The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-02-05

SoTrethiug more than 4 mile ana ilS''i
tTaversed more than half of 1t ana was
in the act of turning Il corner when
directly beside me, and quite near, /
saw a flash. was conscious of u 1oud re
port and felt that I had received |
sharp and telling blow on my head
When / was again conscious or my |
surroundings [ was IN my own rooms |
while beside the couch upon which |
had been placed were my valet. & ply |
stefan. and my faithful coadjutor, Tom
Coyle.
Hello, Tom, what's up?" I asked
feebly.
Faith, you'd have been up higher
than you care to go just yet, Dehhie' IL
/ hadn't been drivin wan az me own
cabs this night, OWN to the sudden
death av wan av me min, he repiieo'
1.-The doctor says the bullet didn't hurt
We much, but ye'd have been froze stlff
if | hadn't found We whin / did.
Tell me about it, l commanded.
ssDiyiI bit there is to tell, more
than I've already said. l was goin to
the princess afther me fare whin /
heard a shot. I whit where l heard the
sound and found you. That's all
know
Where did the bullet strike me?"
..Foreninst yer head, Dennie. Yen
have a bald spot there, L m thinkln
But it only broke the skin and hit We a
welt that made ye see stars this cloudy
night Now I'm goin'. Maybe I'll have
| Il report for you Whin l come back
! There's snow enough. The blackguafd
ought to have left some tracks
There is a spot on the back of the
head where a very slight blow will
bring about insensibilty, and it was ex-
actly on that spot that the bullet had
struck me. taking off a little hair and
| skim but otherwise doing no damage;
| but I could not help connecting the at
| tempt on my life with the experiences
of the night; in other words, with the
woman whose guest / had been and
| whose secrets I had overheard.
| Almost unconsciously l had cherished
a feeling of the utmost charity for her
| until the moment, but the accident
changed All that, for / had not a doubt
in my mind that it was by her order
that somebody had made the attempt
| to assassinate me.
After a few hours sleep I felt as
we'll as ever, and before the time to
make my call upon the princess / paid
a visit to Jean Moret. I have neglected
to say THAI the only letter he had sent
away since his Imprisonment was one
to his mother, from whom he had re-
CeiSSu ItplE fit0t tSfSSt ltiiohSi JIG
of my agents, and in explanation of his
reluctance to send more, he had said:
1T is better that the rest of the
world should think me dead
Concerning the woman who had in
duced him to ally himself with the Nj
hilists he had never made a remark.
Now when 1 entered the room where
he was confined, I said:
Why is it, Moret, that you have
)
my promise that you could write and
send Ietters?"
There is no one with whom l care
to communicate he replied.
Not even with the princess?"
With what princess2' he asked
t calmly
t '.OIga de Echeveria' .
, Il do not know her.
No? She knows YOU"
Indeed! 1t is honor to be known
by a princess.
Il have it from her own lips that she
is responsible for your presence in the
palace
Then surely there is no need to in
I terview me the subject"
/ she was told in my presence thai
e you were dead. Would you net like Il
5 hear what she said in reply?"
e ''If you care IS Tell me-
''She said that II was better so; tina
4 if you lived you would have betrayed al
I lyour Notwithstanding her; that, in fact
[ you were more fool than knave.''
n She is not complimentary; but as
h do not know her. it makes no differ
ence.'
O You will not discuss hero
81 would If I could, but l do not know
q her monsieur"
o We'll, Moret, I like your loyalty, ever
y to one who used you as mere tool, am
= is now reJoieed to learn that you ar
! dead and out of her way, with the dan
gerous secrets that you possess. l an
going TO her as soon as / leave you
: perhaps she will talk about you again.
He bowed his head. but made no re
ply; but l could see beads of sweat upo
) mis- forehead, which betrayed the menta
y anguish he was enduring. I knew tina
3 it was far worse than physical torture
and as there was nothing to gain b
II prolonging it, l withdrew.
n In another half hour / was announce
|. TO the princess.
1t She received me in a diminutive howe
l. of Oriental luxury. Fer decorativ
If tastes were decidedly Eastern and laV
> ishiy extravagant She knew how t
II arrange a room with the object CT stea
lie ing away a mans reserve.
n, phere of well chosen surrounding
III which intoxicates judgment and nIui
ders dfscretion-whieh mars reason q
the threshold and generates madness
e thought and deed beyond it.
g Scion in the princess drawing ROOF
might become a puppet in her cabinei
Jove would have degenerated to
IS Herrnes, or Mars have cast away h
shield for the wings of Apollo. TO ente
is it was like awaking from a vivid dreal
l. of battle to find the soft arms of loy
Of around you. and to feel the lethargy
te infinite content.
a Add to this the personality of tt
is Princess Olga her half hesitatfng 5ni
1t of welcome. in which pleasure and drea
were equally mingled; suffuse her fae
c. with quick blush, and instantly T.
place it with a touch of pail0r: rend'
If her manner, with Il suggestion,
hauteur. softened by a gesture of tin
idity and doubt; listen to her voice, 10
al toned and infinitely calm. yet EibrltiT