The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-17
By a Hairs Breadth s.is & Co. :,
of with Life Russian
Copyrisht by
Dodd.
Mead Cd Co.
b y III d o n II i ] !


disc of the pilgrimage, to which the formal
tiles OF Vienna and Breslau, and the dull
domesticity to be expected at Copenhagen
and Balmoral. formed the Purga tory. Both
men knew their Paris, and each We'd with
the other in recounting "reminiscences.
Suddenly in the thick of this Interchange,
when the waiter had gone for the entrees,
Nolbroth sprang TO his feet and uttered
an exclamation of dismay.
That reminds me-" he cried. Il would
not lose II for ten thousand. rubles. Excuse
me for two minutes. my dear Boris. while
l run TO the train for the gold cigarette
case presepted TO me by Sarah Bernhardt.
l have left il on the seat in the saloon
carriage. and who knows but some railway
man may take a fancy TO it
Save the divinity's souvenir, by all
means; here's to her health cried Boris,
raising his champagne glass. And just as
the waiter returned with the two silver
dishes, Volborth hurried out on 10 the
But it was not to the compartment in
which he had travelled that he turned his
steps. Making his way to the group OF
section agents, who were keeping guard
over the Imperial saloon, he beckoned Res
tofski aside.
You know Serjov by sight-the same who
was suspected with good cause of ABRAMS,
ing the bomb outrage at Warsaw in siE
he asked.
Better than I know you' was the reply.
Have / not this TO remember him by"
And Restofski held u up his left hand short
of the third finger, which three years
before the desperate Nihilist had bitten off
We'll, L never saw him. proceeded Vol
borth. But there is a man in there acting
as waiter, who, judging by photographs
only, might be Serjov disguised. want
you 10 have a look at him, but without
allowing him or Dubrowski, with whom
am dining, TO see you. We are sitting TO
the left OF that fourth window giving on TO
the platform. When l have had time to
resume my seat, come and take stock OF
the man who is waiting on us. You will
get the best view through the furthest
pane If you think he is not Serjov tap
softly three times on the glass-if you
identify him do nothing until further orders
There is such a clatter going on that no
one not listening for it will be likely to hear
you tap. If it is heard it won't much
matter, as l have purposely arranged for
the audible signal to be srven in the event
of your pronOuncing the man harmless.
Automatically Restofski nodded compre-
hension. One of the cherished hopes of his
life was TO track down the man who had
mutilated him; but not by the fash of an
own to personal anticipation
Volborth FASTENED back to the dining
/ room. not forgetting to take from his pock-
ct the sold cigarette Casa purchase of his
own-which had done duty as an excuse.
| On re-entering he saw that Boris with his
! eyes or the door, but Immediately averted
! on seeing him, was tucking something into
! the breast of his undress tunic-something
| thin and white, suspiciously like a letter.
The aid-de-camp's manner had undergone a
change. He seemed i'll at case. and hardly
smiled when the cigarette case was trium-
| phantly waved before him.
1t was all right you see-the Bern
/ hardt souvenir said Volborth, resuming
/ his seat.
''Ah, here is the salmi of quail But
where is that rascal of waiter? He has
/ run away again and there is red
/ pepper.
Boris muttered something about the man
] having been there a moment ago. and sug-
/ gested that he had gone to fetch the con-
! diment. All the sparkle and gayety had
! left the young officer. Volborth. though
seeming blood like tiger, cool as
/ ever. 1t was not till he knew that Res
tOfski must have been at the window
/ fully a minute that he simulated the nat
! ural indignation of a gourmand whose
! dinner was spelling for want of a necessary
/ adjunct.
Here" he cried hailing passing waiter,
where is the fellow who is attending to
/ u.s."
The man expressed ignorance, but said
/ that he would summon the head steward,
/ who promptly arrived. swelling with i'm
/ that the waiter who had been attending
/ upon them had been taken i'll and had OBJ
/ tanned leave 10 go, but that he would i'm
mediately detail another man to their table.
The steward was true TO his word A
! fresh waiter came busting up, his appear
ance being hailed by three gentle taps on
| the window pane.
VolbOrth had placed it on record that
never in his career has he been so near
10 giving way to uncontrolled anger as at
the moment when he had TO sit there and
| For, being now more than ever anxious to
| conceal his connection with the police
! from Boris, he could not excite remark
! by again leaving the room TO institute
! inquiry. Yet the walters sudden disap-
! pearance confirmed not only the suspicion
that he was Serjov, but strengthened the
| supposition that his engagement had been
! planned with a definite purpose. That he
| had only excused himself from further at
| tendance when that purpose was achieved
in the handing of a letter to Boris, Vol
| DOrth was fully convinced.
But above all these considerations the
urgent necessity remained of at once warn
| ing RestOfsk that there might be a dan
| gerous Nihilist i'm the vicinity of the sta
ton, if not actually in the building. The
barest outline of what had occurred, if such
| could be conveyed to his truSty lieutenant
would be sufficient to insure the adoption
of the right measures, and Volborth was
not long at a loss for means to cOmmuni
cate. Penciling a few lines on "a leaf from
his pocketbook, he remarked casually t
Boris, as he folded the paper
You do not speak Italian. | Think
ed, replied in the negative.
Well" proceeded Volborth. ''see the eff
feet upon this son of the South when h
the new waiter, he gave him the scroll
and instructed him in Italian TO take il on
on to the platform and hand it to one o
the Russian officials on duty near tn,
from mentioning Restofski by name con
hdent that any agent who might receive
1t would at once pass II TO his nomlna
chief
Grinning with delight at the sound of hi
own language the Italian sped on his mis-
sion, and returned Immediately with new
of the notes safe delivery. In the mean
while, in order TO prevent Boris from spec
ulating on the mans errand, Nolborth hd'
harked back to what he knew was "sOr
subject" with his companion, plunging int
a dissertation on the discomfort of bein:
accompanied by ladies. He soon saw, how
ever that this little stroke Of chicane wa
unnecessary. Boris was too intent on hi
own thoughts, and. judging by the hast
| with which he was eating and drinking
in too great a hurry TO finish his Dime
10 revert to that grievance. He answere'
in monosyllables, and gulped glass afte
| glass of champagne.
He is burning 10 read the letter whcl
Serjov-if Serjov it was-brought TO him,
Volborth thought. And the contents o
that letter l must learn-before he does
If possible
1t was no easy task TO conjure a lette
from the tightly buttoned tunic of a ma
| separated from him by three feet of din
ner table, but these matters were Vol
borth's specialize, and he did not despair
Fortune favored him in one respect-sinc
the change OF walters Boris had bee
drinking fast-and he decided on a boil
stroke.
Talking of the ladies'" he said 'ff re
member rightly, | met you at the hous
of the Princess Olga Palitzin on the da
before we left Petersburg. A charmin
woman that"
Boris raised his wine-fiushed face, an
glared across at him, ut detecting n
trace of insnuation Vulborth's coun
|, tenance he assented with more interes
than he had lately shown.
she is all that" he blurted. Here's [