The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 22, 1904, Page 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. Y A HIS is the third install- ment of “By a Hair’s Breadth,” Headon Hill's iarkable novel about the and the dreaded “Third tion.” which will be com- pleted next Sunday. Because of its peculiar, ‘timely in- terest, as well as for the thrill and swing of the story itself, this book has already created a sensation. It will ¢ be followed immediately by “The Fugitive,” another $1 50 novel for 20 cents, of which you will hear much more in detail next Sunday. RED lnger-;;m glowed on cheek, and & gloomy scowl contracted Boris® brow as he came out of the postoffice. So yus was the alteration in him that T« (z ¢ ea a sald— I hope you h news?"” “Yes, not had bad if to learn that t take his mean- more than she would refuse “Poor Ilma! So he's a * she thought, but perhaps heard, mon- onel Delaval was, after gentleman—an equal of heard that he was accred- by—by a friend to whom tk way is a gross in- s retorted Dubrowski roughly. , which is from one of the . A Russian nobility, and asks me to do all r for him should he apply our friend is well- s yourself, Ilma.” losing control of > and sorrow Il- a Metcalf away. girl's temper was g what she did, she brook open insult m she had risked so of a dynkmitard's to tell you then, mon- the sooner you give your 1's name to the police the rejoined. “We—my were not going to men- na's sake, but now you rmed that your riend, before he was I i an infernal machine himney of his bedroom. That ked on to the Tsar's apart- cry, and laid her on Laura's arm. dear, he is not him- i. “I have tried so , but he will not let ¢ known and could be as I quite believe, it would down her wrath, and Znglish. t, vou poor darling,” she the fuss I had to get the house I y nonsense about De- 1all never go beyond us d friends of mine.” without Dubrowski, aspersion on the writer fanned his passion to d he was evidently peat his insults direct when nee of varying his method. wpped in an open space streets met under a group at that moment he caught porth crossing the road to- m in arm with Fortes- know the latter, but hed good breeding. cried excitediy. nces. Here's an En- with an jmaginative 11d furnish you with good has found a beautiful bout an American who, to the house next the t an infernal machine all of his Majesty’'s apart- desper; criminal bore an to myself, mind you. for a likely tale ttle fear of Laura recog- ussy German of the previ- the xvuhlh(‘d gentleman out of a re e d of trees, sight of a v getting haus, Kk 2 y]ez«ure to work out plot. Who knows but But serious s is not a tale, whatever that you should shout from the housetops. You ought to know cur Russian methods better. It would not be pleasant for you if a breath of this dluurbed the keen nos- See 1« Fortescue, time to sa selle Vassili!” cried Jforward just in Ilma from falling. She ing against the circu- protected one of the “that fence pal trees. lar munici CHAPTER VIL THE CIPHER CODE. Late that night of Saturday, the bth of September, Spencer Fortescue was sitting in his room at the hotel, en- gaged upon a despatch to the Foreign' Office, when a letter was brought to him. The bearer was a silent individu- al, who insisted on delivering the mis- sive in person, and bowed himself out ctly his errand was discharged; but at the calligraphy was suffi- reveal the writer. The neat characters recalled the days when Vol- 4 plied his English co-operator many of the same sample at Bel- etter was as follows FORTESCUE: Understanding that » are to escort Lady and Miss If 1o England via Boulogne, start- nee on Monday, | am going to ask from you. Melton, the English cr. writes me that he is at shadowing Delaval, against Lowever, he has nothing definite at present, except that he has been seen in the company of certain notorious irish-American _desperadoes. . Now want Melton to be apprised of Delaval's portmanteau attempt, but I want it done unofficially, and by word of mouth, my reason being that, if I notify him in writing or by telegram, he will be-bound by your red-tape system to report the matter to his superiors at Scotland Yard. This, as you may be unwilling to con- fess, but probably know, would result in noisy excursions and alarums, and in the ultimate escape of the highly placed criminals whom 1 must run to ground. Will you, old comrade, see Melton at Boulogne, tell him what was discovered after he left, and explain why I commu- nicate in this way? It is necessary that Delaval should not be lost sight of, as sooner or later he is sure to lead us to the Princess P—, of whom our foreign ts have mno certain trace. My be- llef is that she is in Boulogne, and that Delaval, having failed on the first ocea- sion to gain access at Von Lindberg's, went back to her for instructions, when she gave him Dubrowski's name to con- jure with. At the same time she proba- bly posted the letter to Dubrowski which sed the upset to-day. “I have managed to stop Dubrowski's insane cackle about the Delaval incident by showing him that, whether Miss Met- calf's assertion is true or false, not only would it be awkward for him, but that it would subject the writer of the letter introducing Delavel to a_police inquiry. His infatuation for the Princess will, I doubt not, keep him quiet. but he per- sists in belleving that Miss Metcalf in- vented the story at the imstigation of Mlle. Vassili. Poor fool! He will sing to a different tune when, at the close of these proceedings, ‘Herr Winckel' reap- pears to sustain the allegation of your chlrm!n' flancee, “Mlle. Vassili is recovering from the shock of hearing the dear Boris furnish me with what he rightly described as ‘excelient material’ The unfortunate girl, for whom I have a sincere pity, would be fainting still if she knew that he wes telling me what your delightful Miss Laura would call a ‘chestnut.’ Her Majesty, the Empress, has commanded her to rest within doors till we leave Breslay, so that the two friends will not think, meet again here, which well is, I thi as Jne word more. and may pass on to Melton with the Austrian police connive at the escape of . a Tehigorin, and by now she should be at large. My reason for taking what may appear an overbold step you will appreciate. She is fairly certain to make with =il speed for the rendezvous where that queen wasp the Princess is at work, and fai ing & clew through Delaval I thought it well to provide a second. Anna will be followed by two of our best men from the moment of her leaving jail at Vi- enna “I think that that is all tescue—except to assure yo do not e about doing m mission at Boulogne, place no strain on ou I shall know taat you refus reason. ‘The same man who br will call for your reply tc ot think we should ain here. The enemy in Breslau. and enough in our meeting: plications. If ¥ I shall send Princess Palitzin, in case you g sance upon her; I shall also w to Melton to meet you on arrival at Bou- logpe. We start on Monday, via Gorlitz and Kiel, for Copenhagen. Communica- tions to me at the lattér place should be addressed care of the Chief of Police. Yours, v. Fortescue threw himself back in his chair to consider. He would have as} sented to Volborth’s request at once but for one thing. He had dined that evening at the Barcness von Lind- berg’s, and Laura Metcalf had taken the earliest opportunity of drawing him aside. ‘Spencer, who is that man, Paul Vol- borth, with whom you were walking Wwhen you met us?” she asked. He guessed what had happened, but he merely said— “An old friend of mine—an offidial friend, so tv speak. He is attached to the Tsar’s suite to chronicle the events of the tour, he tells me.” “Don’t you believe him, then,” Laura replied hotly. "“He's a spy of the Rus- sian police—at least Ilma says so, and she ought to know. See what she has written me.” She banded him a note which had been brought round from the Stadt- haus late in the afterncon. In it Hma endeavored to explain her sudden faint. ing fit, and in doing so hinted plainly, but without mentioning names, at the cause of the estrangement between her- self and Boris. She even confided her suspicions of the terrible use that was being made of her faithless lover, her object being to warn Laura against the Monsieur Volborth, with whom she was distressed to see that Mr. Fortes- cue was on terms of acquaintance. The letter wound up with a pathetic appeal to her “dear Engiish friend” to throw every obstacle in Volborth's way, and to persuade her lover to do the same, in the event of one whom she be- lieved to be ap agent of the Third Sec- tion using the weapon which Boris had rashly placed in his hand. She was feeling better, I!ma said, but she would not be able to see Laura agzin tlil they met in Scotland, when she hoped that her warning about Volborth would be more than ever observed. She pledged herself to watch Boris unceasingly lest harm should come to their Majesties through his folly, and her loyalty might be depended on to sacrifice him If ne- cessary. But though all was over be- tween them she was bent on saving him from the terrible punishment that she feared he had incurred already, if the Third SBection could get proofs. “That Volborth must be an awful wretch,” Laura had said on his re- turning the letter. “I cannot under- stand the principle on which you choose your friends—to know a horrid sneak of a spy, and at the same time to be chums with a nice old party like Herr ‘Winckel.” “Volberth has been useful to me in my work,” had been Fortescue’s eva- sive reply. “Well, you must promise me faith- fully not to be useful to him in his—so far as it means.hounding down Cap- tain Dubrowski,” Laura had urged. “I don’t despair of bringing those two to- gether again if I get a falr chance in Scotland. You wouldn't like to think that good old Winckel and I had pranced about at midnight with a lot of dynamite only to have our trouble for nothing, would you?" Fortescue had at once given the as- surance that he would not assist Vol- borth to Dubrowski's detriment. Not only was he unable to resist the plead- ing of the brave young face upturned to his, but Laura’s request was in ac- cord with his own feelings. Unmanner- ly cub and faithless lover as Du- browski had shown himself, Fortescue had a truly English horror of taking a mean advantage, and Volborth's policy toward the junior aide de camp seemed m; dear Fo: for good ngs this Just that—neither more nof less. “Russlans don’t have friends—among Russians—or it is a case where, say in England, could this be possible there, & word in season frgm an older man might have clapped the brake on long ago,” the young attache had said to himself while trying to make allow- ances. 80 it was that, as a man of honor, he could not instantly decide to under- take the commission at Boulogne. It was necessary first to be quite certain- that it in no degree infringed his prom- ise to Laura, ard after due delibera- tion he concluded that it did not. Vol- borth already knew all there was to know of the use of Dubrowskl’s name by Delaval, and the conveying of the message to the English detective could reither benefit nor injure the object of his and Laura’s solicitude. Before going to bed he wrote a note assenting to Volborth's request. The same silent messenger called In the morning for his reply, and returned shortly with a photograph of Olga Pa- zin, the one wcrd “Thanks” being scrawled on the flap of the envelope. That day being Sunday, there were no public functions, and Fortescue spent the greater part of it with the Met- calfs, seeing nothing of Volborth till the Monday morning, when he caught a glimpse of him in one of the carriages ccnveying the departing Russian visi- tors to the station. The agent of the section appeared to have no deeper de- sign on hand than the amusement of Countess Vassili, whose shaking shoul- ders testified to the success of his ef- forts. Ilma looked grave and prege- cupied, and Boris deflant; were not in the same carriage. An hour-later Fortescue and the Mete calfs were themselves en route, and, travelling via Berlin, reached Paris at noon next day. There, as previously arranged, they took rooms at the Grand for the night, Lady Metcaif enjoying a well-earned rest at the hotel, while the two young people crammed as much Paris as was possible into their after- noon and evening. ‘Wednesday morning broke wet and stormy, and Lady Metcalf, who was a “bad sallor,” was more,than half in- clined to remain in Paris another day. Fortescue, howeyer, knowing that In- spector Melton would meet the train at Boulogne, persuaded her to start, under the proviso that if the weather did not moderate they could put up at Bou- logne till the morrow. They vere early at the Rue de Dun- kerque, and Lady Metcalf, with a Scotswoman’s antipathy to extra pay- ments, disdaining a coupe, Fortescue secured seats in a vacant first-class carriage. Having done his best to pre- serve their privacy by giving the guard a liberal pour-baire, he lert the ladies while he went to exchange greetings with a Foreign Office colleague whom he had seen in a carridge farther up the train. the starting bell. warned him that it was time to hurry back to his own seat. On approaching the compartment he was surprised to see Laura with her head and shoulders out of the window, not looking in his direction, but toward the barrier, where a shabby little man in a frayed cloak was parleying with a rallway official. Just as Fortescue reached the compartment the little man was permitted to pass on to the plat- form, and, running to the train, began to peer into the carriages. but they P “Jump in, Spencer, we're just off,” said Laura, standing aside for him to enter, but immediately resuming her place at the window. “I want to block the view of that man in the cloak when he reaches this carriage. Ah, we're moving; he won't do it. He hu tajled off and is going back to the barrjer.” And pulling up the window, she added in French as she seated herself: “It is all safe now, madame; the mouchard has beaten a safe retreat.” Then for the first time Fortescue per- Here he stood ghatting till ceived that the carriage had a fourth occupant. He had been too taken up with Laura's strange proceedings to look In that direction before, but now he saw' that at the far end, half con- cealed by Lady Metcalf’s ample form and by a barricade of rugs and travel- ing bags, a lady was sitting. As she was on the same side with himself, it was not till she leaned forward to re- ply that he got a full view of her face, and it required all his self-control to stifle an exclamation. Their fellow traveler, whom XLaura EA]D had befriended in some way which he had yet tp learn, was the undoubted original of the photograph given him by Volborth as that of the arch-nihil- ist, Olga Palitzin. T felt sure, mademoiselle, that you were English, and therefore that I should not appeal to you in vain,” said the stranger in soft, melodious tones. “The man {n the cloak did not board the train, you say, or approach this carriage? Ah, well, then I owe you as many thanks for the intention as I should have tendered for the actual service.” “One of Laura's quixotic escapades, ' though on this occasion I think it was really called for,” explained Lady Met- calf, on whom the title “Princess” had made impression. “It was like this,” interrupted Laura. “The Princess came to the door, and, after introducing herself, begged us to take her in, as she was being dogged by a spy of the Russlan police. Just think of it! For no earthly reason but that she left St. Petersburg in a hurry to visit M. Worth in Paris! It is really too abominable, and if I catch any of those Third Section sneaks prowling about Blairgeldie when the Tsar is at Balmoral I'll put our gillles on to them.” And turning to her protege, Laura translated her threat into French, evoking thereby a fresh meed of thanks and a whole battery of smiles, some of which overflowed and took in Fortescue. ¢ ‘OE\ “If she wants to fascinate me, sne may as well think that she is succeed- ing,” that rising diplomatist told him- self, as he began to join in the general conversation that ensued upon the ty- rannies of the Russian police system. Too well schooled to be astonished for long at this chance meeting, he was thinking hard how best to take advan- tage of it, and he was glad indeed that Ilma Vassili had not confided the name of her rival to Laura. Small scope would there be for subtlety if his impetuous fiancee knew that the dainty figure in the costly furs was the of Dubrowski's undoing. aturally the talk ran for a while on the Tsar’s tour, more especially on what th¢ English travelers had seen of it at Breslau, and Fortescue was a little afraid at first of some indiscre- tion on Laura’s part. And, though she abstained—with what by an occasional solemn wink at him she evidently thought was a most praiseworthy cau- tion—from trenching on dangerous ground, he changed the subject as soon / }fiZOP]’L’J?V as he could. The Princess, who had shown no particular Interest in the journeyings of her sovereisn, seemed much more eager to discuss French art and artists, and was sparkling, caustic, and coquettish by terns. So far, in all probability, she had a genu- ine gratitude to, and a real desire to please, the English party who had be- friended her. And all the time, while chatting gayly, Fortescue was thinking,, think- ing, till, with his mind made up, he commenced his campaign. There was a break in the conversation as the train rattled through the station of St. Just, and Laura, who had quite appreciated his motive in avolding Breslau topics, was never more surprised In her life than when he harked back to the pageants In the Silesian capital. But a still greater shock was in store for her. “The German visit would go down to history as a complete success, but for one regrettable discovery which rumor couples with it,” he said at length. “Yes? And that was?” murmured the Princess sweetly. . “That an officer of the imperial staft was suspected of giving Information and assistance to nihilist conspira- tors,” was the reply which called into play all Laura's superb faith in her lover to keep her from shouting at him. As It was, she tried to touch his foot with hers; but, avoiding her eye, For- tescue continued to sddress the Prin- cess, who was regarding him fixedly. “It was only a rumor, so far as I could ascertain,” he went on, “but there's usually fire of some sort at the bottom +of such ugly smoke asg that.” There was a distinct pause, and he noticed that the Princess was tapping the floor of the carriage with her boot heél. Beyond that she ylelded no sign of being moved, and when she spoke again it was in her singularly even tones. “I am acquainted with several offi- cers of the staff. What was the sus- pect’s name?’ she asked. “Ah, of that I cannot inform you,” replied Fortescue. “His name has not vet been given to the public.” Laura breathed freely agaln. “That was a diplomatist's answer,” she thought. “Spemcer must be play- ing a game when he takes the trouble to wrap up a lie in tsuth like that.” “And does the rumor Include the offi- cer’s arrest?” pursued the Princess, her manner betokening that she was al- ready wearying of the subject. “I heard nothing of an arrest, and af- ter all the whole thing may be only the idle gossip, of the hotel lobbles,” Fortescue replied, leaving Laura more mystified than ever, and the Princess completely apathetic. She remained si- lent for a few minutes, watching the fleeting landscape, and then engaged Lady Metcalf ir. a discussion of the cuisine at the Grand, which lasted till a glimpse of Boves station presaged that they were within a quarter of an hour of Amiens. Then she leaned back in her seat, and producing a sheet of note paper from the inner pocket of her fur pelisse, be- gan to write slowly and thoughtfully upon it with a miniature gold pencil- case. By the time she had finished, the express was slowing down for its first and only stop at Amiens, and she looked across at Fortescue, who, with frivolous talk, was seconding Laura's gallant efforts to appear unconcerned. The attache’s supreme hope was that the Princess was taking them for a party of thick-headed tourists, and the request that she had to prefer reas- sured him on that head. “You have been so kind to me, you dear English. that I am agsured that I 57 CIAFER 25 may ask of you a small favor, mon- sieur,” she said. “Here I have written a telegram which I desire to dispatch to a business correspondent at Copen- hagen. Would you be so good as to send it off for me from the office at Amiens station? That wretched mou- chard at Paris has made me nervous about showing myself on the platform. He might have boarded the train at the last moment.” Fortescue assented with the utmost politeness, and she handed him the pa- per, with a sufficient sum to pay the charges. As scon as the train stopped he alighted, but she called him back. “You know Russian, monsieur?” she said. “Ah, then I should explain,” she proceeded In reply to his negative. “I have written the address in French, but, in case they ask you, the body of the telegram is in Russian. That {s all, monsieur—au revolr, quickly.” Not till he was in the office and out of sight of the train did he show any in- terest in the draft of the telegram, but then his first glance at it evoked a low whistle. “To know Russian is rather a large order, and I spoke with perfect truth when I denied the soft impeachment,” he muttered. “But I know enough about it to know that this is not Rus- sian at all.” The gddress was “A. M. Serjov, Poste Restante, Copenhagen,” but the bedy of the telegram bore no resemblance to any European language, and it re- quired but little insight on Fortescue's part to perceive th&t it was a cipher. It was quite short, and as there was a twenty minutes’ wait at Amiens he had plenty of time to copy the original on to a form, instead of handing it to the clerk, with a tip for making the tran- script, as he had intended. “I wonder what felony I am abet- ting,” he thought, as he_ placed the or- iginal in his pocket-book after handing in the form. “I could hardly have withheld it, though. That would have scared the birds before Volborth has had time to lime the twig."” On his return to the compartment the Princess expressed her gratitude cour- teously, but as one who has the right to command favors, and straightway dismissed the incident to resume her conversation with Laura. This had drifted to a dissertation by the heiress of Blairgeldie on the proper way to conduct a grouse drive—a subject in which the Princess showed an Interest altogether unaccountable, till she ex- plained that she was eager to know how her beloved sovereign the Tsar would be amusing himself in Scotland. “Oh,. well, you mustn't take my de- scription as applying to a swell lke him,” Laura said. ‘“He’ll be sure to have a man at his back ready with a another with a brandy camp stool, flask, and half a dozen loaders with spare guns. I expect he'll go to work much the same as the South African millionaires who have taken to renting moors—a lot of fuss, and nothing to show for it but empty cartridge cases.” “Laura!” exclalmed Lady Metcalf loftily. “You forget that you are speaking disrespectfully of the Princess Palitzin’s: Emperor.” But the Princess only smiled sweetly and pressed her inquiries so persistent- ly that Forescue, while freely prof- fering Information, promised hims 114 that the selection of the Tsar's loaders should receive special attention. The talk ran on sport, chiefly Scottish, till the train reached the town station at Boulogne, when & point on which For- tescue had been curious was clearsd up. The Princess was not going to cross the channel. Gathering her furs around her and taking her sealskin handbag, she bade farewell to ‘“her kind English friends” and left the train. Ten minutes later the train steamed on to the landing-stage, and before it came to a standstill Lady Metcalf de- clared that nothing should induce her to go on board the boat. Torrents of rain were falling, and & wild sou’- wester had ral a sea outside the harbor that was more than a good ex- cuse for a professed bad sallor. They would go to a hotel, she sald, and walt till the sea was smooth. Fortescue was giving the Instrustions made necessary by the change of plans to a baggage inspector, when some one at his elbow sald— “You are not crossing, then, after all, sir?" Turning, he saw Meiton, the detec- tive, for whom Hhe had hitherto looked in vain. “No, and so there is no hurry,” he re- plled. “I must take two ladies with whom I am traveling to the Hotel de I'Europe, and then I shall be at your service. Will you come to the hotel?” “I will be there almost as soon as you are,” said Melton, falling back to scru- tinize the few passengers who were about to brave the fury of the storm. So it was that a little later, while Lady Metcalf and Laura were being shown to their apartments, Fortescue waited In the hall of the hotel for In- spector Melton. The latter was as good as his word, and came in almost immediately, shaking the water from his streaming mackintosh. “Now, Mr. Fortescue, here is a quiet corner,” he sald. “I am burning to hear this bit of njy's which our friend Volborth wouldn® rite or wire.” > Confining himself to the actual di¥%f covery of the infernal machine, For- tescue delivered his message in as few words as possible. There was no need, nor had Volborth requested him, mention the undercurrents of the plot— the Dubrowski-Palitzin intrigue and Ilma’'s relations with her lover—but it seemed that there was quite sufficient in his communication to make the Scotland Yard officer first look grave and then angry. “Confound the tortuous ways of these Russians!” exclaimed Melton. “Why on earth couldn't Volborth, who personally is one of the best, do the straight thing and send on this news before it was too late?” “Too late!” it was Fortescue’'s turn to exclaim. “Do you mean that Dela- val has given you the slip?” “Not quite so bad as that. I let him g0 myself—for value received, as I thought, in the way of information. And now by the light of what you have told me it is on the cards that the information will turn out to be worth- less,and that all I shall have to show for the beggar will be the key to a ci- pher code which is of no use to me.” “You have his cipher key? Come, Mr. Melton, that is good work any- how,” sald Fortescue cheerily. “I am not flat enough to try to pump you, but I should listen with interest to anything you might feel justified in telling me. What do you say to some lunch in the restaurant?” CHAPTER VIIL THE HOUSE IN THE RUE ST. POL. The Inspector having accepted the invitation, Fortescue ran up to Lady Metcalf’'s apartments and excused himself from lunching in the private sitting-room which she had ordered. His plea of having met & friend suf- ficed for the elder lady, but Laura fol- lowed him out to the landing. “I‘hope you haven't met another questionable friend like that M. Vol- borth,” she sald. “But seriously, Spencer, 1 could not understand you in the train. I was afraid you were go- ing to give Captain Dubrowski away to the Princess.” “If I went by the favorable impres- sion she has made on youm, little girl there wouldn’t be much harm in tha Fortescue replied tentatively. “She hasn’t made any particular im- pression on me except that she is a bit of a cat,” returned Laura spitefully. “I befriended her as I would any one who was being bullled by those beasts of Russian police sples, but I wasn't best pleased with the way she took to ogling youw, sir.” Then with a quick change of manner came the question, “You had some deep motive in telling her about the suspected implication of a staff officer?” “Yes, I had a motive,” sald Fortescue gravely, “one which I believe those sharp wits of yours have guessed al- ready. I had a reasom for thinking that through this Princess Olga Palit- zin—no matter how—the news would be conveyed to Ilma’s rival that Du- browski is under suspicion. You see the effect? The unseen charmer, who has the young cub in her toils, will, if I am correct, cease to use him as a medium in the dangerous movement of which the Russian pelice have wind.” “You will certainly have the Paris embassy some day If you go om Ike this,” was the complimentary reply. “I thought you were playing a game, but that was a stroke of genius. How delighted Ilma will be!™ “I must run away before you turn my head with flattery. Besides I am »