Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-11
PAGES II TO 20.

and sentenced to lifelong confinement. You
would search my papers in vain! / have
waited till the last moment because know
very well that if take your life leopard
ize my own also. The moment, therefore,
you move or call kill you like q mad dog.
They will rush up as soon as the shot is
heard, arrest me, and then 1 shall tell all
know, and they will soon find out, IN addi-
tion, all do not know. 1 count upon the
scandal being big enough to reach the high
est personages. 1 sacrifice myself, but I
save the Count and he will not let nv
mother suffer, nor my betrothed, nor my
brother"
Schelm had lost his mind entirely and
turned deadly pale.
"To threaten me with a pistol-here
in the Ministry of the Interior-sueh thing
has never happened in Russia. You are
madp'
"We must finish our businessP' said
Popof, raising his pistol.
"Tell me what you wantP' stammered
Schelm.
ST have told you twice the documents
proving Count Lanin's innocence.
SHOW can furnish them when the Count
is guiltyl know nothing-I can do moth
ing-I have no proofs.''
Enough cried Popof, toying with the
trigger. 'Will you do my bidding or
not?"
''I'll try, I'll endeavor, and after all do
not care so much for him."
"What tools men are in the face of dam
GER" sneered Popoff contemptuously. "You
keep me waiting, hoping that somebody
may come and save you. Do you think
I'll leave your room and be arrested as
come out? 1 can find the papers myself.
They are there, in the concealed niche be-
hind the portrait of Alexander. Open it at
oncep'
Schelm was beside himself If looks could
kill men, Sehelm's would have annih1Iated
Popoff instantly.
A second time Popoff touched the trigger.
Schelm bowed low as if to avoid the ball.
Almost Iunconsciously he went up to the
picture, touched the spring, and muttering
curses, opened the box.
"Now stop!" cried Popoff. "I'll find the
papers and return them when Count Lanin
is set freeP'
Schelm stood there as if struck by light
ming and tried to master his fury. Popoff
stepped up to take the papers This forced
him for an instant to turn the pistol aside
from Sehelm's head. This was the critical
moment. The same instant Schelm sprang
aside, and with almost supernatural
strength, closed the swinging portrait Of the
Gar, so that PopOf was almost crushed be-
tween 1t and the wall behind.
Now Schelm laughed aloud and threw
himself into a chair to wipe the perspiration
off his face and catch breath.
Popof, although struck hard, suffered no
injury. He tried to ascertain where he was,
and noticed that he was imprised in a space
about six feet high and three feet wide. Soon
he felt sick and the blood rose to his head.
Evidently there was no ventilation. He be-
gan to shout; then he tried to recover the
pistol which he had dropped, but it was too
dark to see anything. Now despair seized
him and he began to strike the wall with his
fists, knowing that he would soon lose his
consciousness. Suddenly he felt an acute
pain in one hand. He had struck something
harder than the wall. At the same time he
began to breathe more freely and thought at
once that he must have struck secret spring
which opened a concealed outlet.
81 am not yet lost p he cried, joyfully.
Popof was as cunning in mind as resolute
in action. He put as many papers as he
could seize in his pockets and felt along the
passage which he had accidentally discov-
cred. 1t was 80 narrow that he could only
proceed sideways. A little distance further
on it took a different direction and Popof
perceived faint glimmer of light, which
came through small opening from an ad-
joining room, evidently connected with
Schelm's private Office.
Soon Popof was at the end of the passage
and could look into that room. The light