Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-01-05

.htpps" sald the official. grimly. "But
IL. az YOU say. you are really des;fous
r. undo this knot. your best plan VIII
be to keep ON friendly terms WITH tAis
llaoul-'
/ raised my eyebrows, as II in sur
rise. TO
with the suspected Nihilist, sir
was under the impression that you u
the kindness specially 10 warn me
against that mans society, as being
dangerous"
.Not II YOU come to me and give me
n bint OF what passes between you,
said the chief Of the secret police, with
O smile.
"still, sir" said /. with a doubttui
| mir. "yesillow seemed to be so entlrely
Indifferent 10 politics
Pooh, We know him to be OF
the most dangerous ccnspirators III Eu-
rope
.Ypu don't mean to say that eX-
| claimed. In a voice OF extreme surprise,
ard with what | battered myself was
n look Of genuine simplicity. In that
case. perhaps. IL would be better fer
me not to see him again. ] have real
ly molly no taste for being mixed up
with those dreadful Nihilists and taelf
co~nspiracies. | almost think That. now
that | have seen you, ! had better go
back to Lcvna as soon as possible.
De Noilleff gave me a c~onteIptcoCS
look. told me | had better please my
self. and with Il curt "Good-day' went
back to his papers. | rose from my
chair, went to the door. paused. and
finally returned To say that If | did
hammer to learn anything Of Prince
Kropenski through Vesilloy | o
communicate with him directly.
A keen look, half inquiry, half sus-
p'cion. came into the face of the head
OF the secret police, as | said this TO
him. He appeared 10 be asking him
self whether | was in reality such a
fool as | was making myself out TO be.
But apparently the ~unlikeliness that
anyone would be rash enough to al
tempt TO play the double game with
Basil de Noilleff re-assured him. He
nodded, and signed to me that should
leave him.
/ had of course. told De Noillef that
was about to 90 To Loyna, in order TO
prepare him for my departure from the
capital; for-I may as well say 1T OF
once-I had already made up my mind
to accept the offer Of Won Mitschsa.
| saw clearly enough that had a
rare opportunity for playing a double
game: and If the matter had been less
serious, / almost think / would have
done SO, out of pure love of mischief
However, / soon decided that even II
| were willing to act such a part, II
was too dangerous. | could not stan
long with a foot in either camp.
/. therefore. resolved that though
might use what | had said TO be head
Of the police as a weapon in case OF
my getting into trouble on account OF
Raoul-for which purpose | had spoken
of meeting him-I would keep my owl
counsel and that Of the conspirators
and work for the Princes liberty il
my own way.
ON the following morning I pulled
up my window-blind and looked u
No one was in sight except an OLE
woman, who was creeping at a snail!
pace along the edge of the pavement
STOPPING every few seconds to pict
M some bit of coal, or wood, or wha
not. cut of the gutter.
AS l was looking out for the agen
. Of the Committee whom | expected t
see, the old woman passed beyond IN.
/, line of vision. The street was empty
But I had scarcely had time to re
!, prcachi the Committee in my owl
mind with not keeping their engage
ment. when the woman re-appeared
on the near side of the street thi
time, and began to pass slowly aloni
bent double with age and the ~necessit,
. of peering into the gutter for the rub
bish she was collecting. Could thi
! old beggar-woman possibly be tn
agent Of the Committee?
1 resolved TO test her. Keeping wei
within the shelter Of the curtain,
, held a morsel of the blind aside, an
observed her closely. When she drey
near enough i, saw that she was Il
fact CHANGING every now and then a
my window.
There was no reason for keeping he
, longer in the cold air. / made the IL
CURED signal; and although the bee
gar-woman gave not the smallest sig
tnta she had noticed it. she cast II
sire for the yaluables of the quite
, speedily abated and she quickly dis
. appeared from b street. | had nc
, a doubt hat the begar-woman (rea
or ~pretended) was no her way to tie
!, the chiefs Of the Committee that
was willing to visit the Prince in hi
!. secret prison.