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

"Ah, Paul. you are the very man. ex-
claimed the aid-de-camp. Your good ma
ture Will allow you to serve an unfortunate
slave to duty. Here / have written tele-
gram which | should myself despatch were
free. Will you. my dear friend. take 1t to
the Office on the Borscnplatz and fill in
form and send 1t for me?''
Volborth, beaming a genial assent,
stretched out his hand for the paper; but
before he had grasped 1t. though his greedy
eyes had noticed the address and the
words, Review postponed till tomorrow,
in the body of the telegram, lima Vassii
glided between them.
Why, trouble Monsieur volborth, Bor-
is?'' said the girl quietly. Il am going out
be pleased to do this business for YOU"
Politely bowling, Volborth stood aside
with the air of being agreeable to either
course as in truth he was, for he had sue
ceSsfully applied his test and had ascer-
tanned by it that Dubrowski was keeping
his promise TO communicate changes or
programme to Olga Palitzin. But for Du-
browsh himself the situation was diff
hcult one, and he colored to the roots of
his hair. 1t would be churlish to refuse
the service proffered by lima, who was
an outrage TO ask her to despatch a tele-
gram from him to her rival.
"A thousand thanks-to both of YOU
he stammered; "but ON second thoughts I
will not send the telegram at ALL" And
tearing the paper, he thrust the pieces into
the breast of his tunic and abruptly quilted
the salon..
The effect of his abrupt departure was
that Volborth and lima were left confront
ing each other, the maid of honor looking
slightly flushed and triumphant, the police
agent bland and smiling. Volborth was at
a loss to account for her demeanor, but he
had no intention Of remaining SO. Neither
OF them knew for certain yet but each
suspected that the little scene just enacted
was the commencement of duel between
them, and lima was under the impression
that by preventing him from taking the
telegram she had scored the first hit. Like
a true woman. she so far forgot caution
as to try to rub it in
II believe you are disappointed at not
being able TO run that errand for Captain
Dubrowski," she said with a trace of de-
fiance.
Ion the contrary, mademoiselle, I re-
joice to be relieved of it, Volborth replied
suavely. MY time is valuable to me, and,
judging by his destruction of the telegram
that it was not important, l am spared an
unnecessary trip to the Borsenplatz. True,
it may have been of more Importance to the
intended recipient, but to oblige her l am
not concerned"
A deft pass-with feminine jealousy for
the blade-and it struck home.
Herr exclaimed lima 'You-you saw
the address, Them
Yes. 1 caught the name. 1t was the
Princess Palitzin, at Petersburg.
lima bit her ripe red lips till the blood
came but Volborth had no scruples about
giving pain when ii suited his purpose. and.
noting her discontinue. he pursued his adj
vantage.
Possibly" he added, that fact created
the dilemma from which Captain burrows
XII extricated himself so clumsily just
now"
His end was gained. He had made her
Il do not understand you, monsieur" re-
torted lima holly. IF you insinuate that
l offered to take the telegram because
desired to- embarass Captain Dubrowsh,
you simply insult me. / had very differ
ent reason" With which she swept away
to the other end of the apartment.
'You are a clever woman. Mademoiselle
lima" said volborth to himself, as he
looked after her. ""But, though 1 do not
as yet see what you are playing for, L had
mistaking the genuine ring in that indigna-
ton, and ii told me at least that jealousy
OF the Palftzin was not the cause OF your
eagerness to take that telegram from him.
/ must think this out. my dear young
lady. / imagine that you are about to
become potent factor in our complica-
TONS"
He left the extraordinarily half-deserted
by the members of the suite-and sought
his own room, where he pulled chair to
the window, and lighting a cigarette sat
and gazed al the now dispensing crowds
in the Ringstrasse. Not till seven brown
stumps lay in the ash-tray at his elbow
did he arrive at solution that at all salts
fled him.
rose and paced the floor ''She loves him
despite his treatment of her. and, suspect
Ing, that | am of the Section, she must have
been sharp enough to attribute the
changed duty-roster to my Vaccinations
In that case, her anxiety was not TO get
the telegram for her own purposes. but to
prevent me from getting 1t for mime
But then in partial refutation of this
theory, the thought occurred that, even il
lima knew for certain that he was police
agent. she would not have credited him
with a special interest in Boris Dubrowsk
unless she had reason to believe that her
faithless lover deserved such interest II
seemed incredible that she should have
found such reason.
Unless a neglected woman's watchfu
eyes have discovered something that has
escaped mine and that is at least possible,
he reflected. IF that is so, her action may
have a more serious meaning. She may
have wished not only to save Dubrowski
but to prevent some design in which she
believes him to be- Implicated.
Twist il he would, he could come to nc
definite conclusion. and. putting the matter
from him for the moment, he went out
and taking a facre, drove to the police
Office where he sat till late in the after
noon receiving the reports of the Austrian
and Russian detectives who were searching
the city for Anna Tchigorin. His lieuten-
ant Restofski. was the last to appear
with news of complete failure.
1.-The one consolation is that We have
got through the day without an event,
he said. The agents who have been in
personal attendance at Lainz have noticed
nothing suspicious. His Majesty has Just