The morning times., 1896-09-20
The 9
Cars s
Pardon. 5
ssssssssssssssss
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BY GERALE Brennan.

/ ''Psf'Ih'- i'Sp+'
| The looming Of !. thousand cannon told
: the gay world OF Paris that a great and
! welcome visitor had reached the hanks Of
( the Seine. In IuInt Of fact the ear Of al
| the Russians was d that moment de sCcnding =
! from his magnificent railway carnage at
I the Gard du Norh. The Presiden of F rance.
surrounded 10y brilliant staff. and at
| tended 10y a crowd Of distinguished men.
waited in the decorated station to give
him greeting.
The ccno-s of this proud reception re-
sounded even in the Rue ties Molins aux
| Champs. on the fcrther slopes of Mont
maI're. Little Sophia Baradoff. sitting
sadly by her tatncr's side. III II. bare
apartment OF that highly unfa shiona bic
street, neard The uproar and marvcled
She could NJ: ask her father what 1t all
meant for he was asle.p-and sleep means
life TO one whose has lust come through
IA wasting attack of fever.
But when plump. good natured Mere
BriCquet from the apartment below. came
To see how the invalid was getting on,
Sophia veDrured to question her. Madame
BricGuet lifted haLds. eyebrows. and
voice in a simultaneous expression of sur
prise. -
Ma FOR She exclaimed. "and You a
Russian, Why. my nttlc rat. that is the
sound uf cannon, welcoming the czar-your
car to Paris"
sophia blue eyes opened wide. The
|. ear III Faris!'' She murmurcd.
Yes, indeed" said Nine. Bricquet; "and
Oh! the most splendid time that We will
Iave, oh, the iunkctting. oh. the tri-
Nlt4l .lanS' ,,., l.It
parties Millions ofrrancS willie expended.
my little rat. But, apropo> OF francs, how
are YOUR poor father finances Just now:''
Sophia h!ushrd; for though She was only
l3 she cane of noble stock and the hu-
mutations IL pov erty tried her spirit sorely.
But Mue. Bricquet was one in a hundred
kindly, sympa thetic soul: and Sophia
felt that She could cunfide in her unreserv-
edy:
Three francs siN sous are still left
she faltcrcd
Nine. Bricquct shook her head doIefully.
That is had.'' She cried. And then, l
suppose, the concierge will he after his
masters rent tomorrow? What ON earth
will YOU do
Sophia hruk down altogether at this re-
mindcr ola visit from the landlords repre-
sentative. and presently she found herself
again sobhinG bitterly in the massive en-
brace Of Nine. Bricquet.
But no. my little rat," exclaimed the
good n.adaame, you must not give way.
I will speak to the concierge mySelf-to
the landlord if necessary"
HER FATHERS STORY
Sophia sat by the window listening to
the distant guns. and pondering over the
last words OF her comforter. What n-
deed, il the car should learn that a sub
iect and n noble subject at that, was so
wretchedly, so perilOusiy situated! There
was IA new car, too. she remembered. and
perhaps he would not treasure enmity
against Vasil Baradoff as his father had
done.
In his youth he was the playmate OF the
young princess, and when lie grew up he
was married to a great heiress, the COM
tess Loborefski, last Of an almost royal
family Of Poland. Retiring to his wife,.
estates, Baradoff became surrounded by
vast horde of kins Men and connections, who
played upon his ambition. and limited that
If she had her rights, his wife would be
Queen Of Poland His youth betrayed him
into the hands of his tenptcrs, until
into a spiracy against the czar, who
had So ~ 1friepded him.
Before the intended rebellion of Vassip
Raradurf could begin, it was discovered
by the cars secret agents. Baradoff was
lsarreSted, deprived OF all his property
and banished to Siberia.
- Sophia closed the book with a sigh: and
sher father waking at this moment, she
hasteped to bring him medicine Vassili
. Baradoff looked fondly into the face Of
his daughter.
'.Ah. my child. he said, Il shall Soon
he well now soon able to begin the strug-
gle again"
~ ..Do you know that the czar is in Paris,
father?''
THE czar! No. did not know. Well.
well, That can do NE but little good. The
czar hates ME. as indeed he ought.
Almost as early as the Nontmartre sun
light, Sophia was up and dressed. Her