The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-04-29
feet, but as matter of course they were

fifteen years the punched kopeck mas
been missing to the Russian police The
Yasilvitch case Is as great mystery
how as it was then, and for once Paritz
has been thoroughly baffled.
IF he is not police fiction, he knows
no more today of the whereabouts of the
mutilated kopeck than does the gentle
han who inhabits the moon. Our police
stand baffled by one of the most insig-
hificant coins of the world, for, until
Paritz can place the kopeck in his pos
session alongside the one he has not, of
course the mystery of Count Yasilvitchs
death cannot be solved
"Now. let me show how completely
this Paritz has been beaten" and asmile
stole over the whiskered face of the Rus
Sian while he refilled his wineglass and
drank it off. 81 am by no means de-
tective myself, but we pick up queer
things in our everyday wanderings
Wherever went during my tour | ex
hmined every coin that fell into my
hands, for | was quite familiar with
Count Yasilvitch's collection, and be-
lieved l would be able to recognize any
| UtliS VI III dU SlSHUs lb CNCI oulull
that gradually grew to be hunter of
lost coins, and of the punched kopeck in
particular
''But | came home unsuccessful. One
morning in the markets of st. Peters
burg / received in change lot of small
coin which, being in hurry at the time,
carried home without an examination.
In my library fell to looking at the
little pieces, and what was my astonish-
ment when found in my hand punched
kopeck. There was no doubt that l had
the identical coin which had baffied
the acumen of the Russian police for
fifteen years, and for which the wonder
full Paritz could almost afford to trade
his head Yes; had found in st. Pc
tersburg the punched kopeck which the
Bleuth of the empire may have chased
around the world, and in order to wind
up my story with the proper climax,
gentlemen, here it isl"
At the same time Colonel Simovar,
who had just finished the narrative,
drew from his waistcoat pocket a small
coin, which he placed carefully and
with the proper emphasis of gesture on
the table under the lamp.
His auditors, two Frenchmen and two
Russians, leaned forward with gaze riv-
eted on the coin.
'Now, | would like to see Paritz match
the punched kopeck and thus vindicate
the fame of the Russian police" con-
tinued Colonel Simovar, looking up at
his auditors with smile of triumph
"If he does not | may hold him up as
the laughing stock of the world and
prove that the Third section is not in
fallible." =.
The last words had barely left Simo-
vars lips ere a very dark hand rose over
the edge of the table, and the next sec
ond, to the utter CONSERVATION of four
men, another kopeck, punched exactly
like the first lay on the cloth. Colonel
Simovar fell back and stared first at the
second lzopeck and then at the guest
who had placed it where it was.
"Paritz, gentlemen, hNs chased the |
kopeck around the world,' said the |
guest without the semblance of a smile |
on his swarthy face. HE takes great |
pleasure in yindicating the Russian police
by matching Colonel Simovar's kopeck.
am Paritz."
Colonel Slmovar broke into derisive
laugh.
"You are my friend and guest, Cap
tain Basilvitch," said he to the so called
Paritz. 81 recollect that we met in
Constantinople and again in Milan and
Athens. Come, come, gentlemen, Cap
tain Basilvitch is man of honor. We
will drink to his little joke"
The face of Paritz did not relax.
Rising to his feet he drew forth a
small diary, the leaves of which he
turned with provoking GOODNESS.
At length he began to read of Colonel |
Simovar's minutest doings in France and
among the Pyrenees. From this he
jumped to the tourist in America, and |
was following him step by step back to
the cars dominions, when Simovar
threw up his hand.
sit is enough!" he said with quivering
lip. "There is but one devil, and his
name is Paritzp
The police spy bowed. 81 take the
punched kopecks, gentlemen, and the
murderer of Count Yasilvitch as WE'LL" |
anu SdJHtliHS up IuC bNO COlho WIN
one hand, he touched Simovar on the
shoulder with the other.
There was not the least resistance on
the colonel's part, and he went with
Paritz and the punched kopecks to the
station.
The little wine supper thus startl1ngly
broken up by the indefatigable spy of
the car was never resumed, and the
two Frenchmen left st. Petersburg the
next day fully convinced of the power
and the efficiency of the Russian en-
pire.
Colonel Simovar paid the severest pen
atty of the law for his secret crime, and
from the day of the finding of the
punched kopeck the name of Paritz has
been invested with a new dread and
terror.-T G. Harbauch in New York
Mercury