Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-08-02

after which glorious deed respond
ed Darrell. you will return to Stavro-
pol and later TO Paris, where you will
marry a beautiful widow worth many
millions"
chikoff.
Let us see about that" retorted
Darrell. SIN the first place. what will
happen when you get to Stavropol?
You viii face the wrath OF your IA
Their for your conduct I'm putting me out
of the way. Oh, am well informed
about It You worked your pull. as
we say In America, with the chief of
the secret police, and then you organ
lied q fake court which condemned
me and left no record of It's proceed
ings. When we get back to Stavropol.
your father will not thank you for the
International complications that will
result from your crimes against me-"
'We," said Getchikoff. will never
get back to StavropoL Only one of us
is going. You will remain
And he pointed down to the ground.
you may kill me and bury me-" an
swered Darrell, ''but the American con-
sui In Stavropol is another PROPOSE
tion.''
MY dear sir" retorted Getchikofr.
81 don't believe he knows anything
about it or will ever learn anything"
my excellent friend" said Darrell,
che has already learned everything.
Glance at this note from him to me. 1
replied fully by courier, but Consul
Lingard win not proceed upon the In
formation until my return"
Getchiko6 read the consuPs note, and
he snapped his jaws together like an
angry boar.
81 viii take my chances" be said at
last
Perhaps you do net fully compre-
hend," said Darrell gently. 'Your trou-
bles will also include a charge of for
gerry
Getchikoff laid his hand upon the
hilt of his sword
BE calm" said Darrell. LET us
reason upon the matter and see exactly
how you stand. Your private affairs
are at this moment OF far more conse-
quence than the strength OF these con-
tending armies I have had consider
able time since we parted to mediate
upon your case, for one has much lei
sure In prison I have decided that
you are thoroughly selfish man: that
your chief terror is your father; that
your chief desire is TO quit the army.
Stavropol. everything OF your old life,
and live in wealth and luxury in Paris.
Your marriage VIII make that possible
Am 1 right In these mattersY'
Il shall do the things you name,- an
swered Getchikoff, land a dead man
buried In the Caucasus mountains viii
not prevent me-"
"You are what we call In America O
buffer" said Darrell. "At this pres
ent moment Jon are shaking In your
boots, and the cause is that one word
forgery Oh, / have reasoned this
thing all out Who tore up the docu-
ment found beside the body OF Lads
lov In PARISH Ladlslov himself; the
thing Is certain Why did he attempt
TO destroy It? My friend Gordon an
swers the question from Paris Here
is copy OF the telegram"
And he gave IL TO Getchikoff, whose
brow dripped as he read
That was q warrant for the Prin-
cess Vera Shevalof." continued Oar
relL "It was the sort Of document that
is sometimes furnished In blank to GER
tain officials, including the governor
generals Of provinces. 1t bore the cars
name and was apparently countersign-
ed by your father. OF course such doc
uments possess 10 validity as war
rants outside Of Russian domInions,
but creatures Ike Ladislov, the spy,
occasionally have to exhibit them when
making kidnapping arrests that are
winked at by the pelice OF continental
cities, and In any case the warrants
have to be shown when the prisoners
reach the Russian frontier.
my friend Gordon telegraphs that
the document is a forgery. He means
that your fathers countersign as gov
ernor general OF Stavropol, the prov
ince to which the prisoner was to be
taken, was forged. The sign manual
Of the car was undoubtedly genuine.
You observe that my friend says so.
Who, then, filed IN this document
fraudulently and signed your fathers
manner
81 don't known exclaimed Getchi-
koff, with a dry throat "You cannot
prove that did 1T"
"My dear general, you were seen to do
it." answered Darrell. ''You filed that
document out In the French cafe the
day 1 refused to lend you my pen.
Gordon knows it and has his witness
es," he continued, making his story the
stronger as he saw the others terror
increase. "Let US be just to you You
were drunk when you did it--carefully
intoxicated to the right point by your
good friend, Captain LadisIov. We will
consider Ladislov for a moment. He
was in the pay of the Gorsld family,
who are Stayropol people, and they
desired revenge upon the Princess Vera
for the death OF their relative. In
some way they contrived to have this
blank warrant distracted from your
fathers papers and sent to Ladislov.
There is no other possible method OF
accounting for his possession and use
OF It Your father. believing that the
Getchikofrs had injured Vera's family
10 n