The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-29
CoPyright by
Dodd.
Mead Cd Co.
By a Hairs Breadth n.I - s c. %
A Thrilling of Dealing
Secret Servic
Secret Service
By II 9 a d on Hill


his ground. he struck into the path, which
presently brought him TO an open glade
surrounded on all sides by thick under
growth. In the center a marble faun
cleaned white in the twilight, and several
other paths converging the circular
space gave II the character OF the heart
or a maze.
Convinced now that he had found the
place he sought. he drew back a pace or
two into the path by which he had APP
a-ungle, siX-foot bodyguardsman though
he was, and he started at the slightest
sound. a squirrel running across the glade
caused him to mop his damp brow, with
hardly restrained imprecation on his own
fears. But the moments sped by, and peer
as he might down the dark aisles of the
opposite pathways, nothing came 10 break
the monotony of his suspense.
II had not seen their majeStieS enter
! their apartments, and with my own ears
| heard them say they should remain there,
! i. could bear this no longer" he told him.
self at the end of a quarter of an hour.
And then In the obscurity of one OF the
| converging paths-not in front, but run
ming into the glade at right angles TO him
| "a twig cracked. A moment later Olga
Palatzin sauntered slowly into the open,
and stood clear-cut figure in maiZe-color
! looking towards the path exactly opposite
Boris. She was quite alone she stood
/ under the statue, but-ominous sound
again a twig cracked in the leafy alley
whence she had come.
| Suddenly, while the aid-de-camp watched
with eXpectant eyes the woman who had
| IOOieO him. MS gaze was caught by a
simmer of white in the path opposite and
| moment later his heart stood still Adj
Vancing careleSsly into the glade from the
! gloom of the pathway, two figures strolled
/ arnl-ln-arm-two hgureS whose familiar
/ garb turned him sick with horror-the
/ long gray overcoat and astrakhan cap of
| the Tsar. and the white dress covered with
| fawn-colored dust-cloak which the EN-
| press had worn that Gay. left no doubt in
! his mind that Fortescue had made a terri
! bic mistake in trusting to the permanence
/ n N tom ions ThAiV ofnCf icC
must have come out, after all, for a quiet
| walk in the park before the functions of
| the evening, and were running straight
| into heaven only knew what ambush of
| their ruthless enemies.
Boris was no coward, and with the need
! for action came calnlness. He saw Olga
| step forward and cast herself on her knees;
| he saw the gray-coated form start back
| as though in surprise; and he had only
! begun to see four other figures gliding to-
! wards the group whose attention was then
! held, when with a wild curse that he was
not wearing his sword he found that he was
| half way across the glade, interposing his
! threatened pair. There was a CLEAN Of
] knives simultaneous rush from behind,
and Boris went down stabbed in the chest
! by Serjov, just as Volborth and a dozen
| police spies, French and Russian, threw
| themselves on the conspirators. 1t was all
! over in five seconds. Olga Palitzin and her
! followers were overpowered and taken.
Bareheaded and pale to the lips Volborth
| came forward.
Thank God that your majesties are
safe" he faltered. I'VE have had these
| people under observation all day, and fol-
lowed them hither in no thought that your
maJesties were anywhere than in the
chateau. Restofski had orders not to let
you out Of his sight. L cannot under
stand"
But the stately woman in the dust-cloak
was on her knees by the stricken man,
| staunching his wound with her handker-
chief and sobbing bitterly The long gray
overcoat and the astrakhan coat of her
companion were being tossed on to the
grass.
Let us see to this brave man who has
proved his loyalty said Fortescue kneel-
| ing at lima Vassiis side. II wanted him
to have his chance, but 1 did not think
that you would cut it quite so fine as to
let them get their knives home, Paul.
The notes placed at the disposal of the
compiler by NJ. Volborth contain no refer
ence to his personal view of the trick
played upon him by his English friend. In
fact, they conclude somewhat abruptly at
this point with the curt statement that the
| arrested Nihilists were secretly deported
to Russia, extradition proceedings being
| foregone by a private arrangement with
the French authorities. But as the official
! known in these pages as Paul Volborth
was recently seen dining at the Cafe Royal
| in Regent street with Spencer Fortescue,
both of them being very merry, it is plain
| that their intimacy was mistaken.
1t would have been singular had it been
otherwise, for the forcing of the hand OF
the Section by Fortescue certainly re-
number, Volborth himself included The
personation of the Tsar and Tsarina by the
attache and lima relieved the Third Section
of most of its cares during the short re-
mainder OF the tour; since, with the lead
ers of the plot all in custody. there was
neither time nor material to form a new
combination. And owing TO the prompt
measures taken by Volborth in concertine
secrecy, the alarming news of the assault
in the park was kept from the Empress
The Tsar himself and the chief of staff
were alone Informed that Captain DubroW-
skis wound was gained in the gallant de-
Tense of an Englishman and of Mademoi-
selle Nassii, he in common with the as
sailants having been mised by a strange
similarity of attire into the belief that the
gray coat and the dust-cloak covered the
imperial persons. Taking the will for the
who would have given his life for his
sovereign: and Boris, struggling back to
life in Fortescue's lodgings in Paris. was
gladdened with the intimation of his ap-
pointment as a major in the Guards.
But the Tsar's present favor was nc
guarantee of immunity from VoIborth's
future revelations and Fortescue was still
in doubt whether he had gained all the
objects of his friendly scheme. The first
and TO him the most important-the re.
moval of the danger that was bangine
the NihilistS as a natural consequence; YET
Dubrowski's safety was no more secured
| IMAM was Ine latter RECOMMENDATION with
lima. And that reconciliation had been one
of the principal motives of Fortescue'
action. In enlisting 1lma's cooperation
he had solely in view the probability thai
Boris would behave well and thereby re-
gain the forfeited respect of his fiancee
to which end he had not told the maid
of-honor that Boris was to be present a
| the arrest. The wound was unrehearseC
effect which he had left out of his calcula.
tions believing that the police would b,
too quick TO make the aid-de-camp's actua
l into - ND -frrt,<
heavy upon him that he had not insisted
upon Boris wearing mail like lima anC
himself.
Therefore. not wishing to lose the frui
of his diplomacy, the day after the affa
at Versailles he dispatched two letters
|, | one TO Laura at Blairgeldie, whom he hat
already apprised of the arrest by tele
gram; and another to lima. who had gon
|, to Darmstadt with the Empress. To Vol
, boTth there was no need TO write, since h
had remained in Paris to attend TO hi
| prisoners. From Laura he had n repl,
by return post but by the morning of tn
) seventh day no answer had come from
) lima. Voiborth had called every day an,
, Fortescue was not altogether pleased wit
his visits. They reminded him of the police
man who sits by the hospital bed to watcl
the battered burglar.
) How is he this morning." asked Vol
/ borth, looking in for the seventh tim
) as the sick mans host was making a lat
breakfast. while the nursing sister tende
! her charge in the inner room.
r mot of much account the sister SAYS
, was the reply. ''Sit down and join me-
expect a friend of yours presently"
Volborth asked the necessary question
? with his eyebrows.
oil III