The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-03-16

mementoo of the experience In the shape
, OF Il huge scar on his shin. mentioned
this fact to the chief. who forthwith
declared that this shor,ld' be amply suf'
icient for Identification, and that hi
would have my fathers whereabouts
ascertained and a telegram sent with
out delay to the governor Of his prison.
/ fancy, but | will not absolutely as.
sert IL to be the case, that my threat to
take cnre the czar should hear Of the
blunders of his polite force %quickened
at any rate the desire Of his excellence
to see justice done. Perhaps I am
wrong. but | cannot help feeling that
the chiefs tenure Of his high office
would not long have survived the dis.
covery by the car OF 80 well advanced
a plot to assassinate him. As a matter
Of fact the secret Of this conspiracy
never leaked out, and II IN practically
certain that the ear never heard of 1t.
So we three yonng men returned
home that afternoon well enough
pleased with our days work.
What had we accomplished? ! sat in
my own private study. adjoining my
bedroom, before retiring for the night
and counted mp my gains. ! was In a
fair way to get father restored to free.
dom. There could be but one result to
the chiefs telegram. He must be iden.
titled at once and allowed to 60 free,
That was the first and best point of all,
Then we were rid Of Andre. IL was
exceedingly unlikely that he would ever
favor us with his presence again-nay,
II was probable that the police would
put II out OF the question by laying
hands upon him before he could escape
very far II they did 80, they would not
let him go again. poor wretch This
time his departure for the east would
be final,
My thoughts dwelt on the fate of the
student, Poor little creature that he
was. victim Of a very cruel destiny, he
had had u hard life of it from start to
finish, 1t was to be hoped such as he
would be mercifnlly judged, for indeed
he had never a chancel Who could
blame himY Not for one. On the con.
trary. ! felt grateful enough toward
him. for how In the world should we
ever have attained the end, which now
doomed we'll In view, but for his good
ofiicesY He had been very a%ggravating
In the manner Of giving his informa.
tion. he had been foxy and avaricious,
and. OF course, from the point Of view
Of coed or bad faith toward his friends.
his conduct had been t%reacherous and
atrocious, Nevertheless felt softly
toward the poor fellow by reason of the
services he had rendered me, services
w%hich-as o matter Of fact-had cost
him his life
Was he stabbed while sleeping2 1
wondered God grant that he suffered
none of the terrible anguish of suddenly
awaking to see his murderer, like an
avenging fury, standing over his bed,
perhaps bidding him prepare for instant
death, a traitors violent death, while
horror paralyzed his limbs and his
tongue 20 that he could neither nov
nor cry ont,
Did ! 4 dream, or was that the figure
of a man standing In the doorway
which led into the bedroom2
For II moment ! imagined that 1t
must be Percy or Borofsky or perhaps
my own man Petka, who had been pre-
pairing my room for the night; then he
suddenly stepped ont into the light, see
ing, | suppose, that ! peered at him,
and ! perceived, with a gasp of horror,
that II was Andre,
The odious creature laughed aloud,
"Ah," he said, "my charming and
most elegant nephew have long in
tended to pay You a call in your own
apartments, since you seemed determin-
ed to keep aloof from me In my ownl"
! was too Observation-Disclosures Is no 9TH
or world was too terrified to speak,
Horror and surprise kept my tongue
tied to my palate, conld not have
spoken, II my life depended on it, dur
ing that first minnie or two,
"You are surprised to see me, ! per-
ceiye," he continued, ~ am aware
that ! am unlimited, Probably you be-
lieyed me to be out Of town-nicht
wahr2"
made no reply,
~ should have left before now, no
doubt, he went on, "but unfortunate
ly | forgot to draw q check upon my
bankers before leaving home, Yon
don't happen to have a ~cheekbook In
yonr writing table there, do yong'
He painted with his right hand to-
ward my roller desk, and ! now observed
that he held q revolver in it,
My thoughts had begun to work now,
! raoked my brain madly for ideas,
did not know what course to take.
lyon internal murderert' now
muttered from between my dried mp
lips, "You shall never have q farthing
from mel
sob, OIL T. he said, ''For shamel
What, grudge yopr own uncle a thon'
sand or two from ynnr %afiluancey Be
ware, nndHtiful nephew, lest ! take an
nnnla's privilege and ehHstise yonl'
nYou dare not shoot that thing Off
said, 1.-THE noise would alarm the