The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 29, 1904, Page 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. 7/1‘}1 ) w;.:fi&)‘ ) ,\} ::|\A}./)I)/ two weeks from to-day I'he Sunday Call will print the first installment of “The Fugitive,” by Kzra 5. Brudno, a brand new novel which made its first appear- ance in any form on February 15 last, since which time it has created such a furor that booksellers all over the coun- try declare it will have a big- ger circulation this year than any novel of recent years, and this propheecy is built upon the advance or- ders that have already been 1eceived. Perhaps its chief strength lies in the fact that it is not only a new theme handled with wondrous power, but is said to be a biography of the author’s own life. The world is elamoring more than ever for what men actually know not what they merely imagine, and every page of “The Fugitive” breathes the of actnal knowledge, h doubles the thrilling rest of the remarkable and I he ]>‘|‘0]i~':l- five editions Call, the book ee parts. Book Book 11. South- Russia; Book III, New again, The Sunday following its diberal d advaneed literary policy, Wwill give its readers a new I 50 book for only cents. Mead & ghts which show t ¥ K was th ache ] s e g R e in his t rm of an idea that was . t e between life and ae having &0 com- to save a contre- surface went luced right while Iima of being ackily airgel- hold that n a betrothed 'd the last thing P wh that v [ ted of her was to monoy 8 . most difficult mon de her ap- pear sised as- 1 which t up, and or previous welcomed the new guest as scene in the street had nes The bronze on the young R eck deep- ened a Mttle as th ook han showing that the incide was not for- gotten, but the keynote for all-round iy had been ck and it fpre- vafled t the earliest opportunity Laura Fortescue strolled away toget nd she confirmed Volborth's ac nt of what had befallen her. Amid the fa- millar flowers and shrubs of the old tch garden, with the gray walls of childhood’s home in the back- nd, the girl was not easy to per- of her danger, and Fortescue had speak rather more plainly than he intended. F£he wasn't going to nk” before a lot of skulkers who had bolted from one man's pistol at Bou- logne, she protested; and it was only wh ke pointed out that the flight of the Nihilists on thet occasion was not due 10 cov . but to a desire to = e 4 e iscaaany, 35 G- | for future mis- Even then leader d grave, thelir T quftous Herr Wis s a prot she said An t y, W Herr Win- ) it he on Deeside t two and two together, coincidence.” ice man, on a nt connected and he knows & for him, and vigilance, I police on to not at all sure r his G Tsar's tour, Were it not nce in the En ed into 0ld Bailey or and 1 le pu ed up just cried “Indeed you f the kind, Spen- gn to find a v; and I and not go be careful, e to be car And yc ed them if you say 1 to be eontent, rec- all he could say would afraid after the had witnessed. But holding the dar his decision that, not, matters would e brought to a head before the ir r sslan pa was k at St. Peters- T was the followed weeks' 1y at Darmstadt, to « t, and he was not going to have lurking perils during the w of that period when a little ingenuity on his part might end the busi- ne with credit to v wth and sacurity to all concerned, at a much earlier date. The exact direction of his ingenulty was a r which he prom- ed himself to crack with the aid of tobac- « solitude, and that was a combina- tion which the ameni- t country-house yuld not permit had retired for the night. The remainder of the afternoon passed uneventfully at Blatr- \ With not ripple to undercur- Under S0 much as a tell of the below. \!‘(/A tLentic browski make at hom f quite pald the to the host, ed by > company their nch and laughing- refused an invita- tion to play tennis on overalls urs With wra he was the east bit shy, but with Fortescue, who seized every opportunity of ltivatung him, he s soom on the best of terms. When the first gun boomed from the hall door the stal- wart young Russian wae as gay as any of the house party that trooped In to dress for dinner. And then a change came, swift and mysterious, which Fortescue could not understand. He had parted with Du- browski at the door of the bedroom as- gned to him, leaving him with a mu- tual jest and laugh to go to his own room. Twenty minutes later he was In the hall on his' way to the drawing- room when he s Dubrowski de- scending the stairs in civilian evening dress, the dog-cart having returned. But there was a greater alteration in the aide-de-camp than that effected by the change of clothes. His face was cold and set, and he repiied to For- tescue's offer to guide him to the drawing-room in as few words as were compatible with the barest politeness. In the drawing-room, while making a visible effort to appear at his ease, he was plainly quite the reverse. Had he not been a foreigner his silence and ab- straction would have excited general remark. “What's the matter?” whispered Laura to her lover, “He looks as if he is afraid there was going to be aspara- gus and didn’'t know how to eat it.” But Fortescue only smiled, and see- ing that there was likely to be a long “walit” slipped out into the hall. Has- tening to the dining-room he button- holed the old butler. “Meldrum,” he said, “has any mes- sage or note come for Captain Dubrow- ski, the Russian officer?” ‘fHasn’t he got it, sir?” replied the butler sharply, scenting ja breach of duty among his subcrdinates. “I told Charles to see that the bedroom maid placed it on his dressing-table.” “Oh, yes, it reached him all right,” He trust Fortescue sald carelessly. “The only point was how it got here—by a mes- senger from Ballater, I suppose?”’ “Yes, sir; one of the Widow Fergu- son's lads brought it just before the first gong sounded,” was the reply. “Ah! thank you, Meldrum; that ex- plains everything most satisfactorily,” sald Fortescue, and he returned to the drawing-room devoutly wishing that his last assertion had a little more bot- tom to it. What cculd this communi- cation be, he wondgred, that had wrought such a wondrous change in Dubrowski's manner?” The change endured throughout din- ner, growing, If anything, more marked despite a palpable effort on the part of Boris to throw it off. Lady Metealf had appropriated him to her- self, and he was clearly struggling to seem amused by a2nd to respond to her platitudes, but though he may have de- ceived his amiable hostess, there were at least two pal charp eyeg upon him which embarrassment and preoccupation. When the ladies had left the dining- room and Meldrum had arranged the array of decanters before Sir James, the old butler sfopped on his y. to the door and stooped to whisper In Fortescue's ear: ef 2.2, s of his noted to give vou this, sir, without any fuss Brought to tne back door half an hour ago by a boy.” At the same time he thrust a folded scrap of paper into the hand held out for it be- low the level of the table. “The same boy—Widow Ferguson's?" asked Fortescue under his breath. No, sir—another one, unbeknown to us,” was the reply, and Meldrum was gone. Fortescue was too old in the world's ways to examine the missive at once, but presently, when Fitz Harding was absorbing attention with a tiger story, he unfolded it on his lap. It was from Volborth, written in French to this effect: “Take care. Olga knows that he is at Blairgeldie. She has communicated with him since 6 o’clack.” Thrusting the billet into his waistcoat pocket he was in time to join the chorus of polite appreciation at the close of the ex-judge’s narrative, It was useless to gpeculate on the Princess Palitzin's reason for resuming ecorre- spondence with Dubrowski; all he couid do was to watch closely and await de- velopments, and these came sooner than he expected. The men having rejoined the ladies in the drawing-room a move was al- most immediately made by most of the younger members of the party to the billard-room. Finding thit there were more would-be players in the pool than there “were balls, Fortescue, as almost a member of the family, de- clined to take a cue, and settled down on the settee as a spectator. Some one —he knew very well .who it wi though he was too wary to turn his head—promptly took a seat at his side. As soon as the clatter and racket of the game were in full swing, he felt BY HEADON HILL. a tap on his arm, and Boris said in a strangely fluttering voice: “I wish a few words with you in pri- vate, monsieur—without risk of being overheard—if your kindness will ac- cord them. I will not detain you long. e made an unconscious gesture to- ward the French windows which, as the night was warm, stood open, show- ing a vista of lawn and garden bathed in moonlight that only failed in the shadows of the dark shrubbery be- yond, Here, thought Fortescue, was a chance to learn where the next blow was to be expected, and he rose at once and led the way out, Boris following and pacing at his side. It was not till they were some distance from the win- dows that the Russian spoke, slowly and haltingly, giving the Englishman the impression that he was repeating a legson by rote. “I wish througheyou, monsfeur,” be- gan Dubrowski, “to tender an apology to Miss Metcalf for the language which I unfortunately used to her, and before her, at Breslau. At the same time I am requested by—by a friend, to implore her not to disclose the crime attempted by the man Delaval at the house of the Baroness von Lindberg. My friend, who wrote that letter of in- troduction, was deceived in him, and she—that is I--would be ruined if it came to the ears of the Russian po- lice.” ) Tortescue was Intensely puszzled ‘What motive could Olga Palitzin have in inspiring Dubrowskl to make this late apology for his rudeness, and to prefer a request for secrecy on grounds which she must have been aware would not weigh for en fnstant with either himself or Laura. The circum- stances under which she had been seen by both of them in Delaval’s company flatly contradicted the insinuation that she had been “deceived.” 'The state- ment might be good enough to hood- wink Dubrowski for some purpose, but the Princess was too clever to think that it would serve those whom she and Delaval had come near to killing in the Rue St. Pol. . “Your own apology, 1 am sure, wil be accepted, monsieur, in the spirit in which ft is offered,” replied Fortescue. “As for the message you have deliv- ered, you will pardon my asking whether you have been charged with it quite recently?" They had reached the end of the lawn furthest from the house, and as he put the question the attache came to a halt with his back to the thick undergrowth that slirted the park fence. Far away beyond the moonlit greensward the windows of the bil- llard-room glowed brilliantly, and the clack of the balls could be distinctly heard. Boris also wheeled round to a standstill, facing Fortescue and the shfubbery hehind as he answered the question. “The request reached me only this evening—as we went to dine,” he sald. “Possibly, monsieur, you observed that 1 was disturbed in my mind. For many days I had not heard of my friend, and it was somewhat of a shock to hear that she was here in Scotland—that she, and indirectly I myself, were so menaced by the Third Section that she had journeyed hither to secure Miss Metcalf's silence—and yours.” Fortescue's lips curled as he thought how Olga Palitzin’s methods of secur- ing stlence differed from the one sug- gested in her wooden-headed dupe's unaccountable mission. And ‘ then, strangely, by the action of that same dupe, came the first inkling of what this, his latest befooiment, meant. Be- fore Fortescue could reply he saw Du- browski's eyes open with a sudden horror, his stalwart figure stiffen, and in a moment the young Russian had leaped forward toward the dark fringe of shrubbery. Turning on his heel, Fortescue was in time to see a palir of flerce eyes, the gleam of a knife, and Dubrowski's hand outstretched to grasp the lurking form of Weletski, the graybeard Nihilist, who at that in- stant was seized from 'behind and pulled back into the gloom of the trees. There was the sound of a scuffle, a stifled oath, and Volborth, still in his German disguise, stepped out from the bushés. “That should be proof that you are well looked after,” he sald. “Though to do him justice the decoy would him- self have frustrated the crime he was intended to bring @bout. You had bet- ter return to the house, Spencer, for I ~ am going to let this old assassin run loose a little longer till we get him on a more congenial soil.” He spoke in good English, merely altering his voice, knowing that Dubrowski was ignorant of the language. Fortescue nodded assent, and passing his arm through that of his would-be preserver drew him away, catching as he did so a glimpse of the baffled assassin on his back among the ferns, held down by two of Volborth's men. Dubrowski seemed unable to comprehend. As they moved away he blurted out: “Thank God, monsieur, you are safe. I did my best, but your fellow-country- man;, who is, I presume, a police offi- cer, was before me. Why should any one want to kill you, who are so ami- able? 1Is ‘it that the man was a poacher?” “I thank you for the atteript to save my life, Captain Dubrowski,” said Fortescue, with a curtness that was perplexing. “The man was not a poacher. He is a Russian." “Ah! then I have it,” cried Boris with an access of loyal rage. ‘“He is of the vile scum ‘of those Nihilists. He must have mistaken you for my beloved Em- peror, to whom you bear a so striking resemblance.” They walked some grass in silence. “No, it is not that,” said Fortescue in the same short tone. “Come in here, Dubrowski; there is something that you must hear.” ¥ 2 They had reached the broad gravél walk that skirted the house, but in- stead of making for the billlard-room way over the windows he opened on little farther on belonging to a small room where Lady Metcalf kept her garden tools and flower seeds. Motioning Borlg to precede him he followed in, shut the window and drew down the . blind. After tufning up' the lamp he faced round and confronted his big compan- fon, who looked more than ever aston- ished. There was a sudden masterful- ness in the Englishman’s manner, and a dropping of punctilio, as emphasized by the “Dubrowsk tout court, that the Russian's slow intelligence could not grasp. The familiarity in the omission of hs titie G:4 sot souna ltke friendship exactly. It had more of the ring of superiority, or—could it be pos- sible toward an officer of the Imperial Guards?—of contempt. “Do you know that that attempt on my life was engineered directly by your agency? said Fortescue, watch- ing every muscle of the other’s face. “Monsieur!” exclaimed Dubrowski, clapping his hand to that part of his dress-suit where a sword would have been if he had wofn a uniform. “I see that you do not know it any more than you know many things which concern your liberty and your life,” proceeded Fortescue sternly. “Do me the favor ‘to examine these two documents—one by the light of the other. They will go far to convince you, The larger, as you see, is the key to a cipher. The smaller is a draft telegram written in that cipher. I have added a translation at foot, but I should prefer you to verify it for your- self.” And sweeping Lady Metcalf's garden gauntlets from the table, he spread out a copy of the cipher code received from Melton, and the original of the telegram to Serjov from Olga Palitzin announcing that “Boris Du- browski was under suspicion and was to be discarded as useless.” “] see that you recognize the hand- writing, monsieur,” sald Fortescue quietly, as the aide-de-camp went ashy gray on reading the translation. Then for five minutes, as Dubrowski bent over the table and laboriously compared the telegram with the code, letter for letter, there was silence in the room. Fortescue walked about, exam- ined the ornaments ¢n the mantel plece, and finally fell to studying & horticultaral almanac om the wall Presently a deep groan escaped the man 4t the table, and he looked up. “For the love of heaven, tell me everything,” he said hoarsely. And then, perceiving that this weak vessel was to be as clay In his hands, Fortescue changed his manner to one of gentle sympathy, and kindly but firmly poured a flood of daylight into Dubrowski’'s soul. He kept nothing back from him except the fact of Vol- borth being a police agent, He showed - B R how at Vienna, at Scheptowka and at Breslau Boris had been used as an in- strument for assassination by Olga Palitzin. He recounted his own and Laura's narrow escape at Boulogne, and he supplied the reason for the two attempts that had been made that day. “I have no doubt,” he concluded, “that in the note which you received before dinmer the grounds were sug- gested 25 a convenlent place for you to deliver the bogus message?” The tears were runping down Du- browski's cheeks, and he could only nod. “How can I atone for all this—I, a loyal soldier, who love my Emperor?” he groaned, when he had recovered a little. “How can I atone to you and Miss Metcalf, who have risked so much for me?” “By placing yourself entirely in my hands, and helping me to cause these desperadoes to be wiped out,” replied Fortescue earnestly. “After to-day's experience I will not permit Miss Met- calf to be subjected to this perfl for a day longer than necessary. Your party leaves for Paris in a few days, and I propose to end the affair in France for several reasons. In the meanwhile, I shall see that Miss Met- calf is efficiently safeguarded.” “I am entirely at your disposal, mon- sieur,” said Dubrowski humbly. “Then all I ask at present is si- lence,” Fortescue replied, as he went to open the door. “I will gee you alone before you return to Balmoral to-morrow.” Late that night, or rather at two in the morning, Fortescue tossed the