Nevada County picayune., 1892-04-21

/ uareS 10 accuse me or borrowing
money!"
II am Anton Truvousli, merchant
and money lendar, Number -
| Grand Million street. You said
that an important official affair calleC
! for an immediate loan of twenty-five
thousand roubles / handed YOU
thirty thousand which you took away,
telling me to call upon you this
morning for your acknowledgment
and ample security for the loan. l
have done so. do not understand
the motive of your denial. You
surely do not wish to ruin me. ="
The general said nothing, but
looked hard, and cold, and stern.
the banker grew pale, for he saw in
the determined look of the police
officer a purpose not to acknowledge
the debt, but rather, perhaps, to use
his arbitrary power to put his claim
ant out of the way. Suddenly the
official turned and rang for his serv-
ant.
Order my carriage" he said.
lie put on the familiar gray coat
with big collar, by which he was
so we'll known in st. Petersburg,
"What was the color of the horse
that was in the carriage yesterday?'
he asked the merchant.
1T was a chestnut, my Lord. >
Have the chestnut harnessed, p"
he said to the servant. TO the other,
''repeat your story, if you please,
emitting no detail whatever. :"
The merchant went carefully over
it again.
Your carriage is ready. your eX-
cellcncy," the servant said, enter
ing.
II will ask you to remain here un-
til | return" said the general to tie
merchant.
Quitting the room he went down
stairs, and getting into his drowsky
he drove away.
The suspense of the merchant was
terrible. He sat down, but in half a
minute rose again; walked the room /;
looked out the window went to the
door; saw no one; but kept hoping
for n solution to this mysterious
affair. Should the police officers
keep the money and not even accuse
the banker of blackmail or attempt
ed extortion, there was life of toll,
sordid poverty and disgrace before
him. He could never recover from
the loss, unless. like the men who
had robbed him, ne inferred upon a
career of crime.
In his desperation he began even
to contemplate it. He involuntarily
looked round the room to see If there
was anything valuable or place TOR
concealiug anything valuable which
he might lay hands on by way of
restitution. 1t was bare official
apartment with ordinary table and
chairs and cabinet full of drawers
and pigeon-holes. He stealthily ap-
preached it and carefully opened the
drawers. Two of the twelve were
locked. The rest contained only
official papers and documents lie
had several of his own keys in his
pockets. He tried them in the draw
ere one after another. One Of them
unlocked the upper drawer 1t was
full of papers. He glanced through
some of them. They were reports
of various cases that had come under
the supervision OF the police general.
On one OF them was endorsed the
name of tie richest nobleman in the
empire. A suaden bat base impulse
struck the desperate merchant; he
would read it, and by means of the
information extort money from the
nabob compromised in it. But he
hesitated, fumbled the little package,
began opening it, then stopped ana
tried to peer into its folds. Sudden
ly the stepping of a carriage IN the
street below arrested hlm. 1t might
be the general A door below Jared
He thrust the papers back in the
drawer, and had barely time to lock
it again and seat himself at the win
dow when the police general, stridIng
at a hot pace, enter ell the room,
CHAPTER IL.
In those days line of sentlnel'
was established at the corners OF al
the principal streets, and they form
ed part of the police force of thu
! I,>u,1l