Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-06-08
CHAPTER XXXvI.

"Good night" he said and went out.
( CHAPTER XXXVI.
T daybreak the next morning
IA Karl Steinmetz was awakened
I by the familiar cry of the wolf
4 u beneath his window. BE rose
and dressed hastily. The eastern sky
was family pink; a ROXY twilight
moved among the pines. He went
downstairs and opened the little door
at the back Of the castle.
It was the starosta, shivering and
bleached in the chilly dawn.
"They have watched my cottage, ex-
cellency, all night. 1t was only now
that 1 could get away. There are two
strange sleighs outside Domensky's
hut There are marks of many sleighs
that have been and gone. Excellency,
It is unsafe for any one to venture out
side the castle today. You must send
to Tver for the soldiers"
1.-THE prince refuses to do that"
But why, excellency? We shall be
killed"
"You do not know the effect Of pla-
tooD firing on q closely packed mob,
s~tarosta. The prince does," replied
Steinmetz, with his grim smile.
They spoke together in hushed voices
for half an hour, while the daylight
crept up the eastern sky. Then the
starosta stole away among the still
larches, like the wolf whose cry he
initiated so perfectly.
The day passed as such days do
Eta was not the woman to plead a
conventional headache and remain hid
den. She came down to breakfast and
during that meal was boldly converse.
tional.
They were completely shut in. Nc
news from the outer world penetrated
to the little party besieged within
their own stone walls. Maggie, fear
less and innocent, announced her in
tention Of snowshoeing, but was dis
suaded therefrom by Steinmetz with
covert warnings.
During the morning each was occu
pied in individual affairs. At luncheon
time they met again. Eta was now
almost defiant. She was on her met
tie. She was SO near to loving Pau
that a hatred Of him welled up within
her breast whenever he repelled he
advances with uncompromising reti
cence.
They did not know-perhaps she
hardly knew herself-that the opening
Of the side door depended upon he
humor.
In the afternoon Eta and Maggie
sat, as was their wont, in the morn
ing room looking out over the cliff. OF
late their intercourse had been slightly
strained. They had never had much il
common, although circumstances haC
thrown their lives together.
At dusk Steinmetz went out. He ha(
an appointment with the starosta.
Paul was sitting in his OWL room
making a pretense Of work, about {
o'clock, when Steinmetz came hurried
~ to him.
ga new development" he said short
ly. Come to my ROOM"
SteinmetZ's large room vas lighted
only by a lamp standing on tie table
All the light was thrown on the desl
by a large green shade, leaving thu
rest of the room in a semidarkness.
: At the far end Of the room a maj
was standing in an expectant attitude
, There was something furtive abou
this intruder, and at the same time ia
: miliar to Paul, who peered at hin
: through the gloom.
Then the man came hurriedly for
> ward.
J. "Ah, Pavlo, Pavlo" he said in
: deep, hollow voice. II could not expec
you to know me-"
He threw his arms around him ant
> embraced him after the simple name
! of Russia. Then he held him at arm
: length.
"Stepanw said Paul. "No, l did no
know you"
Stepan Lanovitch was still holdin;
him at arms length, examining hin
with the large faint blue eyes whicl
SO often go with an exaggerated phi
lanthropy.
: "Old," he muttered, "old! All, m.
: poor Pavlo! I heard in Kiev-yo1
know how we outlaws hear such thing
!. that you were in trouble, so ! cam
to you"
Steinmetz in the background raise
his patient eyebrows.
"There are two men In the world.
went on the voluble Lanovitch, "wh'
> can manage the moujiks of Tver-yo,
and l. 30 ! came. will help you