Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-31
ALADDIN Of LONDON
lcHAPTER x. Continued

Copyright 1907 by Max Peberton, all rights reserved

come. The suggestion that he should
should adopt into his own house
youth of whom he knew nothing seem
ed in keeping with the circumstances
of this dread encounter and the pen
atty that must be paid for 1t. After
all. 1t was but a small piece to pay
for comparative security and the
silence of a tongue which could work
such i'll. Accustomed to deal with
men of all natures, honest and simple,
clever and foolish, secretive and
loquacious, there ran in his mind the
desperate idea that he would temper
ize with Paul BorisAoff and ultimately
destroy him. Let the Russian Gov
eminent be informed of the activity OF
this Pole and of his intention to visit
the Continent of Europe again, and
what were Boriskoff's chances? Such
were the treacherous thoughts which
stood in Gessner's mind while he franz
ed an answer which should avert the
final hour of reckoning and give him
that opportunity for the counter-stroke
which might yet save ALI
"Your youth will profit little in my
house." he said with some pretense OF
earnestness. Had you asked an
education abroad for him. that would
have been wiser thing in these days.
Frankly. I do not understand your
motive, but am none the less willing
to humor it. Let me know something
more of the lad, let me have his
history and then shall be able to
say what is the best course. live a
very quiet life and my daughter Is
much away. There is the possibility
also tnat the boy, If he be the son Of.
a clergyman, would do much better at
stead, as you yourself must see. Let
be time enough"
The time is today" rejoined Bor-
iskoff. firmly, "Alban Kennedy will live
under your roof as your own son. I
have considered the mater and am
determined upon it. When the time
comes for him to marry my daughter,
I will inform you Of 1t. Understand,
he knows nothing of your story or of
mine He will not near Of me In my
absence from England. leave the
burden of this to you. He is proud
lad and will accept no charity. 1t must
be your task to convince him that he
has a title to your benevolence. Be
wise and act discreetly. Our future
acquisitions will depend upon your con,
duct of this affair-and God help you,
Maxim Gogol, if you fall in It.
Something of the fanatic almost Of
the mailman, spoke in this vehement
utterance. If Gessner had been ut
terly at loss as yet to account for
a request SO unusual, he now began to
perceive in it the instrument Of his
own humiliation. Would not this
stranger be a perpetual witness to the
hazard Of his life, son who stood
also as a hostage, the living voice Of
Paul Boriskoff's authority? And what
Of his own daughter Anna and of the
story he must tell her? These facts
he realized clearly but had no answer
to them. The reluctant assent, wrung
from MS unwilling lips, was the
promise of man who stood upon the
brink of ruin and must answer as his
accusers wished or pay the ultimate
penalty. All his common masterful-
ness. the habit of autocracy, the anger
of the bully and the tyrant trembled
before the clear cold eyes of this man
ne had wronged He must answer or
pay the price, humiliate himself or
suffer.
And tonight Alban Kennedy slept
beneath his roof; the bargain had
been clinched, the word spoken
Twenty thousand pounds had ne paid
to Paul Boriskoff that morning for
the education of his daughter and in
part satisfaction of the ancient claim
But the witness of his degradation had
come to him and must remain.
Aye, and there the strife Of 1t be.
gan. When he put detectives upon the
lads path, had him followed from
Union street to the caves and from tne
caves to his place of employment, the
report came to him that he was
interesting himself in cal1ous ne'er.
do-well. the friend of rogues and vaga
bonds, the companion Of sluts, the
despair of the firm which employed
him. He had expected something Of
the kind, but the seeming truth dis.
mayed him. In second Interview
with Boriskoff he used all ais best
powers Or argument and entreaty to
effect a compromise He would send
the Lad to the university, have him
educated abroad, establish him In
chambers-do anything, in fact but
that which the memorable Pole de
manded of him. This he protested
with humility quite foreign to him
and an earliestness which revealed the
depth of the indignity he suffered;
but Boriskoff remained infexible.
Il am determined upon it," was the
harsh retort; ''the boy shall be as q
link between us. Keep him from this
nell in which he has lived and will
set SO much to your credit. I warn
you that you have difficult task. Dc
not fail in it as you value your owr
safety"
The manner of this reply left Cess
ner no alternative, and he sent Silas
Geary to Whitechapel as we have
seen. A less clever man, perhaps
would have fenced alike with the pro
posal and the threat; but he knew
ais OWL countrymen too well foc thar
Perhans a hops remained that any
kindness showl ~ mis- vagrar, lac
would win back ultimately mas ancien
freedom. Alone in his room thu,
night, single light rebuttins thu
da2kness. be understood into what nj
aoyss OF discovery he had fallea III.