The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-06

bidding question: contradiction until he | had finished.
 There is a fellow countryman of mfne | you know him and know his daughter. 1 He believes that I am under some opli- | gation to him and I do not contradict
 him. When we met in London, many
 years after the business transaction of l which he complains I asked him in what way I could be of service to him or to | his family, as the case might be. He 1 answered that he wanted nothing for himself. but that any favor I might be l disposed to show should be toward his l daughter and to you. I took it that you
 were in love with the girl and would marry her That was what I was given 1 to believe. At the same time, this fellow 1 BoriskoR assured me that you were well
 educated of a slngularly Independent l character, and well worthy Of being re- | ceived Into this house, l will not deny | that the fellow made very much of this request, and that 1t was put to me with | certain alternatives which I considered
 impertinent. You. however, had no part | In that. You came here because the
 whole truth was not told to yoll-and you
 remained because my daughter wished it. | There I do not fear contradiction. You I know yourself that 1t Is true and will not contradict me. As the time went on, l l perceived that you had established a claim to my generosity such as dld not
 exist when first you came here1the claim Of my affection and of my daughters. This I will confess, has given me more pleasure than anything which has hap pened here for a long time. I have no son and take 1t as the benefcent work of Providence that one should be sent to
 me as you were sent. My daughter would | possibly have married scoundrel If the circumstances had been otherwise So haf uvl1 llshed here by right of our affection, 1
 am rewarded twofold for anything I may have done for you. Teneeforth this hap py state of things must become still hap pier have spoken to Anna tonight, and I should be very foolish if could not con strue her answer rightly She loves you,
 my lad, and will take you for her hus-
 band. It remains for you to say that your happiness shall not be delayed any longer than may be reasonable" It need scarcely be said with what sur prise Alban listened to this lengthy re- cital. Some part of the truth had. already been made known to hint-but this rlIer account could not but f1atter his vanity
 while it left him silent in his amazement
 and perplexity. Richard Gessner, he un- | derstood had always desired brilliant | match for Anna, and had sought an aIl- l ance with some of the foremost English l families. If he abandoned these amb- l tions. shrewd belief in the mpossibility l lay at tho root of his determination Anna would never marry as he wished Her birthright and her eastern blood for l bade 1t. She would be the child of whim and of passion always, and 1t lay upon him to avert the greater evil by the lesser. Alban In a vague way understood this, but of his own case he could make llt- tie. What a world of ease and luxury and delight these few simple words fn i'm Ia hoA h4tf yes to become the ultimate master of this mans fortune, the possessor of a her itage which would have been considered fabulous but fifty years ago. And yet he
 would not say ''yesp It was as thoi~ h some unknown power restrained him, ai-
 most as though his own brain tricked him. Of Anna's sudden passion for him
 he rad no doubt whatever. She was ready
 and willing to yield her whole self to him l
 and would, 1t might be- make a devoted
 wife. None the less the temptation found
 him vacillating and incapable even of q
 clear decision. Maladroitly he gave no
 direct reply, but answered the question
 by another
 Did Paul Borisooff tell you that I was
 about to marry his daughter, Mir Cess
 ner?"
 My dear lad, what Paul Borisltoff said
 or did can be of little interest to you or
 me tonight He is no longer in England let me tell you. He left for Poland three days ago"
 Then you saw him or heard from him before he left2'
 Not at all. The less one sees or hears from that kind of person tho better You know the fellow and will understand mo- He Is a frebrand we can well do without
 I recommended him to go to Poland and
 he has gone. Ills daughter, I understand
 Is being educated at Warsaw. Let me ad-
 arica to
 they are no longer of any concern to
 either of us."
 He waver his lond as though to dismiss
 the subject finally; but his words left AL
 ban strangely III at ease.
 "Old Paul is fanatic" he said present.
 ly. but a very kindly one. I think he is
 very selfish where his daughter Is con-
 cerned, but he loves his country and Is
 quite honest in his opinions From what
 I have heard in Union street, he is very unwise to go back to Poland. The Rus sian authorities must be perfectly well aware what he has done in London, and
 are not likely to forget 1t. Yes, indeed,
 l am sorry that he has been so foolish
 He spoke as one who regretted sincere ly the indscretions of a friend and would
 have saved him from them. Gessner,
 upon his side, desired as little talk of the Boriskoffs as might be. If he had told the truth. he knew that Alban Kennedy
 would walk out of his house never to re-
 turn. For 1t had been his own accom-
 prices who had persuaded old Poul to re- turn to Poland-and tho Russian police
 were waiting for him across the frontier Any hour might bring the news of his
 arrest The poor fanatic who babbled
 threats would be under lock and key be- fore many hours had passed. on his way to Saghalin perhaps-and his daughter might starve if she were obstinate
 enough All this was in Gessners mind but he said nothing of 1t. His quick per ception set a finger upon Alban's diri- culty and instantly grappled with it. We must do what we can for the old
 fellow he said lightly, T am already paying for the daughters education and
 will see to her future. You would be wise,
 Alban, to cut all these connections finally.
 I want you to take a good place In the
 world. You have a fine talent. and when
 you come into my business as I propose
 that you shall do, you will get a training
 you could not better in Europe. Believe
 me. a fnancier's position s more infu-
 ential in Its way than that of kings. Here
 am living in this quiet way rarely seen
 by anybady, following my own simple pleasures just as country gentleman
 might do, and yet have but to send