Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-06-01

his broad head upon the palm of his
hand. his two elbows on the table.
Paul lever moved. Steinmetz waited.
At length Paul moved. He turned
and, coming toward the table, laid his
hand on Steinmetz's broad shoulder.
"Are you sure of it," he asked in n
voice that did not sound like his own
at all. a hollow voice like that of an
old man.
"Quite. I have it from Stepan Lano.
vitch-from the princess herself"
They remained thus for a moment.
Then Paul withdrew his hand and
walked slowly to the window.
"Tell me-" he said, show she did it."
Steinmetz was playing with the quill
pen again.
1T was an organized plan between
husband and wife," he said. 'Bambor-
ough turned up at Thors and asked for
q nights lodging on the strength Of a
very small acquaintance. he stole the
papers from Stepan's study and took
them to Tver, where his wife was
waiting for them. She took them on to
Paris and sold them to Vassili. BAN
borough began his journey eastward,
knowing presumably that he could not
escape by the western frontier, but lost
his way on the steppe. You remember
the mar whom we picked up between
here and Tver with his face all cut to
pieces? He had been dragged by the
stirrup. That was Sydney Bambor-
ough. The good God had hit back
quickly"
"How long have you known this?"
asked Paul, in a queer voice.
II saw it suddenly in the princess
face one day in Petersburg-a sort of
revelation. I read it there. and she saw
me reading. I should have liked to
keep 1t from you, for your sake as we'll
as for hers. This might have been n
Of them. But De i.tuNviile found it
out, and it is better That l should tell
you than be-"
"Of course" said Paul, after a long
pause, II have been a great fool. I
know that. But
He turned and looked at Steinmetz
with haggard eyes.
"But 1 would rather go on being a
fool than suspect any one Of a decep-
ton like this"
Paul walked slowly to the chair he
usually occupied opposite to Steinmetz
at the writing table. He walked and
sat down as If he had Travelled a long
distance.
"What is to be done?' asked Stein
metz.
81 do not know. l do not think that
1t matters much. What do you recon-
mend?"
There is so much to be DONE" an
swered Steinmetz, chat it is difficult
to know what to do first. We must
not forget that De Chauxville is furi-
GUS. He will do all the harm of which
he is capable at once. We must not
forget that the country is in a state of
%smoldering revolt and that we have
two women, two English ladies, in
trusted to our care"
Paul moved uneasily in his chair.
His companion had struck the right
note. This large man was happiest
when he was firing himself out.
Eyes; but about Etta?" he said,
And the sound Of his voice made
Steinmetz vince. There is nothing so
h%eartrending as the sight Of dumb suf-
fering.
"You must see her" answered he re-
fectively. "You must see her, Of
course. She may be able to explain"
"She cannot explain away Stepan
Lanovitch's ruined life. She can hard
ly explain away a thousand deaths
from unnatural causes every winter in
this province alone"
This was what Steinmetz dreaded.
justice.
"Give her the opportunity" he said.
Paul was looking out of the window.
His %singularly firm mouth vas still
and quiet. not a mouth for explana-
tons.
II will if you like" he said.
II do like. Paul. l beg of you to do
it. And remember that-she is not a
man."
This. like other appeals of the same
nature, fell on stony ground, Paul sim
ply did not understand it. In all the
years of his work among the peasants
it is possible that some %wellspring of
conventional charity had been dried
up, scorched in the glare Of burning in
justice. He was not at this moment in
a mood to consider the only excuse
that Steinmetz seemed to be able to
urge.
The u had set long ago. The short
twilight lay over the snow covered
land with a chill hopelessness. Stein.
metz looked at his watch. They had
been together an hour, one of those
hours that count as years in a lifetime
He had to peer into the face Of the
watch in order to see the hands. The
was almost dark, and no servant
ever came to it unless summoned.
"We must dress for dinner" said
Steinmetz. "Afterward-well, after.
ward we shall see"
"Yes," answered Paul. And he did
not go.
II do not want you to Think he SAID