The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-16

If had attempted it. Had this little
rascal really and truly important com
munications to make concerning my
fatherY Could he possibly know any.
thing? II SO, Andre was equally well
informed. Nay. father must be or must
have been, actually in the hands OF
these ~rascals. though why or for what
purpose they should have captured and
kept him l could not conceive.
If this student could be brought over
into our camp and made to tell MS all
he knew. why. he would be worth al.
most any money to us. Not only would
we learn perhaps priceless news about
my dear father, but WI should, more
over. be able to score off Andre and
turn him at once. neck and crop, out
of the house; nay. perhaps have him 80
completely in our power that we should
be enabled, by the help of the police, to
get him quietly sent away to places
where he could no longer worry nj
his presence. which. Of course. we only
tolerated for a moment in the hope Of
obtaining II quid pro quo in the form
Of information about father.
What a satisfaction it would be to do
without him altogether-hal How he
would fume and rage, the rascal, fer
undoubtedly he f1attered himself that
he had my mother and myself in the
hollow Of his hand. as. indeed, he had
until this most fortunate rencounter Of
mine in mid .Neva with the we'll feast.
ed and pride pulled little rascal in the
armchair herel All these thoughts
passed very quickly through my brain
as l sat trying to regain control over
my features and my tongue before re-
plying to the student,
At last | felt that I might attempt to
speak.
"What you have just said" | began,
my voice sounding faint and far away
in my own ears, ''makes me think that
you. may possibly be in possession of in.
formation that is really valuable to us
II it should prove so, you will not re.
greet having confided it to me"
mo, no; that is not business, he
laughed. ''See here, this is the posi-.
ton. have vitality important news to
give you. news that concerns your ia.
ther and which you can obtain from
one but me. 8
"There's always Andre" I blurted.
"Andre. for reasons Of his own, and
mighty good ones would never reveal
It to you-not though You fed and
pampered and housed and paid him for
years to come. You will understand
why when-and five have come to
terms and my secret becomes yours.
Very we'll. then. The position. | say, IL
this l am In possession Of this informa.
ton You, being a dutiful SON.. are nat.
urally DESTROYS Of obtaining it. That is
point No. |. Point No. O. You chase
me (heaven knows WHY into a hole in
the ice. which in itself Is enough to
close my lips forever, in so far as con-
Germs the opening Of the same to do you
any service but, point No. g.. you pulled
me out again, at some risk and with some
pluck, as I am ready to admit. which
reopens my lips to your advantage, II
point No. ~ yen make It worth my
while to do So, and (point No. 81 since
my secret in itself Is Of some value. and
(6) since l am running risks which you
little suspect in coming under your roof
and selling my secret to you, (point 7
and last) I cannot possibly put the fig.
IRE down at less than 10. 900 rubles."
| would have given the sum named,
! think. to take the little rascal by the
shoulders from behind and to kick him
round the room until either he died or
I tired. but | kept my temper and
showed little or no signs Of the rage !
felt It was his conceited manner that
angered me far more than the exorbi.
tance Of the sum he demanded for bis
information.
To receive news which would set us
upon a track which should ultimately
lead to the discovery Of my dear father
would gladly have paid ten times the
sum asked. But this little student wore
such a detestable air as he spoke, and
was. besides. such a consummate little
villain on the face Of him, that I would
have given worlds. as l say, to kick the
secret out of him or garote him till he
was glad to Y his neck by confessing
to his share Of the devilry that must
have been played with his connivance
upon my poor father
"May ! consult my two friends and
my mother before answering your ques.
ION I" I said as calmly as l could. !
think the calmness was very
striking, however.
"Certainly not. Your mother and
the rest may agree afterward. This
is between you and me. Who
IRE your two friends, by the wayT
Zone Is a school friend, an English.
nan" I said, land the other il Borof.
ky, whom you must have seen or heard
If from your friend Andre"
"Whatl That little fool? The one
that brought Andre over and tried to
palm him off upon you as Count Lam
Tell him what You like. my
afterward. But now, this mo-
nent, u little matter must be decided