Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-11-12

classes, as you yourselves admit, are
utterly decadent, alike in brains and
in morals; your middle classes ara
SNUG hypocrites lower classes
starye in filthy dens. This is what
you desire to bring about in Russia
under the name Of freedom and liber-
ty. Do you wonder that those Of us
who have travelled will have none II
1t. Are you surprised that we fight
your civilization with the whip-as
We are lighting it outside at this
moment. If We fail, very well, we
shall know how to fail. But do not
tell me that it would be blessing
for this country t initiate your insti-
tutions, for could not believe you Il
you did"
He laughed upon it as though disbe
lieving his own words and, giving
Alban no opportunity to reply, fell to
talk of that which they must do and
of the task Immediately before them.
We are better in this hotel than
at the Palace Zamoyski, my kinsmans
| house, he said, for here no inquisi
tive servants viii trouble us. Natural
/ ly you think it a strange thing to b.
brought to great city like this and
there asked to identity face. Let
me say that l don't think it will De
a difficult matter. The Chief of Police
will call upon me in the morning and
he will be able to tell us in how many
houses 1t would be possible for the
! girl Lois Boriskoff to hide. We shall
search them and discover her-and
then learn what Herr Gessner desires
/ to learn. I confess 1t amazes me that
man with his extraordinary fortune
should have dealt SO clumsily with
these troublesome people A thousand
pounds paid to them ten years ago
might have purchased his security for
life. But there's your millionaire all
over. He will not pay the money and
so he risks not only his fortune but
his life. Let me assure you that he
is not mistaken when he declares that
there is no time to lose. These peo-
pie, should they discover that he has
been aiding my government, would
follow him to the ends of the earth.
They may have already sent an az
sassin after hint would be In ae-
cord with their practice to lose no
time, and as you see they are not In
a temper to procrast.nate. The best
tAing for us to do is to speak Of our
business to no one. When we have dis
covered the girl, we will promise her
fathers liberty in. return for her
silence. Herr Gessner must now deal
with these people once and for all
generously and finally. see no other
chance for him whatever"
Alban agreed to this. although he
had some reservations to make
81 know the Boriskoffs very WE'LL
he said, land they are kindly people.
We have always considered old Paul
bit Of a mailman, but q harmless
one. Even his own countrymen in
London laugh when he talks to them.
am sure he would be incapable IF
committing such a crime as you sug-
gest; and as for his daughter, Lois,
she is quite a little schoolgirl who
may know nothing about the matter
at all. Mr.. Gessner undoubtedly owes
Paul great deal, and should be
: pleased to see the poor fellow in bet.
ter circumstances But it is quite
fair to keep him In prison just be-
cause you are afraid of what his
daughter may say?"
ct Is our only weapon If we give
him liberty, will he hold his tongue
then? BY your own admissions a
louder talker does not exist. And re.
member that 1t may cost Herr Gessner
many thousand pounds and many
weeks Of hard work to secure his
liberty at all, Is he likely to under
take this while lie daughter is at
liberty and harbored among the ruff
fans Of this city? He would be mad.
man to do so. I, who know the Poles
as few Of them know themselves, will
tell you that they would sooner strike
at those whom they call traitors IN
exile tan at their enemies round
about us. If the girl has told them
what she knows OF Herr Gessner and
his past, would not be in his shoes
tonight for a million Of roubles heap.
ed up upon the table. No. no, we
have no time to lose-we owe 1t 70
him to act with great dispatch"
Alban did not make any immediate
reply. Hopeful as the Count was, the
difficulties Of tracking little Lois down
, In such city at such time seem
ed to him wellnigh insuperable. He
had seen hundreds of faces like hers
as they drove through Warsaw that
/ afternoon. The monstrous Grove
showed him types both of Anna anG
, Of Lois, aud he wondered no longer
, at the resemblance he had detectef
, between them when he first san
Richard Gessner's daughter on the
balcony Of the house In st. James
, Square. None the less, the excite
: ments Of the task continued to grow
upon him. How would 1t all end, HI
J. asked impulsively. And what If the!
{ were too late after all and his FRIEND
, and patron were to be the victim O
! old Boriskoff's vengeance? Tha
j would be terrible in.,eed-it woult
: drive him from Lois friendship for
. ever.
I All this was in his mind as the din
+ ner drew toward conclusion an
l the solemn walters served them cigar
< and coffee. There had been some cee
. sation of the uproar in the streets du.
7, ing the latter moments; but a ney
9 outcry arising presently, the Coun
8 suggested that they should return t
!, the balcony and see what was happier
Q ing.
d II would have taken you to tn
theatre, he said laughingly, "but W