The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-15

it is dropped, please. Those are the last
bars, / think, and IL is of vital Importance.
There is a dangerous character upon the
stage, whom 1 must remove-without noise
or publicity, you Observation-Disclosures the
Russian chorus is surg"
The director happened to possess pres
ence of mind. Reckoning to an assistant
he gave the required order and turned
ceeded-
Conduct us to the wings at the rear
Of the right-hand row OF singers as you
look from the audience. / wish TO attract
no attention IL it is possible.
Follow. them, said Frickhaus The
performers who have arrived are in their
dressing rooms. / think that / can man.
age as you wish" And he led them swift
iy round TO spot whence they had back
view of Anna Tchigorin through the alley
formed by two wings. At the same mo-
ment the last note Of the Austrian hymn
died away, and by the sudden darkenlng Of
the stage they knew that the curtain had
Now, If we are skillful we can have
her out without the others knowing'
be helped" And gliding between the wings
to the back of the woman. he clapped his
hands over her mouth while Restofski
threw his powerful arms around her waist
and lifted her bodily off the stage. With
quick intuition, opening the door of va
cant dressing ROOM Herr Frickhaus signed
them to enter, and the capture was COM
plete without soul but those engaged i'm it
being the wiser.
up with the curtain and let the chorus
begin at once, said Nolborth. And In his
anxiety that no apparent hitch should
occur in the performance, IL was not till
the directors departure was followed al
most Immediately by the solemn cadences
of the Russian hymn that he turned TO
| the scowling woman in Restofski's arms
The curtain had not been down twenty Sec
onds.
We'll. Anna! Is 1t pistol or bomb?'' he
asked quietly.
The woman to whom he was hitherto UNI
lrr1nx rxraAo c,t11
| Silence; but her bare bosom heaved and
| the paint with which she had encased her
| swarthy features was all raddled intd
| streaks by the cold sweat that had broken
| out. The terror OF death, or of that weary
| road to Siberia, was upon her.
h, Kesttot tssn aate e oett pass or two over
| the required information and the weapon
itself-a small but serviceable revolver
| loaded in every chamber.
$50 that was to have been the method"
| said Volborth calmly You had better re-
main with her here. Restofski TILL the close
| of the concert. 1 must get back TO my
| place before my absence excites remark,
| and afterwards l will return and investi-
gate. BY the way, will take that letter.
| 1t was an anonymous warning, eh?'
Yes" replied the other. proffering the
| letter. 1T exonerates me from laxity for
| 1t appears that this she-devfl was added at
| the last moment
Volborth nodded and went out. stopping
however, under the nearest lamp to read
the letter. which was as follows
i
singer who to-day was allotted place in
the Russian chorus"
The envelope was addressed TO Restofski
| at the Hofburg, and had been posted in
Vienna the same afternoon. No direct in
/ dication OF the sender could be gathered
from the writing; which was in printed
| capitals. but Volborth smiled grimly as
he noted the evident intention of disguise.
| 'Ah. these clever amateurs" he muir
Ra the wrer res hand is not S Ss 81
| a stranger" Fastening on towards the
| front OF the hall. he met Herr Frickhaus.
| and in passing urged once more the neces-
sity of absolute silence till they should
| have conferred together the moment the
| concert came to an end
| He resumed his seat in the auditorium
| just as the choir of Russian ladies was
singing the last line of their national
hymn The occupant OF the next seat
CHANGING to be an Austrian officer. much
| too starchily polite 10 show interest In his
| temporary absence, he was free to pursue
his work, which just then consisted Of
| close study of lima Vassili. Still deathly
| pale and slightly leaning forward, she kept
/ her eyes fixed on the stage, but as soon as
the last of the curtseying performers had
retired she sank back in her chair. and her
| shoulders heaved visibly. minute later
she was chatting gaiy to her neighbor.
tbou rht voiborth. Her feverish excite
| ment and anxiety about Restofsh at din
| ner-above all her recent terror-point
| plainly to the authorship OF that letter
| IL | am not in error. we shall find our Boris
| at the bottom of to-nighfs episode"
The attempt which. for that occasion.
| the devices of the enemy had been concen-
! trated having failed, he sat out the
| mainder of the concert in fun assurance
| that there would be further danger
| that night. In the knowledge that Anna
'fchigorin was safe in Restofski's charge
| he, even managed to enjoy every item Of
the splendid programme and joined freely
| in the well mertcd applause that greeted
/ the efforts of the artists. But as soon
as the Imperial party had retired. having
first accompanied the members OF the suite
| from the hall. he slipped back and found
| Herr Frickhaus waiting for him.
Your first question Will be how L came
| to engage that woman" said the musical
| director as he led Volborth into his private
| room abutting on the stage.
| That is really the only point on which
1 need trouble you, Herr" replied Volborth.
/ ITo Re Continued To-InnrroN