The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-06-09
MANKATO FREE PRESS.

When they passed from the lofty
rooms to the DINNER passages Of the
old castle Etta's spirits visibly drop
ped her interest slackened. He told
her of tragedies enacted in bygone
times-such ancient tales of violent
death and broken hearts as attach
themselves to gray stone walls and
dungeon keeps. She only half listen
ed, for her mind was busy with the
splendors they had left behind. with
the purposes to which such spIendors
could be turned. And the sum total
Of her thoughts was gratified vanity.
81 am glad your grandfather brought
French architects here and built the
modern SIDE" she said. "These rooms
are, of course. very interesting, but
gloomy-horribly gloomy. Paul.
"All the same I like these rooms"
answered Paul. "Steinmetz and l used
to live entirely on this side Of the
house. This is the smoking room. We
shot those bears and all the deer
That is VOLTS head. He killed n
keeper before finished him off,"
"And how did you finish him offT'
she asked.
81 choked him. That bear knocked
me down. but Steinmetz shot him. We
were four days out in the open after
that elk. This is lynx-a queer face
rather like De Chauxville. The dogs
killed him."
"But why do you not paper the
ROOM" asked Eta, with shiver, Gin
stead of this gloomy paneling? 1t is
so mysterious and creepy. Quite sug-
gestive of secret passages"
''There are no secret passages" an
swered Paul. "But there is a room
behind here. This is the door. I will
show it to you presently. l have
things in there l want to show you. l
keep all my medicines aIfd appliances
in there. 1t is our secret surgery and
Office. In that,room the Charity league
was organized" "a. 30 ..a.
Eta turned away suddenly and went
to the narrow window, where she sat
Eon a low window seat, looking down
into the snowclad depths.
81 did not know you were a doc
tor" she said.
81 doctor the peasants" replied Paul,
'in q rough and ready way. I took
my degree on purpose. But Of course
they do not know that it is 1. They
think am a doctor from Moscow.
put on an old coat and wear a scarf.
SO that they cannot see my face. 1
only go to them at night. 1t would
never do for the government to know
that we attempt to do good to the
peasants. We have to keep it a Sc
cret even from the people themselves.
And they hate us. They groan and
boot WISH we drive through the vii
lage. But they never attempt to do us
any harm. They are too much afraid
Of u.s."
Paul showed her his simple stores of
medicine-the old coat saturated with
disinfectants which had become the
recognized outward sign of the Mos
COW doctor.
'And do other people. other noble
men, try to do this sort of thing too?''
asked Eta at length.
"Catrina Lanovitch does,' replied
Paul. She-she found me out, con-
found herr
Eta had risen: she was looking curl
ously at the cupboard where Paul's in.
fected clothes were hanging. He had
forbidden her to go near it. She turn
ed and looked at him.
"Found you out! How?" she asked
with queer smile.
"Saw through my disguise"
"Yes, she would do that" said Eta
aloud to herself.
pause.
at leads to an inner room." replied
Paul, where Steinmetz usually
works" u
He passed in front of her and open
ed the door, AS he was doing so Eta
went on in the train of her thoughts:
$50 Catrina knows?'
eyes"
sand no one else"
Paul made no answer. for he had
passed on into the smaller room, where
Steinmetz was seated at a writing
table
Except, of course, Herr Steinmetz?'
Eta went on interrogatively.
Madame" said the German. look
ing up with his pleasant smile. 81 know
everything" .
And he went on writing.