The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-05-21

met"
"EnglishY,
Net
"ItalianY'
Net
"German?9
.Da.,
Then, continued Lermontoff in Ger,
man, 4 desire to say few words TO
you which / don't wish this jaller 10
understand. l am Prince Ivan Ler.
montoff, a personal friend of the cars,
who, after all, is master of the grand
dukes aud the navy also. If you will
help to put ME into communication
with him. l viii guarantee that no
harm comes TO you and, furthermore,
win make you a rich man.
The governor slowly shook his head.
What you ask Is impossible. Riches
are nothing to me. Bribery may do
much in other parts of the empire, but
1t is powerless in the Trogzmondoff.
shall die in the room adjoining this, as
my predecessor died. l am quite as
much prisoner in the Trogzmondoff
as Is your highness. No man who has
once set foot in this room either as
governor. employee or prisoner is al
lowed to see the mainland again, and
thus the secret has been well kept.
We have had many prisoners of equal
rank with your hlghness, friends of
the car, too, dare say, but they all
died on the rock and were buried in
the Baltic"
May | not be permitted to receive
certain supplies II pay for them?
That is allowed in other prisons
Tie governor shook his head.
Il can let you have a blanket" he
said, land a pillow or sheepskin II
you find it cold at first, but my power
here is very limited, and, us tell you,
the officers have little more comfort
than the prisoners
"0h, don't care anything about
comfort" protested Lermontoff. "What
want is some scientific apparatus.
am student OF science. have moth
ing TO do with politics and have never
been implicated in any plot. Some
one in authority has made stupid
mistake, and SO am here. This mis-
take l am quite certain VIII be dis
covered and remedied. / hold no
malice and VIII say nothing OF the
place once : am free. 1t is no bust
ness of mine. But / do not wish TO
have the intervening time wasted. |
should like TO buy some electrical ma
chinery and materials. for which am
willing to pay any price that is asked"
"Do you understand electricity?'
| questioned The governor, and for the
first time his impassive face showed
glimmer Of interest.
DO understand electricity: Why.
for over a year have been chief cleo
trician on n warship'
Perhaps then" said the governor.
relapsing into Russian again. "you can
tell me what is wrong with our dyna-
mo here In the rock. After repeated
requlsltlon they sent machinery for
| lighting our offices and passages with
electricity. They apparently did not
care TO send an electrician to the
Trogzmondof, but forwarded instead
some books of instruction. have been
working at 1t for two years and haif.
but am still using oil lamps and
candles. We wired the place without
difficulty" He held up the candle and
showed, depending from the ceiling, a
chandelier of electric lamps which
Lermontoff had not hitherto noticed,
various brackets and one or two stand
lamps In a corner. with green silk Gov
cred wire attached.
May / see your dynamo?' asked
Lermontoff.
The governor, with one final warm
ing of his hands, took up candle. told
the jaller TO remove the shade from
the lamp and bring 1t. led the way
along passage and then into room
where the prisoner, on first entering.
had heard the roar of water.
What's this you have. a turbine?
Does 1t give you any power?'
"oh, it gives power enough" said
the governor
Lets see how you turn on the
stream"
The governor set the turbine at
work, and the dynamo began to hum,
sound which to the educated ear OF
LermontofF told him several things.
That's all right. governor: turn 1t
of. This is somewhat old fashioned
dynamo, but it ought to give you all
the light you can use. You must be a
natural horn electrician, or You never
could have got this machinery work
tho ,,-nTt t.
The dull eyes OF the governor glowed
for one brief moment, then resumed
their customary expression of sadden-
ed tiredness.
Now" said Jack, throwing OF his
coat. 81 want a wrench, screwdriver.
hammer and pair of plnchers II you
have got them"
Here is the tool chest" said the
governor, and Jack found all be need
ed. Bidding the governor hold the can
die here, there and elsewhere and or
dering the jailer about rs Il he were
a. nwruow4Fsr To.Y-