- nodation, and turning it into a of tongues and a medley of na- tes po he small circular tables rflowed from the crowded el on to the pavement sat at first sight was chiefly reason of his being Closer inspection showed him to it 30 years of age, well groomed E and neat as to his beard and mustache, observant manner. lishman—undoubted- * would have been the by of any one with a he world who chanced Mr. sencer Fortescue British Foreign Office. rt from the ordinary tour- ping curicsity was the alr of amused appreciation which marked Mr. Fortescue's survey of the loungers and Many a thrilling detail of ity or behavior, which would been lost on the casual spectator, terest for the keen gray eyes watched and noted so quietly and unobstrusively from the table by the porch. Every type in the throng was individually familiar to Fortescue; the y novelty was the seeing them all— French and Russian, German, Ameri- can, and English- -t the same time in the same combination. And then, suddenly, the contempla- tive gaze was exch.nged for a stare of passers person have puzzled Inquiry, rapidly clearing into a half-smile of recognition as its subject —a man who had been crossing the roadway—stepped on to the curb and approached the hotel entrance. For- tescue rose and extended his hand, the smile broadening into a grin. “How do you do, Herr? This is in- deed a happy meeting;” he said. The new-comer, a portly, elderly man in the ill-fitting, shoddy garb affected by German provinclal bankers and merchants, drew himself up as one who resents a stranger’s intrusion. Then hé started in astonishment, his eyes de- vouring Fortescue's face. “I ze bleasure not hat der know you, saar. You one great mistake must make,” he replied. Fortescue's eyes merriment “Very w were abrim with 11 done, my friend, that Ger- h was excellent,” he said, taking care not to be overheard. “But seriously, my dear Volborth, though I know three years and my beard must make a difference, you have not for- gotten Spencer Fortescue and the little affair we worked together at Belgrade in ‘937" “Pull your table out of earshot from the door. "I will be back in a moment,” was the reply, spoken now in excellent English. The seeming merchant disappeared into the hotel, and Fortescue acted on his suggestion, moving the table and two chairs into greater privacy. He was smiling to think that he, him- self unrecognized, had penetrated the disguise of the redoubtable Volborth, ociation with whom he had eered a delicate matter of interna- t haute pclice three years before. The rising voung attache was one of the v few outside the ranks of the Third Section who knew Volborth in his true capacity, and between the two there had arisen a firm friendship, which, though they had never met since the completion of their joint ser- vice, had been kept alive by a mutu- in c n: ally useful correspondence. Each had formed & very high opinion ,of the other’'s absolute secrecy, and they trusted ope another accordingly. In a minute or two Volborth re-- turned and seated himself at the table, using gestures in conformity with his dress, but plunging into conversation in his natural voice . ‘““We cannot be over blank wall behind us,” fore you say a word, how you spotted that the make-up was perfect.” ite perfect—if you could only con- trol the droop of that left eyelid,” safd Fortescue, p ing his cigarette-case, ard with this he sald. “Be- »encer, tell me flattered my- me which, however, Volborth waved away in fay of a heavy German pipe. “Do continued the En- ace of real an- It was probably what we call in our trade ‘a concatenation of circum- stances’ that gave you away. 1 dare say I should not have noticed the droop of the lid if this had not been more or less a Russian furiction, and Paul Vol- rth therefore the most natural per- the world for me to expect to see N it's my turn. Why did you start at the sight of me, though you didn’t know me?” “Do you mean to say that you con- not guess?” said Volborth, puffing his pipe between each word as though to the manner born. “No? Well, with that beard you are the very counterfeit of my august sovereign, the Tsar. The difference is perceptible at close quar- ters, but at a little distance the resem- blance is amazing.” “An undoubted honor, but a doubt- ful advantage,” laughed Fortescue “And now, old collaborator,” he added with a quick change to gravity, “is this tour running smoothly? I know you won't tell me more than you ought, but your presence here in advance seems to signify trouble.” “Yes, there is trouble—bad trouble,” was the reply. “They nearly scored in Vienna. And—this is very secret, BSpencer—Lobanof is to be credited to their account, though the Empress was the intended victim.” “I am not surprised,” said Fortescue, after a pause. “I saw the hand of the section in the meagerness of detail sup- plied to the press. And you fear furth- er attempts?” “Unquestionably. That is why I pre- ceded the imperial party hither. I have learned enough during the trip to know that the ground selected for the attempts s been occupied and pres pared by the agents beforehand, and I thought that I might be of more use here than in doing ordinary police work on the journey from Kieff. My next in command has full instructions how to act In certain contingencies. But lis- ten while I sketch the situation. There is one connection in which you might enlighten me.” And, omitting minor points, Vol- borth ran through the heads of his dis- coveries and suspicions, commencing with the Princess Palitzin’s enlistment of Boris Dubrowski as an instrument, and laying special stress on the part he belleved Ilma Vassili to be playing. “Can you conceive,” he concluded, “a state of mind in which a girl, while knowing her lover to be in tow of a rival, and despising and loathing him for it, would yet move heaven and earth to save him from the section. Mind you, she is equally anxious to preserve their Majesties from harm through his criminal folly. Outside the section no one knows that Lobanof was killed by a thorn poisoned with strophanthus and meant for the Tsarina. But from II- ma’s manner during the two days I was with them at Kieff I believe her to be of one mind with myself—that the letter of which she balked me at Cracow gulled Dubrowski under some pretense into mentioning the eikon in the hearing of their Majesties so as to lure them to the grove. Yet I could see that she was still watching my every move with a view to shielding Dubrowski.” “Yes,” said Fortescue, after an appre- ciable pause, “I can concelve such a state of mind—because I happen to know the lady. I should imagine that “she is doing this for Dubrowski be- cause she pities him as a weakling, and with a woman of her temperament pity is very akin to love. If a strong man, entirely worthy in other ways of her respect, had treated her thus, she would probably have hated him and left him to his fate. It is likely that that was her feeling, till she suspected him to be under the ban of the section ere. and her quick wit told her that he wase tescue. wanted by the Palitzin as a tool rather than a lover. Both facts entitle him to pity—poor beggar—I should say.” “He will go to the mines when I have done with him,” returned Volborth. “But tell me about your acquaintance with Mademoiselle Vassili. I had no idea that you had met.” “She is the dearest friend of my own flancee, Miss Laura Metcalf. who han- pens, by the way, to be in Breslau at this moment. Ilma was staying at Sir James Metcalf's place in Scotland when I was there last year, and Laura has been greatly looking forward to having her there again when your people are with the Queen three weeks hence. Blairgeldie Castle is within a drive of Balmoral. Lady Metcalf and her daughter are staying here fof a few days with the Baroness von Lindberg on their way home from Gratz.” “With yourself as escort?” “No, it was quite an accident that I met them,” replied Fortescue. “I am here on duty—there need be no secret about it between us—to feel the pulse, as it were, of this meeting between the two Emperors for my Government.” “Ah, yes. Some one would be doing that, and who better than you, my friend,” said Volborth. “But this is where I thought that you might help me. The Colonel Delaval, who was with the Princess in Petersburg—can you vlace him? The Irish-American ele- ment does not orten come within my scope; you have it st your finger-tips.” And he gave a minute description of the man whom he had first met on the steps of the section bureau, explaining his theory that Delaval, knowing his passports to be in order, had purposely thrust his head into the lion’s jaws so that he might be followed to, and vouched for, as he was, by the Ameri- can Embassy. Thus he would be able to come and go for the remainder of his stay in Petersburg without excit- ing further inquiry. “You overrate me, Paul,” said For- “Your description - conveys nothing to me, though I see your drift. You apprehend some sort of an alliance between the anti-English Irish dyna- mite party and your own practitioners. ‘Well,” he added, after 2 moment's re- flection, “here is a fact that might have a bearing. Melton, one of the Scotland Yard men who look after our revolu- tionary fry, was in Breslau for an hour or two three days ago.” “Ah, that is indeed interesting,” said Volborth. ‘“He must have been on a hot scent to come and go like that. I know Melton well—brave, keen and tireless, but hampered by your silly in- sular system, which makes a policeman always a policeman. Go on, Spencer.” “That is practically all,” Fortescue replied. “I only have a slight acquaint- ance with Melton, and in any case he is not the man to blab his business. I gathered that he had to leave again in a hurry, and that Boulogne was his destination. Whether en route - for England or not did not transpire.” For a little while theéy sat in silence, Volborth pondering the situation by the new light of the English detective's presence in Breslau. He came to the conclusion that whatever had been the cause Melton did not know it to be con- nected with the Tsar’s coming visit, as in that event the Russian authorities would have been apprised. It was pos- sible that the British police were oper- ating against the same conspiraters should, in .Volborth’s place, have warned the infatuated suspect directly the first proof was obtained of the use he was being put to. “The matter is too grave for my in- terference, but for the sake of that grand girl, Laura’s friend I wish Paul could have worked it otherwise,” the attache thought, glancing at Volborth's face, with its eruel firmness scarcely hidden by the mask of German stolidity with which it had been invested. And as he locked a gleam came into Vol- borth’s eye, and a heavy Teutonic smile spread itself over the artificially broadened features. “There will be zum ones vor you goming, - Mishder Fordescue,” said the disguised man, reverting to the speech of his assumed character. The reason was promptly made evi- dent. “Is this your notion of doing the civil to mother and the Baroness, naughty boy?” cried a ringing voice at Fortes- cue’s elbow, and turning he was con- TILE, INTERIOR WIS ¥ 2 INZO g Mraz‘f:;gggj 1255, under the impression that the plot was directed against purely British inter- ests, in which case, if his theory of a Fenian-Nihilist league was right, the sooner he and Melton joined forces the better. 3 In the meanwhile Spencer Fortescue was congratulating himself on what his friend had called the “silly insular sys- tem.” He did not blame Volborth, who was bred to it, but never before had the merclless system of soclal espionage in Russia seemed S0 regugnant as when forcibly {llustrated by the slow entan- glement of Boris Dubrowski in the meshes of the Third Section. Well he knew that, in the Tsar'. domains, in- noecence of intent would make but little . difference to the foolish young officer’s fate whHen the sword fell. As a man of the world, Fortescue was aware what the blandishments of an unscrupulous. woman could accomplish, and he would not admit that Dubrowski deserved death or Siberia for his folly. As an English gentleman he felt that he TLEN T fronted by as fair a specimen of sprightly English girlhood as ever quickened the pulse of an acknowl- edged lover. Laura Metcalf would have scornfully disclaimed any titlé to be called pretty; hers was rather a pi- quante, taking face, in which the chief charms were a matchless complexion and eyes that sparkled with the joy of lite. Her figure, though slight, was of the type that is seen to best advantage in a riding habit. Perhaps a little slangy and would-be ‘“‘up-to-date,” Miss Metcalf was nevertheless a true woman at heart, a stanch friend, a somewhat truculent enemy, and de- voted to her “sucking ambassador,” as she irreverently termed Spencer. The latter rose and brought a chair for her. “I must plead gullty to gross mis- behavior " h. sald. “The fact is I met an old friend, and we have been chat- ting. Let me {introduce you—Herr ‘Winckel of Munich—:_iss Metcalf.” “Jarmed to meet you, Mess,” said Volborth, rising to execute an elephan- tine bow, which Laura acknowledged with a good-natured smile, and a bow that was more than half a nod. “This is really jolly, only I hope it isn’t fast—sitting outside a hotel with two men,” she began to chatter. “And Spencer, don’t worry about not having called this afternoon. The Baroness is full of preparations for to-morrow, get- ting the windows draped and all that sort of thing. The spirit of the Lord Mayor’s show is upon her.” “Miss Metcalf is so fortunate as to be staying with the Baroness von Lindberg, who lives next door to the Stadthaus, where the Tsar is to be lodged,” explained Fortescue. “Ach! but that is mosh gonvenient,” commented Volborth, who had already learned all that the local police could tell him about the house and its occu- pants. “Oh don’t!” the young lady ex- claimed, with a comical grimace. “That sounds as if we waated to blow the Tsar up, you know, and we don't, though I'm sure he deserves it—horrid old thing, always sending people to Si- beria. At least, he isn’t old, but one al- ways thinks of Tsars as ancient parties of the ‘off-with-his-head’ sort. And talking of blowing up, we have had some rare fun with the Baroness. The dear old thing has had a regular scare, and nearly trotted off to the police about it. Lucky she didn’t, as it turns out.” “How was that?” asked Fortescue, checking a direct glance at Volborth, but guessing from the increased “bub- ble”” of the great Posen pipe that his friend was more than listening for a story which Miss Metcalf was evident- 1y burning to tell. “Three or four days ago—that was before we reached Breslau,” she rat- tled on, “a man called on the Baroness and wanted lodgings. Just think of it! —a Von Lindberg taken for a lodging- house keeper. When she told him she wasn't in the business, he wouldn't take no for an answer, pleaded that he could find lodgings nowhere else, and finally asked her to name her own price. The idea was so preposterous that naturally she grew suspicious, and thought of all sorts of horrors, for her house adjoins the Stadthaus, wall to wall, you must know, Herr Winckel She would certainly have gone to the poiice but for one thing—the man was an American, and said he was a mil- lionaire. The Baroness knew that the silver-king, pork-packing fraternity are capable of trying to buy creation, so she just did nothing. But she firmly refused him admission to the house, and that’s where the joke comes in." “May we inquire how?" said Fort cue. “Why, the Yankee is coming back; he is to have the rcom after all, and the funny part is that I am at the bottom of it,” returned Miss Metcalf, not no- ticing the start which ne of her hearers could wholly suppress. “The Baroness had a wire from him this morning to that effect—about a h dred words, though, of cou that's nothing to a millionaire. He says he had got as far as Boulogne on his way back, when he lected that he was chummy with one of the Tsar's staff, and that he was returning in the hope that that would cause alter her mind. The thrown In as a vo bility, don't y It wouldn weighed a bit with the Bagoness, the poor Yank would have been h less if she hadn’t wn that w me.” And Laura ade a tantal pause for effect. “We are waiting for the climax,” sald Fortescue quletly. “Here it then. prodigal Yank, he & Russian acquainta it be but the Captain Boris whom my dear Ilma is going nar Of course, that made it as right ninepence for the porkpacker, a see? As the Baroness means doing him wel His name is Delaval—a colon: it goes without saying. Hullo! Where's the Herr off to She looked up, wondering why that elderly, vulgar German started up 80 excitedly from his chair at the close of a narrative wt she had ined, could have no special cor him. Fortescue, too, that his friend s ble so abruptly, apology; for it was n to be taken aback by pected of combinations glance at the o ward which the disgui tening, told him that sciously offered informatio es It was, did not form the immediate cause of the sudden move. That cause was revealed in the lithe, active fig of Inspector Meiton walking fast other side of the street. “Herr Winckel has seen another friend, it appears,” sald Fortescue, as Volborth accosted the lish detec- tive, and after a heart paced slowly on wit little woman,” “you allow that two?" “I am aware that you were born a before yesterda replled But why thi s? You have come over as solemn as a mau- I kn w a thing or soleum anything I've done, is it, old boy? are not jealous of the rich Yank?” They both laughed, thei tions be- ing such a ke the jest appreciable. “No, I am not jealous,” Fortesct plied. “But all the same, ° Yank over whom I am griz o you know that, with the best of inten- tions, you m got Tlma Vassili's ommo! us, no! How?" Laura, her f. “In this question outrages, chance that this Ameri ing Dubrowsk for purposes of only the what he woul show.” But Ru a truly fearful t out that the name of an I officer had been made way, whether by it would be bad for thag can think of at least t¥ which it might come out.” Laura's ey ed with tears at ti name, unauth his own. It may be a wealthy man to get la® the Yare idea of damaging her ved ma's fia . What a donkey I have been!™ cried. And the brutes would really make it hot for Captain Dubrowski, e if no harm came of it? Well, 'm ¢ to put th 1 shall téll the Baron take—that Delaval a picious character, and mustn’t be admitted un- der any conside the house it wi dead body. ¢ Spencer, and back me up.” He rose at once to accomipany her, satisfled with the turn he had giv events, though he thought it they avould find Delaval a Von Lindberg mansion and see Inspector Melton indicated of his quarry, and his pn visit to Breslau having, showing, tallied with Delaval's first ap~ pearance, it was easy to guess that .quarry was. But Fortescue felt assured that, after what he had said, the American would not be wed to remain under the Baron von Lind- berg’s roof, and if that could be pre- vented his own object would be gained. This was neither more nor less than to save Boris Dubrowski from further implication, while at the same time helping Volbroth to prevent a criminal attempt without publicity. Though Volborth had not said as much, it was patent to Fortescue’s diplomatic mind that Prince Lobanof’s death had placed his friend in an awkward position. Should it come to the Tsar's ears that his faithful old minister had lost his lite, and that the Empress had had the narrowest of escapes, as the resuilt of Volborth’'s waiting policy, it might go hard with him. And this difficulty was increased by the fast of Lobanof hav- ing been the ohly ome who could have testified to the motives that actuated that policy, after consultation and ad- vice. It was therefore probable that it would be to the future action of Du- browski that Volborth would look in or- der to prove his connection with the conspirators. Fortescue told himself that it would be no breach of confidence on his part to hinder such action, on this ocecasion at least, seeing that by depriving De- laval of his opportunity he would be aiding Volborth’s paramount object— the stoppage of open attempts while preparing a swoop on the conspirators at the end of the tour. In coming to his conclusion Fortescue was greatly influenced by the presence of the Eng- lish detective, who might be trusted