The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-18
Copyright by
Dodd.
Mead O. Co.
By a Hairs Breadth
Thrilling Tale gwthL
Seer
3 y II e d o n Hill

or preoccupied. volbcrth fumed inwardly.
| He would have given half he possessed for
S sax SAKE hours to be for bv with
| the normal precautions of the section, as
only possible on native ground, he himself
| would be like boy let out TO play. He
| has since stated that at this period of the
| journey so overweight was he with
sense of foreboding. that at the slightest
! abandoned his secret policy, and would
have handed over the sullen, silent aid
de,camp to Restofsk in the police car.
But ne could not well order an officer of
/ the Emperor's staff into arrest for having
a strange manner and the desire to spread
his net for the real criminals helped him
/ TO master himself There was always, too,
| the thought of the CONSERVATION which an
| open course would bring to the imperial
travellers. And presently his self-control
was assisted by Boris himself. who grad
| ually thawed during the forty-mile run
| from Sdolbunew to Scheptowka. and by
/ the time the train stopped at the latter
| place was chatterins' gaily once more.
| perhaps he awoke in ill-humor from the
Wlne ne drank at Cracow. On the other
n nad,,i ne may have been puzzng out some
problem which he sees clearly at last
| Volborth thought, as he stepped from the
car to stretch his legs with the rest OF the
was in close attendance, at once went up
| TO lima and commenced TO walk the plat
form at her side. Volborth perforce fell
| back a little-but not far.
ScheptOwka is on the edge of the Russian
cortland. The landscape was one vast
| eXpanse of golden wheat ripening for har-
| vest broken only by a wood of lime trees
| nalf mile from the station Outside the
| iron ratings a troop of filthy emigrants
squatted In the dust patiently waiting till
| the autocrat whose realms they were leaV-
| ing should have passed on. The conversa-
| ton with which Boris began volubly to en-
| tertaln lima had reference, ii seemed, TO
nothing more important than these details
| of scenery.
AS he came opposite to the great green
and-gold saloon he halted suddenly and
pointed TO the wood.
THAT grove which you see to the left"
he said, speaking rather loudly, SIS quite
an interesting spot. In it there is an eikon
of Saint Gregory, believed to be the oldest
| in Russia
captain Dubrowski. said pleasant but
a window of the imperial car had been
let down with crash, and a face APP
peared which caused a general hush upon
the platform. Every mans hand went to
his headgear in salute: every woman curt
seyed low. Behind the Tsar stood the
| Tsarina, with LObanof, who had been sum-
moned to a conference, smiling benevo-
lently in the background at the sudden
impulse of his sovereign. Boris advanced,
clicked his heels, and stood to attention.
said the Tsar. There is, then, an eikon
of great age in yonder wood?"
SO L have read, Sire" replied Boris
firmly. Il cannot speak from knowledge
never having been this way before. Have
/ your Majestys permission to inquire of
the station master?'
But the Tsar made a gesture of dissent.
I'VE will ourselves test the value of your
reading. captain said he Her Majesty
is making a study of eikons, and little
sightseeing will break the monOtony of
the journey"
The allusion was to a well-known hobby
of the Tsarina, who, since her conversion"
had developed mania for collecting i'm |
ages of the Russian saints No sooner |
was the EmperOrs intention known than
Vo ..lIC eontrived word with Restofski.
This notion was inspired by our young
friend"
He also questioned a railway man. and
gathered that there certainly was a shrine !
of Saint Gregory in the wood. Somewhat
treasured by this, and by the cloud of sec
ton ofhclalS who spread themselves round |
the party, he attached himself to Boris and
lima, and followed the imperial couple out
of the station with the whole suite.
The stroll along the dusty road was
soon accomplished, and they passed into |
the refreshing shade of the grove, Restof-
skis men first drawing it, as fox hounds
90 overland drawing II blank save
for the aged priest whom they found in
charge of the ei<on. The old man was sit
ting on the ground by the red stone image
when the Tsar and Tsarina with Prince |
Lobanof approached. From the uncon
cerned way in which he went on arranging
several baskets of roses he did not seem
to know his distinguished visitors But at
a few kindly words from the sovereign he
rose to his feet and made low obeisance.
Having answered the questions put to
him about the shrine and explained that
the roses were for sale to pilgrims he
selected the best basket and begged the
Tsarina to accept it. Just as her grasp
was about to close on the handle Prince
Iobanof interviewed. and. Selling the basket
insisted in his courtly fashion on carrying
it back to the train himself
.See!' he cried gayly, 1.-The good priests
roses have thorns. Even at my age il has
been permitted to me to shed my blood for
your Majesty And he pointed to a red
drop oozing from of the fingers with
which he had clutched the basket
Leaving the priest mumbng thanks for
a shower of gold, the party started to re-
turn TO the station, Volborth still walking
with Boris and lima a little behind the
dignltaries. Suddenly, as they were nearing
the station, Prince Lobanof staggered re-
covered himself, staggered again and
would have fallen had not the Tsar. against
whom he lurched, held him up. The court
physician pushed his way through the
throng, and willing hands bore the Stricken
man 10 his saloon carriage but almost
before they laid him down a whisper ran
through the awe-struck suite that the
prince was dying-of heart disease.
Volborth, who in the confusion had some |
now possessed himself of the basket and
roses which Lobanof had dropped sipped |
away, white as a sheet to where Restofski
was standing, quite satisfied with the sic
cess from his point of view of the little ex-
cursion. The section did not worry about |
death by the visitation of God" But at |
the few words whispered to him by his chief
he too turned pale, and summoned three
of his assistants.
Run back to the wood and arrest the
priest" he said. Make no bones about If
Kill him If you cannot catch him.
Five minutes after the Tsar's great serv-
ant had breathed his last the men returned
They reported that the priest was not to |
be found, and inquiry ELECTED that never |
within the memory of man had the eikon |
or Saint Gregory in the wood of Scheptow-
ka been attended by cleric &c its own