Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-01
Synopsis of Preceding Chapters

Three strangers hnd themselves waiting outside the
gates Of London mansion late cold night In Fep,
That point at II o'clock They lord Francis ores
sngham, Count Ludwig Won Oeltjen and an Austrian
whose real identity is not revealed but who Is called
Prince Carlos After hours delay they are admitted
and ushered into the presence Of fourth stran'
ger TO all the others, who introduces himself as Per'
CORD He displays wonderful knowledge of the person
aly Of the trio. and tells them that he has devoted
many years Of his life to the suppression Of Nlnnsm
re had been arrested in the crowd surrounding hussas
on when the latter threw the bomb which killed Al
etander H. Perigord was sent to Siberia and was re-
leased only after bringing powerful Influences to pear
Whle In prison he learned many things about persons
IN nigh official life, and resolved to make use OF tne
information In fight agunst Nlhilsm should ne e,er
be so fortunate to he released. The nnermost CIR
Gle Of the Nihstc movement he discovered. was com
posed Of three men, Kathern Viyella the countess Oh
Hobensten Ia the daughter Of one Of these tine wiz
OF another and the mistress Of the third Ihosc
at the house Of Pergord pressed rather unwlnsy
into the service sthe host Cressingham is assigned
the task Of ascertainng the identity of the lady a
en- The Austrian is told to get the name OF ner
and Won 0etjen is given verbal to be denver
cd to the Chief of Police of Paris by which ns,c
attempt the life of the French President VIII ne ue
frustrated The Countess makes her appearance at inc
house Of Miss Francis Elliott, on whom she has caheu
while Miss Elliott is entertaining Captain Letnoy;
cousin and rejected suitor Lord VINO nus
also been cast aside by the young woman, mas aeco
panied the Countess, takes occasion TO remain hi
Kaherns departure and for the purpose OF warning iIe
young girl to beware Of the charming countess "nlo
the girl resens. After leaving Miss Eiliotts the GVun
tess sends message by Lethby to Crcssingham IeaGus
Expect me at twelve" At that hour veieu iauy
Is ushered into the place. 1t not the Countess put
Miss Elliott. 100.
Miss Elliott came to warn cressingham Of Nihist
plot to kill him. While visiting sick person In Soho
she overheard conversation and learned tnat tney
were to lure him into the very house where sne sooo
stab him and bury his body in the cellar The KNOCK
Of the Countess is heard and he is obliged to secree
Miss Elliott in adjoining room, there being no otner
means of disposing of her. The Countess Is Admitted
and the meeting, in which her relations with Loru
Cressngham Enthusiastically revealed is witnessed not
only by Miss Elliott by Van Oeltjen, who has been
directed by Pergord up his residence with cress
ingham In order to spy his movements DRESSING
ham in his meeting with the Countess repulses her au
but what passes the surely betrays
the relationship which has existed. He taxes her WIN
nfdey She falls into the trap and explains that the only
thing which could hold her open to suspicion was meet
ing with her father who called at her house and was
shown out early in the morning She does not however
reveal her fathers identity After the departure of the
Countess, Cressingham explains to Miss Elliott that he
is victim of circumstances which he has no con-
troll and that he is not bad she might think. He
says his former affection still exists for Miss Elliott but
is unable to shake the Countess of. In view Of what
she has Witnessed she refuses to allow him to see her
home, but he lifts her into carriage which he has
summoned, he makes final protestation OF love and
she significantly slips from his finger ring which she
had formerly but had returned 1t only ashort time
before As the carriage drives off Cressingham noticed
that 1t followed by two suspicious looking men,
When be called at her house the next day not
yet returned. In his anxiety about Miss Eotts dsap-
pearance Lord Cressngham neglected to keep engage
ment with the Countess and after waiting the
seeks him at his late at night. Van oetjen is
present when she enters and she explains that
called to say goodby she must go to Vienna to see
her father, who is very i'll. After Van Oeltjen leaves
she implores Cressingham to accompany her. This he
declines to do. When taxed by Van Oeltjen upon the
loss Of opportunity to the information the
father Of the Countess Cressngham explains that he
could not leave until the mystery of Miss Elliott had
been cleared MP. Van oejen greets this information
with delight because he has regarded Cress
ngham as successful rival for the affections of Kath
erin The men are at loss to know how to act In the
emergency which confronts them Perigord should be
here, said of them. At that instant the latter ap
pears in the doorway, half carrying the servant who
had undertaken to stop him. Perigord says that the
girl has been kidnapped In mistake for the Countess and
that the object of getting the Countess of the way
was the fear that she would divulge her secrets to
Cressingham.