Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-12-06


| work." She shivered as he spoke,
but Otaroff, the traitor, had no mer-
cy.
"And to it at once,'' he said.
"What is my task?" she asked
him, and again she shivered.
j MERELY to throw yourself in his
way, and this courier will forget the
car and all Russia"
81 doubt it," she answered.
'|You must not doubt til" he
cried. 'EOur scheme must 60 through
this time, and the courier will ar
rive too late. You hear, my beauti-
full daughter %
"But, father" she said pleading
ly, ''you have never used me as a de-
coy before. Oh, beg of you not to
do it now! I cannot do it. I can
not"
"FoolY' he Kissed at her. "'You
little know your power. With your
beauty you can do anything"
'You are strange father" she
said slowly, looking at him with no
spark of love in her eyes, 'but I
may prove traitor too. What then,
father? ?"
He bent his head and whispered
in her ear: II will shoot you, my
beautiful queen, so take care. For
the first time tonight I doubt you,
but tits an insane idea. Go into
the ballroom and dance an hour,
then return to your house and pre-
pare for your Journey"
She went from him down the
marble steps into the room beyond
and never once looked back. Her
heart was sad and heavy. Many no.
ticed the beautiful woman, but
wondered why her face was so
tragic.
It was about 8 the next night
after the ball when the courier of
the car arrived at the first post
house and asked for a change Of
horses.
"Stop little % asked the worthy
postmaster.
no." answered the courier in
tone which silenced all other ques-
lions.
81 want horses and nothing eIse."
The Russian looked with much
admiration on this tall courier and
speedily went for them. With a
clap of the whip the tarantass was
off, and the little Russian was alone,
but not for long. Down the road
he saw another tarantass coming at
breakneck speed. "Ah, perhaps |
they will STOP" he said to himself. |
The little man had to flee for his
life, for the horses dashed on, and |
he onl y caught sight of a very beau
tiful face in a red hood.
A dreadful storm broke upon the
night, and in the darkness a flying
dashed by the one occu-
pied by the courier. ''Some one
Else in this dreadful Storm thought
ne. "God help them'' When the
first dawn of day came, the rain
nad ceased, and they were almost
past the dangers. In the middle
If the road lay the figure of wo-
nan, and the horses almost ran
over her.
"She is dead" cried the courier
Is he laid his hand upon her heart.
NO; she lives. I cannot see NOR
al die like this" So, with the help
If the driver, he carried her to the
and laid her gently down.
There he sat, looking at the girls
yale face and wondering what he
should do with her.
Suddenly she opened her large
lark eyes and gazed into his face.
Ter wondrous beauty captivated
lin, and he forgot to ask her if
he was hurt. He only gazed and
aid nothing.
"You are courier?" she asked
It length.
''No. l am captain of the Four
zenith guards. And you?"
II am going to meet nv father
It Isham." she answered. Her voice
vas wonderfully low and sweet, and
le believed all she told him.
They journeyed on together, and
he time sped rapidly away.
At last they reached Isham. and
he girl looked for her father, but
# course he was not there. She
)urst into tears and would. not be