San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-17
CHAPTER II.
ACROSS THE FRONTIER.


On certain March morning of the
year following the events related in the
preceding chapter two young Americans
left the office of the Russian consul
general at Berlin, and an hour later
were speeding as fast as steam could
carry them toward the distant frontier
of the Russian empire.
Maurice Hammond and Philip Dan
vers were the names registered ON their
passports, and while they are Fastening
toward ST. Petersburg, enthusiastic and
delighted at the prospect of soon seeing
this frozen capital of the north, we will
take the opportunity of briefly acquaint-
ing the reader with the circumstances
necessary to an understanding Of the
strange and startling drama upon which
the curtain is even now rising.
Twenty years before Frederick Ham
mond, a young American, an attache of
the United States legation at St. Peters
burg, met and fell in love with Anna
Saradoff, young Russian girl of
wealth and position.
Such marriages are uncommon, but
when Frederick Hammond returned to
New York he took with him a Russian
bride.
Anna Saradoff's only relative was her
brother Vladimir, who, having other
views for his sister, conceived most
intense hatred of this scheming Amer
lean, as he chose to call him.
He never forgave his sister and pro-
fessed from that time to regard her as
one dead.
Mrs. Hammond in turn, well content
with her husbands love, cut off all con-
nection with her native land. Her Rus
sian property was converted into Amer
lean securities, and without shadow
Of regret for the brilliance and magnifi-
cence she had voluntarily abandoned
she entered upon the quieter occupa-
tions of her new life.
Five years later she died, leaving the
one child, Maurice, at that time 4
years Of age.
Six years later Frederick Hammond
followed his wife, but in the meantime,
imbittered by her loss, he taught his
son to detest his Russian uncle, whose
cruel treatment had probably hastCned
his sisters death.
Frederick Hammond had few init
mate friends. To one of these, Colonel
Hercules Hoffman, he intrusted the care
of his son and bis sons FORTUNE.
Colonel Hoffman was at that time a
man of honesty and integrity, honest
because as yet he had not been tempt
ed. That temptation came later in the
form Of the malachite box of jewels,
and how Colonel Hoffman resisted q
base temptation we have already seen.
Maurice Hammond can be described
in few words.
He had inherited the ardent temper.
ament of his mother, his fathers intel
lect and good looks.
At 10 be was tall, athletic, blond
haired and ruddy checked. His life hat
been passed at preparatory schools ant
colleges, while in the vacations he usu
ally travelled, for Colonel Hoffman wa
unmarried, and, moreover, a GOODNESS
fostered probably by instinct, existed
between guardian and ward.
When Colonel Hoffman returned from
that trip abroad, Maurice was travelling
in the west with his intimate FRIEND
and college chum, Philip Danvers.
For several months Colonel Hoffman
was the most wretched man in New
York.
That diplomatic interview at the Ho
tel Bristol, which has been described
word for word, possessed a siniste
meaning that he could not fail to inter
pref
He never dared admit to himself tina
his suspicious were correct but con
} stantly before his mental vision hum
F. that clause in the forgiving Anna Ham
} mcnd's will. I'm case my son Mauric
die unmarried, the estate shall revert b
3 my hrotheA Vladimir Saradoff Of ST
: Petersburg"