The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25
BvWIIIIANI MURRAY OQAYDON
SDcr-TUfQ in the pO settlements Of Russia
The ShuQe OnQnq web Of FATE ThOt Confused the denh
Of an American Iruccr With Fleeing Nfdist

N1asIon looked on his murderous work
So confident was he that his victim
was dead that he made no further
examination.
Tt is we'll" he muttered, s he put
the precious passport in his pocket.
The poor wretches in Siberian mines
are avenged And now for escape
that is the most important thing. 7
shall not breathe easy until the train
is whirIing me toward the frontier"
Serge MasIof's first move in this
direction was a daring one. He walk
cd TO the hall door and, pulling it open
about an inch, called distinctly,
'IvanI'
Yes, your honor" came the reply
from the head Of the staircase.
ALLOW no one admittance this
( morning. ivan" continued Serge, in
a harsh, stern tone that was an admit
rable counterfeit of Colonel JarosIav's
voice. I shall be occupied with this
visitor until past noon-possibly later.
/ See that my orders are carried out"
/ Yes. your honor" said the unsus-
/ pecting Ivan, your command shall
/ be obeyed."
/ Serge quietly closed the door again
not taking the precautlon to lock it
and walked over to the desk. With
out even glancing at the body of the
/ Inspector which remained IN the same
attitude, he hastily opened the draw
ers and picked out a few documents
which he slowed away in his pocket
A photograph. turned face upward,
met his eye and with q half start and
a low exclamation Of surprise ne took
possession Of this also. Then he
stepped to the side Of the chair and
cooliy thrust his hand into the pocket
Of the inspectors trousers. A smile
broke on his face as he drew out 2
short brass key, and he glanced sig
nifcantly toward the narrow door in
the rear wall The meaning Of that
door he knew well, and through 1t lay
his only hope Of escape. 1t was a pri-
vate exit from the building intended
only for the inspectors use, and none
but he carried a key to it.
One thing more" muttered Serge.
and am ready" He paused and
/ listened for a moment to the sounds
Of traffic that penetrated the dingy
room from the street Then he took
from the desk the letter that Captain
Dagmar had given him, and the iron
bar with the knotted end that lay be-
side 1-the. weapon that had struck
the mUrderous blow This latter he
put back in his pocket. all bloody as It
was-for he knew well that the pass
port he bore would call for no search
of his person-and then. with the let
ter in his hand, he stepped to the
side Of the room where a fire Of Goals
was smoUldering in an open CRATE
He tossed the paper down on this,
watched it slowly bIacken with the
heat. and then. fearing to delay longer
+ lest he should miss his train, he strobe
to the narrow door. and with a turn
Of the key flung it open.
A slight draft of cold air entered
the room. and catching the half con
sumed letter. whirled it off the fire
and dropped it gently at the feet Of
the inspector.
But Serge MasIOn did not see this.
4 sudden panic seemed to have taken
hold of him. a horror Of the room and
its CHASTITY contents. He stepped
through the door. closed and locked
It, putting the key in his pocket, and
then made his way down the dark,
! steep staircase. thrusting out his
hands nervousIy 10 prevent a fail.
He reached the bottom and trav-
erzed a long, narrow hall A door,
i,olted from within, gave access TO a
private alley, hedged in by massive
brick walls, between which, overhead,
a strip Of blue sky was visible The
i alley terminated in a great iron gate.
I Here the key was called into need
again. but before using it Serge Mas
loft put his blue goggles in his pocket
and added to his black mustache a
false beard Of the same color.
/ Carefully locking the iron gate be
hind him he pushed on through a
dirty, squalid street, encountering
=. none but a few beggars. and a mo
u. ment OF two later he gained a mora
important thoroughfare, which led
him in a short time to the Nevskoi
Prospekt- Here he sought a clothing
bazaar, and purchased a long cloak of
, light materiaJ-for the weather was
unusually cool even for ApriI-which
he paid for from a purse that seemed
10 be wei stocked with rubles and
bank notes. Then he hailed a dTosky
that happened by, and was driven
. rapidly away.
At II:55 o'clock Serge MasIOff-now
! Nicholas Pashua-was deposited at
the Warsaw terminus, and promptly
on the stroke Of noon the Berlin ex-
/ press whirIed out of the station OF its
long Journey TO the Russian frontier.
CHAPTER III.
E1T7TTTHTD