The San Francisco call., 1904-04-17

Dig weeks washing" 1 locked the
door and sat down in the one empty
chair and lit a cigarette.
Peradventure these were the silks OF
the women of mine own country"
soiloquized grimly, II might make
some progress and 1 gazed about
nelplessly enough; yet knew that any
good. single man of sense would have
oolted the whole thing even then But
l could not bolt, and the danger Of my
situation came suddenly home to mo
as looked mechanically at my watch
and foundr the evening was far gone.
How fast the hours were speeding.
Aroused now to my task with fresh
ening fear, l was seized with the hal
luclnat1on that a subdivision OF my
stock would help unravel the mystery,
and j slrode frantically up and down
to select, at first, the smaller garments.
But where were they? The silk crea-
ton ON the bed would have covered a
span Of horses, and the gauze scarf or
fish-net or what-not that trailed over
my dresser, some chairs, and a table.
would have hidden two French win
dows. If l found anything of lesser di-
mensions, had no sooner got 1t under
control than I discovered it was con-
nected by tail or silk isthmus to
some greater affair near by that might
have been an awning over a ships deck.
Nor was Ii easier to get free OF these
things than to get hold of them, for
when I had lain one down and gone
elsewhere in my search. I found the
last two things I had looked at were
still following me about Familiarity
enough. The texture Of this collection
of Quelpartienne clothing may have
been all have since heard it was and
all that its cost suggested. but this only
served 20 bewtlder me the more that
night
Apd so foundered up and down In
tea. 500 oc Quelpartienne lingerie which
By midnight was running high IN that
w:lo room, when a low knock at my
door brought frightened sigh Of relief
to my lips. With one despairing glance
about me I'broke over to the door and
threw 1T open wide. I had made no
progress whatever, and the night was
half spent; in doubly serious sense
needed Dulcine now.
In walked Colonel Oranoff.
I gasped in dismay while those seri-
Gus eyes ran over that disordered room,
lingering with awkward. questioning
glance on each piece of QueIpartienne
finery.
HAS the hospital become an
asylum" Oranoff asked quietly. I
laughed and gave some answer which
he can remember better than I. Then
/ went to him with the inspiration
which had suddenly come to my dis
tracted brain. 1 dared not be silent one
moment before this man, and I rislxed
everything by delivering myself earn
estly of the following impromptu ex-
PLANTATION:
Colonel Oranoff," 1 said, In low
voice, you know our great danger Is
an attack by Tuen's men upon the fu-
neral procession. 1 have spent the day
planning to Illustrate the attack II
made. My plan is to place a counter
felt body in the sarcophagus and put
the real body in the casket prepared
for the memorial tablets. The army
will surround the sarcophagus, and If
that is harmed the Queens body will
still be safe
Even as 1 spoke wondered II, after
all, Colonel Oranoff had not gone to
the throne room to prove for himself
the miraculous truth Dulcine had told
him. But if he had, he had aet the
matter pass, and / was sure either he
was deceived or had chosen to let me
play out the farce to which had so
desperately resorted at the eleventh
hour.
There are times when the best Of men
pass back and forth black lie know
ingly, and act toward each other as
though it were the truth; might not
this sober man have guessed even
from the first my lying role, and yet
determined to trust me and let me play
it out? Such were my thoughts as
spoke and as the man looked at me in
tently yet kindly when 1 had finished
THAT is good plan. Robert" he
said, after a moments thought; then
he added poignantly. But you will
need Dulcine in this. I will call her
and remain in the smoking-room until
you are done" he did not say that he
knew I expected Dulcine; he did not
hint that he had seen Dulcine. Yet he
paved the way easily for our meeting.
There were tears Of gratitude In my
aching eyes as he passed me to go out.
and I found his hand in the skirts OF
his coat and wrung 1t silently. The
pressure he in turn gave me brought
confidence and determination.
Dulcine came in almost as her father
passed out, and stood for a moment In
blank astonishment within that Uttered
room. Without q word (my throat
suddenly became parched) I placed .
chair before the fire and drew away
such garments as lay near It The
girl did not move. I then went to her
unmindful Of the stolid Cossack who
had followed her in. and took hsr
hand
Then / saw she was already IN tears,
and quickly found they were hot and
running fast.
Robert, dear" she said. under my
trembling caresses, tell ma what II In
There is nothing I would not do to
help you."
I drew her to the chair. Each mo-
ment since Dulcine entered my door Z
had felt guiltier than ever before.
had failed everywhere. and I seemed
to be able to do naught but force the
girl whom loved to bear the burden
Of my failure. Now, when the moment
Co.. no 60 O1oa~ hroo - Of