The Indianapolis journal., 1904-03-26
By a Hairs Breadth ss.s;:ss. ~.iS i Co. s'
of in Russian
Copyright by
Dodd.
Mead ca Co.
By Head d on Hill

and that was a combination which the |
amenities of country-house life would not |
permit till he had retired for the night.
The remainder of the afternoon passed |
uneventfully at Bairgeldie, with not so |
much as a ripple TO tell OF the undercur- |
rents below. Under the influence of Lady |
Metcalfs specious attentions and sir
James 5 more homely hospitality, Boris |
Dubrowsk began TO make himself quite |
the stables with his host, he was lionized
by such of the company as could trust their
French, and laughrngly refused an invita-
tlon 10 play tennis in regulation overalls
and spurs. With laura he was the least
DIT shy, but with Fortescue. who seized
every opportunity of cuiuvating him, he
hrst gong doomed from the hall door the
stalwart young Russian was as gay as
any of the house party that trooped in
10 dress for dinner.
And then a change came. swift and
mysterious, which Fortescue could not un
derstand He had parted with Dubrowski
dt lhS oeor OF the bedroom assigned 10
MIN, leaving him with mutual jest and
laugh TO go 10 his own room. Twenty
minutes later he in the hall his
way 10 the dining room when he saw
DubroWski descending the stairs in civil
IAN evening dress, the dog-cart having
returned. But there was a greater atera-
ton In the aid-de-camp than that effected
Dy the change of clothes. His face was
cold and set, and he replied to Fortescue's
offer To guide him TO the drawing room in
as few words were compatible with the
barest politeness In the drawing room
Whlle making visible effort TO appear at
his ease, he was plainly quite the reverse.
HAD ne not been a foreigner his silence
and abstraction would have excited gen
eral remark.
What's the matter?" whispered Laura
10 her lover. He looks as if he is afraid
there was going TO be asparagus and didn't
know how to eat it,
But Fortescue only smiled, and seeing
that there was likely to be a long wait"
dining room he buttOn-holed the old butler.
Meldrum," he said, has any message or
Russian officer?'
Hasn't he got it, sir?" replied the but
ler sharply, scenting a breach of duty
among his subordinates. Il told Charles
TO see that the bedroom maid placed it .on
"Oh yes, it reached him all> right" For
tescue said carelessly. THE only point
Was how it so0 hereby a messenger from
BalIater L suppose?"
Yes, sir; one of the Widow Ferguson's
lads brought it just before the first gong
sounded, was the reply
An! thank you, Meldrum; that explains
everything most satisfactorily" said For
tescue, and he returned to the drawing
room devoutly wishing that his last asser-
ton had little more bottom to it, What
could this communication be, he wondered,
that had wrought such wondrous change
In Dubrowsh's manner.
The change endured throughout dinner,
growing, IL anything, more marked despite
q palpaDle effort on the part of Boris to
throw it off. Lady MetcaIf had appropri-
ated MIN to herself. and he was clearly
spond to her platitudes, but though he
may nave deceived his amiable hostess
there We're at least two pairs of sharp
ment and preoccupation.
w hen the ladies had left the dining room
and Meldrum had arranged the array of
stopped on his way TO the door and
stopped to whisper in Fortescue's ear
was to give you this, SIR without any
russ. Brought to the back door half an
hour ago by a boy At the same time he
thrust a folded scrap of paper into the
hand held out for it below the level of the
THE same boy-Widow Ferguson's?"
asked Fortescue under his breath
NO, sir-another one, unbeknown to u.s."
was the reply and Meldrum was gone
Fortescue was too old in the worlds
presently, when Fitz Harding was alb
sorblng attention with a tiger story, he
unfOlded il on his lap Ii was from Vol
oorth, written in French to this effect
Take care. Olga knows that he is at
Blalrgeldle She has communicated with
him since o'clock"
lhrusting the billet into his waistcoat
pocket he was in time to join the chorus
or polite appreciation at the close of the
ex-Judge $. narrative. 1t was useless to
speculate on the Princess Palitzin's reason
Tor resuming correspondence with burrows
XII; all he could do was tc watch closely and
Qf1n
than he expected.
The men having rejoined the ladies i'm the
craving room move was almost imme-
dlately made by most of the younger mem
Dtrs OF the party to the billiard room.
t1nding that there were more WouId-be
players IN the pool than there were balls.
hortescue,, as almost a member of the
Iamlly, declined TO take a cue and settled
down -on the settee as a spectator Some
one-he knew very we'll who it was though
ne was too wary to turn his head-promptly
a nf h rsI
clatter and racket of the game were i'm
IulI swing, he felt a tap on his arm and
boTls SAID IN a strangely fiuttering voice
L wish asfew words with you in private
monsleur-without risk of being overheard
IL your Kindness will accord them | will
not detain you long"
he made an unconscious gesture towards
the French windows which as the night
was warm, stood open, showing a vista of
lawn and garden bathed in moonlight that
only failed in the shadows of the dark
shrubbery beyond. Here thought Fortes
cue, was chance to learn where the next
| dow was to be expected and he rose az
once ana led the way out, Boris following
ana pacing at his side. 1t was not till theV
| were some distance from the windows that
| the Russian spoke, slowly and haltingIv
giving, the Englishman the impression that
! ne was repeating a lesson by note.
Il wish through you, monsieur" began
DuDroWsk, to tender an apology to Miss
Metcalt for the language which L unfor-
| tunately used to her, and before her at
Breslau. AT the same time / am requested
! by-by a friend to implore her not to dis
/ close the crime attempted by the man De-
| laval at the house or the Baroness Won
| Lndberg. My friend, who wrote that letter
! or introduction, was deceived in him and
she.that is I-would be ruined if it came
| TO the ears of the Russian police"
| ForteScue was intensely puzzled What
motive could Olga Palitizn have in inspir-
| ing Dubrowsh to make this late apology
| Tor his rudeness. and TO prefer request for
| secrecy on grounds which she must have
| been aware would not weigh for an instant
with either himself or Laura The cir
| cumstances under which she had been seen
| by both of them in Delavals company
| natly contradicted the insinuation that she
be good enough TO hoodwink DubrowsN for
| clever to think that it would serve those
| whom she and Delaval had come near 10
| killing in the Rue St Pol
| Your own apology, L am sure, will be
| accepted, monsieur, in the spirit i'm which it
| Is offered, replied Fortescue. AS for the
| message you have delivered, you will pardon
my asking whether YOU have been charged
| with IL quite reCently?"
They had reached the end of the lawn
| furthest from the house. and as he put
| the question the attache came to a halt
| With has back TO the thick underground
| that sklrted the park fence. Far away
| beyond the moonlit greensward the win
dovs OF the billiard room glowed brilliantly
| and the clack Of the oalls could be distinctly
heard. Boris also wheeled round to stand
| still, facing Fortescue and the shrubbery
| behind as he answered the question.
| The request reached me only this even
| bly, monsieur, you observed that | was dis
| turbed in my mind many davc + ~