Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26

| ton, for all those who were aiding I'm the
search had drawn near.
Won't you even let us see it7" asked
Lord birmingham. pleasantly.
Prince Boris inflated his huge chest with a
deep breath and partially regained his self
control. ut is forbidden he said, with q
| nervous laugh: but the occasion is UNIQUE
Nevertheless. IT must not leave my possess
| sion a second time"
He opened his hand, which was curiously
long and shapely for such giant OF a man.
The opal lay lengthwise across the PALM
Armstrong noted that. whether by chance
or design, the engraved side of the stone
was hidden.
Every one crowded around to look at an
ornament which the Russian magnate priced
| so exceedingly. Perhaps its delicate coIors
depended on the stones semi-transparency
when held so that 1t was surrounded by
| light, for certainly 1t seemed to Armstrong
| that 1t did not shine so resplendently against
the white. we'll manicured hand of its owner
Cunningham. who alone of the other by
ISLANDERS knew Melnikoff personally. voiced
what appeared to be the general opinion
when he said: We'll, IL is a very pretty
| thing; but don't see why you should make
The prince smiled. He momentarily was
becoming careless and easy-going in man
ner; there was something of the normal nom
chalance in his voice. Some people credit
the opal with magical properties" he said.
Others, who are superstitious, call It I'M
lucky. For me, its value is wholly senti-
mental"
With that he put It in his pocket and the
throng gradually dispersed. MelnikoH want
ed to find the police engaged in beating the
underground of the wood He still was
wishful to stop any further investigation by
the authorities. Cunningham assured him
that the English law demanded the closest
inquiry into such an outrage as the throw
ing of bomb. Then the prince yielded the
point.
1--WE are happier in Russia" he said off,
handedly. THE police obey the mobiles.
Here a member of the house of lords Is
merely one of the general public"
You tell that to my mother" grinned the
youngster. land you will hear different
view. Come on, Armstrong, why are you
standing behind that hedge? I will find
some lunch for you"
Il am going straight to town." said Frank,
suddenly.
THE deuce you are! I have no end of
things l want to talk to you about"
Sorry; but cannot remain"
Not all his friends protestations could
shake his resolution. Meet Ermyntrude
again he would not. Moreover he wished
to be alone. By odd trick of memory
VIXEN Prince Boris was speaking of the lin
tless privileges of the Russian grandees a
story he had heard in Saratof of the great
man who lived at Bannofka came back to
him.
A girl, reputedly beautiful had been fog
ged by order of the insulted grandee be-
cause she dared to dispatch a complaint by
post to St. Petersburg. Some bureaucrat
there had sent back the letter to the local
ruler, and the young woman was publicly
knouted. 1t might be this same Prince
Boris Melnikoff who had perpetrated the in
human deed. Armstrong could not tell.
But the thought choked him To see the .
Russian again in the company of the wom-
an he loved was too intolerable to be borne.
Finding him infiexible, Cunningham drove
him to the station. There was no train to
London in nearly an hour. and it was a
slow one at that, so he consented to be
driven to Windsor, where he could catch an
express. They arrived at the Great West
ern station In good time. Walking up and
down the platform with his young compan-
ion, Armstrong, strangely restless, caught
sight of man already seated in third
class carriage.
At first the stranger puzzled him. He was
irritable with himself for giving the Incl
dent moments consideration. In a crowd
ed station why should he pick out a solitary
individual, ensconced behind newspaper,
and seek to recollect where he had seen him
before? He laughed harshly and surprised
his friend by saying:
II shall be heartily glad when my steamer
sails
No explanation of his words was asked for
or given. Some things are better left I'M
said At last he shook hands with CARING
he in oil dad Ot1f M he Sfl i'm,
He lit cigar and resolved to Danish from
his mind the gloom which so steadily en-
yeloped him during these last days of his
residence in England. When man makes
an effort of that sort he generally thinks
harder than ever of the distracting circum-
stance.
Half way to London he awoke with start
to the conviction that the man he saw in
Windsor station was the Russian whom he
met at the Anarchists Club; but clean
shayen barbered trimmed out of all resem-
blance to the hirsute muZhik whom CARING
ham had called picture" At Paddington
he determined to verify this belief. Before
the train came to a standstill he alighted
and ran forward to the third-ciass carriages
in front in one of which he had seen the
heavy broad, bullet-headed man who now
bore some resemblance to a prize fighter.
Yes. he was almost sure ne was right.
The big fellow who numbered out of the
train certainly had the figure OF the Rus
sian Armstrong knew II he could see the
strangers eyes that he would be positive.
He hastily tolu a poTtet W rSsSuo MS port
manteaus from the van and quickened his
mace The other man was about to dive into
the underground passage to Praed street
when Frank tapped him on the shoulder.
"Stoir stop he said.
The man turned and faced him. with q
queer Jerk like an automaton. Armstrong
was certain now.
II want to speak to you." he said coolly.
.'The subject is important. 1t concerns
Prince Boris Menikoff."
(These same chapters will be In The Sun
day Magazine with The Sunday Star.
March 26. and win be continued Sunday,
April p