Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-09

a feeling Of uneasiness that was des-
tined to possess him for many days
to come
He had left his overcoat behind
somewhere in that den Of nihilists
He got into the cab, and, as it tore
1 through the streets, the wheels
| sQueaking in the snow, he sat thers
shivering, his chin In his hand
racking his brain to remember, If
possible, whether there was anything
In the pockets, letter. cards, cigar
case. that might betray the identity Of
the owner. To save his life he could
not settle this point In his mind.
1t was late when he reached the
hotel. To his surprise, he found
Wang sitting up reading, The boy
sprang to his feet, trembling with de-
light.
"Ah, my dear MASTER" he cried,
+ $50 here you are at last!"
But why did you not 60 to bed,
Wang?' asked Hardy not unkindly.
You look pale and tired. You have
been working too hard, lately, AMI
you need Sleep"
II fell asleep," replied Wang, land
had a horrible dream about you. /
thought you were in cave filled with
poisonous snakes, all about your feet,
and hanging writing from the ceiling,
close to your head. 1t seemed to me
that you did not dare to stir, nor even
to breathe, for fear they would strike
you, and l, who was looking at the
entrance, could not help you, could
not cry out, nor even move a finge:,
for the same reason. For moment
all the snakes seemed unaware of
! rNtY M e..
end of the cave, fixed his twinkling
malignant eyes on you. and began
to glide through the noisome, poison
GUS mass toward your face. Closer
and closer he came, and just as he
drew back his head to strike, I awoke.
Ugh! Twas a frightful dream''
YES" laughed Hardy nervously, ut
certainly was nasty nightmare. but
pure imagination, assure you, for
have been in no cave filled with
snakes. NOW go to bed, | command
you. Good night" Hardy passed into
the adjoining room, and went to bed,
but he got little sleep that night. He
| was listening for the tramp OF heavy
feet up the stairs, the humping OF
sword-hilt upon his bedroom door and
| that gruff command again, which he
had already heard once:
open, in the name of the czar!"
| But the hours passed aud he was
! undisturhed, and just as the gray light
Of dawn began to sift in through the
curtains, he fell into sound slumher,
| It was fully ten o'clock when he went
out into his office and sent for his cot
fee, AS he was drinking it, Wang
entered in great excitement, with a
newspaper.
Look at this!" cried the boy. "The
| police raided a den of nihilists last
| night, and the latter threw a bomb,
killing four of the officers and wound
! ing six others. 1t was the society
| known as THE Enemies of Russia
made up OF disaffected Russians,
Poles, Films, even Jews all who
hate this accursed government"
Hardy glanced at the boy, marvel
ing much at the revelation Of hate In
that ingenious word, "accursed,n
why are you an enemy of Russia?"
he asked.
| "Oh, for no particular reason" fall
tered the boy, turning pale. I,--
perhaps am not And the nihilists
all disappeared, as though the earth
had swallowed them up. Not q thing
was left to prove the identity Of a
member, except one costly, furlined
overcoat, which proves that this 30
ciety numbers among its members
some of the weather. classes, perhaps
of the nobility. tell you,"-- and
Wang struck the paper with his right
| hand in his excitement that this
country is a house divided against II.
self. Leave it alone, and it will work
out its own destruction, and saliva
| toni
The boys eyes were flashing now
and his cheeks were SO aflame with
excitement that the scar nearly dis
| appeared.
Hardy gulped down his coffee and
started for the door.
| IF anybody calls for me, Wang
he said, tell them that will be
back in an hour"
/ He did return in that time, wearing
| an exact duplicate Of the ovepopat
that he had lost the night before.
/ And still there was no sign OF the
| police He felt treasured. Had there
been any telltale letters, cards or
documents in the pockets of the miss.
ing garment, the officers Of the law
he reasoned, would have lost no time
in laying hands on him. If, on the
other hand, no such proof existed, he
reasoned, he would be tolerahly safe
The police may have observed that
he had been wearing certain over.
coat. Well. here he was, as far as ap.
| pearanees went, still possessing the
same garment. For he had gone dir
ectiy to Settler and Gallanter and
had made a clean breast to the head
of the firm, whose interest it was to
protect him, as The American Trad
ing Company was Seitzer and Gallan
. ter's best customer. That they did
their utmost in the premises, will ap
pear by the sequel, for the police los,
no time in visiting every clothins
store in Moscow and in instituting in
quiries in all the principal cities Of
! the empire.
CHAPTER XXxyn
The Princess Rpmanoyna was at
tired in a gown Of pale blue silk, Ie
collete, trimmed with dainty cream
lace. Her neck was eneircled by {