The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-19
CHAPTER TX.
THE COUNTS CRIMINAL BROTHER

IL y oASS
There was Il great surprise for me al
least. in my mothers reception Of the
news. which it fell to Percy and myself
to convey to her. that Percy while in
London, had seen one whom he believed
to be my father, and had even photo
graphed him and found out the house
in which he was living. She fell on her
knees and thanked God aloud for his
merCies.
81 knew. l knew that my beloved
was alive and that God would return
him to us in his good timel'' she sob
bed. "You have seer him alive, dear
Percy. and that is enough-t the rest will
all be clear enc day, when my dear hus-
band is restored to himself again-and
to me. He has been poorly Of late, Boris,
but l never suspected that the malady
was of this type, until-until that ter
rible day Of his disappearance. I have
feared that in some horrid spasm Of
temporary responsibility he might
have--but God is merciful-he has been
seen alive. all will be well"
My poor dear mother laughed and
cried. and cried and laughed again. She
looked at the little photos and kissed
them and said, "Oh, yes, there can be
little doubt-but OIL poor dear, what a
terrible suit of clothes and haiti Do you
know what I think. Boris? the new tar
ifs have made a great difference Of late
in the profits Of his iron works. He has
been haunted by the idea that one day
we shall be ruined, and this specter has
driven him, for a little while. out Of his
senses, so that he has u away, poor
dear soul, and dressed himself meanly
in order to Disguise himself from some
imaginary creditorsl Did he recognize
and speak to you, Percy?'
"No, he did not, countess" said
Percy dejectedly.
the mother. "He desires to remain dis
guised and unrecognized. l see it all.
oh, how plainly
Dear, sanguine mother, raised from
misery to great happiness upon so rick
ETY. a basis! How could she guess that
she was settling down, in fancied secur-
ity and comfort, in the Spanish castle
" Vic duu SACuu4OuSs NOA1A1OA-
~ called the paradise of fools?
Did l. too, take mp my abode in this
fools paradise? I fear I must confess
that l did. My mothers confidence in
fected me, and I felt as sure Of fathers
identity with the man Of the portrait
as che did.
Borofsky was radiant.
ISTk ox1u roroo;pe <1or <o krox,o1 t>
London and bring him back. whether
be will or no.. he said.
But mother demurred.
II do not think that" she said. 81
should not like him interfered with.
He will soon outlive this temporary at
tack of delusion and return Of his own
free will. | am sure Of it. The count is
not mad. His intellect is as sound and
healthy as any. But he is i'll. To startle
him in his present condition would do
him no good. He would think himself
pursued. and this would give color to
the delusion from which he is suffer.
ing. Let him be watched if You like,
but by no means allow him to be star
tied or his liberty interfered with"
Accordingly it was settled that Bo-
rofsky-who was unknown to my father
should be the one to undertake the
duty of watching him. He must settle
himself close-opposite if possible-to
fathers lodgings, which were in a small
street off Fitzroy square, and keep an
eye upon the counts movements, using
his discretion as to making his &C.
quaintance or not, according to circum.
stances,
81 shall DO so il I can" said Borof-
sky, ''for, ii not, ] don't see how the
matter is to proceed any further, You
may expect to see us return peacefully
together after a short while"
"God grant It'll" said mother. "Brt
above all things remember not to alarm
my poor husband, for that would be
the worst policy of ALL"
II shall be most careful, madame"
said our little Sherlock Holmes, and
with this assurance he departed. well
provided with %introdnctions to friends
in London in case he should need assist
ance of any kind in his dealings with
Englishmen, whose language he knew
little of, He was we'll supplied with
cash, too, and carried instructions to
keep us well informed as to his move
ments, and especially as to my poor ia
theirs mental condition and all that
concerned him,
For a few days after Borofsky's de-
parture my mother was sangnine and
excited, expecting | know not what
good news from London, for naturally
no news whatever could DO reasonably
awaited for some little while, Rorofsky
wonld and could do nothing immediate.
~ after his arrival there, His task, In
the nature Of u and In accordance with