Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-03-30

THE BLACK TERROR )
3 a Romance of Russia. x
- by JOHN X. LEYS. *
q
q o o q O q O o o o o o O o o O q O O O O O q ]

by JOHN X. LEYS.

knew ii was nothing short of madness
TO remain where / was a single instant
longer than | could help. The morn
ing was pretty snre 10 bring the Gar
ina to the villa: and il would be impos-
sible for me 10 deceive either Her Mai
esty or Or. Lohnenheim in the full light
OF the morning sun. No: whatever l
did 10 escape the horrors of the seat
fold. or a slow death I'm n Siberian
mine, must be done that night.
The valet had turned down the lights
and left me. when the door opened, and
Or. Petroyski entered rhe room. was
glad 20 see that he was wearing a
loose summer oyercoat.
is the doctor all right?-' was my
first question.
He is AT supper and seem comfort
able enough
Very good. You must join him lat
er, and make him take an extra glass
or We OF sherry. You can report
that l am practically quite well and
only need rest. Then bring him here.
| shall pretend 10 be asleep. or nearly
asleep, and no doubt he VIII agree with
y0u that ii win be much better o 10
disturb me. In the darkened room he
VIII only half sac me, and he will
have no suspicion that ! am not the
Gar. But. first Of all, / III have
ON clothes and a rope. 1t is impossi-
BILE for me TO pass the guard outside in
the corridor. | must leave by the win
dow and take my chance of being able
To elude the Sentries and get over the
park wall. Please take on your coat
and waistcoat. and put them under the
couch over there. As you have Oh an
o%vercoat no one will notice that YOU
have not got a coat underneath it.
Then. either before or after DIR. Lob
.renheim ONE 10 see me. You must
fetch me a piece OF rope-clothes-line
viii do very well. if ii is pretty strong
and a pair of trousers. and some sort
of hat or cap. / should think a doc
tors instrument bag would do 10
bring them in. If you have enc here.
That is all. That is all the help ! ask
from you. Do you think you will be
able TO do what wantg'
The doctor slowly Invested himself of
his coat ami waistcoat, and seemed To
be turning over things in his mind.
Yes he said: Il think / shall be
able % manage il. or course. ! depend
.dpon you for perfect silence concerning
me if anything should 90 wrong"
'You may depend upon that, SO long
as You are true 10 me-"
well. L know there Is a large lumber
room at the other villa in the parA,
where ! shall stay tonight. Ii is half
fun of old trunks and packing cases;
and | am pretty sure TO find a piece OF
ford among them, strong enough To
bear your weight. If not, / will get a
bit somehow. l can pass the sentry at
any time: and ie he notices that l am
carrying a bag. / can say thar / left n
Of my instruments in my bed room.
Yes; | think / can do what you ass
me. But. all the same, / don't think
YOU will lie able TO escape"
With this cheering assurance. he left
and | more than doubted whether
he was not right. / had heard the
heavy tramp Of n sentry outside the
windows whenever there was a lull in
the storm. all through the evening.
how was | to avoid being seer by him?
/ had not succeeded in settling this
ail-important matter, when the door OF
the room was gently opened and b
two doctors came in together. ! was
lying on my side. my face turned TO the
wall. and the bed-clothes well pulled
up about my ears. / closed my eyes
and lay perfectly still except for my
breathing. / took care I breathe slow
ly, and with apparent difficulty, as a
man would who had a cold.
The two doctors came TO the side of
the bed and stood looking at me-. They
stood so long there. whispering togeth-
er. that | almost lost my nerve. i am
sure they We're discussing my appear
ance-the senior physician perhaps OBJ
serving that | looked odd or strange.
and the other trying, with a sinking
heart. TO reasSure him. l felt as IL /
would have suffered any pain TO be
able TO sit up and relieve the suspense,
but | did not dare To move, lest Dir.
Lohrenheim. seeing that l was half
awake, might wish 10 take my temper
allure, or something of that kind. l
thought they would never 20.
At length ore Of them moved away,
came back. went away again, opened
the door aQd went out.
Making sure that Petrovcki had got
rid of his companion. and thafIt was
him who was standing by my bedside,
/ turned h~alf-round. opened my eyes,
and said:
When viii you he able to-"
The words literally died away on my
tongue. Ii was not Petroyski. but a
fat. bald-headed German. who was
beaming on me be~neyolently through a
pair Of gold-rimmed s~pectacles. / had
just presence of mind enough TO nut
ont my hand TO him. and mutter some
thing TO the effect that it was a pity
that he had taken the trouble TO come
from ST. Petersburg. since there was
very little the matter with me. The
doctor began to say something. which,
in my terror, i could not understand.
"Oh, please leave me alone,' | ex-
claimed. with a petulance that was not
a bit feigned. and, turning from him, |
buried my face in my pillow.
Cute nacht. hire Majestat."
The door closed softly behind the
worthy German; and l breathed a deep
sigh Of relief and thankfulness. SO
grateful was the warmth. the sense OF
being perfectly rested, the deep still
ness. that in spite OF my danger, l fell
asleep.
l was awakened by n touch on my
arm. Ii was DIR. PetrOyski.
.VIrShtf no sail fnwfr~ ~ 49,,