The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-07-10
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CHAPTER II
DETECTIVES LIE IN FRnuA
Borofsky's letter was the source Of
much Thought and Of much agitated
conversation among our little party Of
three, for, though II seemed Indeed to
: establish the fact that he had seen my
dear father himself. yet II did little to-
ward calculating the painful mystery
Of his disappearance or the still more
painful and bswildering mystery Of his
silence
Here was father obviously free
agent and able II he chose to write home
with explanations Of his absence. yet
he preferred 10 live . secret and semi.
hidden Mfs IN y sslenmy. or at least
third rata, qnartsr Il London Hswss
free and living a1anA Thbse rsscals
who had carried him 81 from Erinofka
and conveyed him over the frontier and
sway were no longer with him. he was
out Of their power. But II ont Of their
power, why did he not return or writef
Had they some mysterious hold upon
him, forbidding him under pain Of
sudden death--a death such az had be-
fallen the unfortunate little tslebearer
at Eripofka-to communicate in any
way whatever with those who were
familiar with him at home?
"No," said I heartily. when this
theory was put forward by Percy, ''cer-
tainly not. Father would never tamely
submit to such thing. Once out Of
their hands and free to do "a he liked,
father would soon find means to turn
the tables on the rascals. blackmailers
or whatever they may be, and 1t is
quite possible, II they exist at all in
connection with this affair. that they
are blackmailera -. g.
"What would they blackmail your
father for9' asked Percy quite indig-
nantly. HE is not at all the man to have
skeleton d, the cupboard that he Is
afraid to show to all the world" ~,
"Quite true" / said, "but there's
that precious brother that mother told
Us Of, the nihilist Johnny, who muir
dered or helped to murder some one.
These chaps, II. they exist. may have
found out all about 1t and are. threaten
ing father with heaven knows what II
he does not pay up some huge sum Of
money. But even this doesn't explain
his silence or bis mysterious journey to
London, either. unless he has gone to
raise funds. But he would have let
mother know as soon as he was free. !
am cocksure Of it.
"Unless they have driven him out Of
his senses for the time being" mother
sighed.
"No, mother" said, "I'll tell you
what think. I've come to the conclu-
sion that those Erinofka rascals have
nothing whatever to do with it Or with
US. Their affair was merely a coinci-
dence a. regards father and his disap-
pearanca They were there, granted. and
they were up to some game which need
ed secrecy and even murdered, man
who divulged their secret, but the drug
ged man Il conclude he was drugged)
or the sick man was not father. We
thought we had struck trail. but It
was false scent"
"God grant 1t, dear Boris" said
mother, "for cannot bear to think Of
your father having fallen into such
hands. But why have you come to this
conclusionf'
"For two reasons-one Is that II
these fellows had any good renson- for
bagging father and carrying him away
they would not have let him 90 free as
they have done, and the other il that,
az / hays said, now father Is free and
we know that he is. II his silence and
disappearance and all had been brought
about by these people. he would GER
tainly communicate with u.s. There
must be another reason for his fight.
These Erinofka fellows had nothing to
do with it.
Yet, neither nor mother nor Percy
could put forth any good theory to re.
place the old one, and the situation re-
manned unchanged and the mystery I'M
solved. We must await further devel-
opments from the other side Of the wa
ter, and trust to Borofsky's talent and
exertions to bring light into our dark
places, and this he could only do byre-
storing poor father to his right mind
and persuading him to return to u.s.
think l should have set out myself,
presently, in order to see father and find
out, in person. what allied him and
whether an appeal from me, and in
mothers name, would restore him TO
reason. but few days later we had
second and very exciting letter from
Borofsky.
II have met with astonishing success
since my last letter" he wrote, "though
not without much patience and some
personal risk. "
Personal risk" echoed mother, in
terrupting me as read aloud.
"Then those rascals are still hanging
about. May God protect dear Vladimir
and also this poor Borofsky"
!, too, had been surprised to see the
expression used-''personal risk. l
continued to read the letter aloud:
H"The count, at our last interview,
had suddenly closed the conversation,
angrily giving me to understand that
he considered my last remark liberty.
He rose from the table bowed and left
the restaurant, following minute
later. The count returned home l saw
him to his lodgings and Ire-entered my
own, which were nearly opposite, and
wrote and posted my letter.
"That evening later l was surprised
to see cab drive up to the door Of the
count lodging. The count himself then
came out with his portmanteau, step
| ped into the vehicle and was driven to.
ward Msrylebone church.
"When had recovered my breath, I
seized my hat and rushed after his cab
Luckily found a hanson at the cor
ner. Jumping breathlessly into 1t, l
babe the driver follow the cab at re-
spectful distance. So the count suspect
ed me-heaven knows what of-and
was endeavoring to escape me- He had