Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-09-10
CHAPTER XVI.
The Russian Fernent.

The Russian Ferment.
There's something very wrong"
said Norman Forde excitedly to Philip
Joyce one day in their Shaftesbury
avenue Office L cannot understand
Why it is that neither you nor l hear
from your sister. There must be
something radically wrong
Il must admit. replied Philip. hard
II less excited that it does look very
queer. Since she went to Russia
you've had only one letter and [ have
had only one, and she's been gone for
quite two months. And it's two weeks
since sent her that telegram asking
what was the matter, and there's been
no reply. 1t certainly is most peculiar.
! don't know how to account for it,
unless these disturbances of which we
read i'll the papers,
Yes" interrupted Norman; these
troubles might partly account for her
silence now. but a month ago we did
not hear of anything of the kind. They
seem only to have cropped up within
the last fortnight or so"
oh. l suppose there are lots of
things always going on in Russia of
which we never hear in England. It's
Ouly the big things that get into the
papers, [ fancy Still. as Won say,
Norman" returned Philip, Russia
seemed quiet enough a month ago.
And it's deuced odd that she did not
answer my telegram. Shall | send an
other?"
4 should" said Norman, with de-
cisiOn And you might inquire If your
last was delivered The papers don't
appear to have any difficulty in getting
their kilograms from Russia, looked
Ia the Times this morning and saw
their was long dispatch from Odessa
dated yesterday OF course she won't
have the same facilities that a great
journal will have at it's command: but
there's no doubt that the wires are
working and your telegram ought to
get tS'ough, and so should d reply
from her"
81 shall go to the telegraph Office
myself" said Philip make inquiry
about the last message | sent TO her,
and dispatch a fresh one. What shall
/ say?'
Il think | should say that you are
very anxious about her, as You had
received nothing from her for two
months
That's it, said Philip and he
scrambled hurriedly away.
AS Norman said, he could net under
stand why no news came from Chris
label, good or bad, and he was half
frantic with anxiety. She had prom
isad to write TO him, and he was sure
she was not woman who would
break her promise. Yet she did not
write: it was most extraordinary,
most perplexing Besides. Philip had
not heard from her either. His let
ters and telegram had remained I'M
answered; it was most dlSquletlng
Norman could not know that ChrlSta-
bel had written replies to letters and
telegram, and that these had gone no
farther than the hands OF Dmitri Ana
tovitch. All he knew of that gentle
man had been learned from SEN
tence or two about him contained in
the only letter he had received from
her-that written Immediately after
her arrival at Sulia; Norman never
thought twice about the man.
1t was perhaps fortunate in a way
that both Norman and Philip We're ex-
tremely busy during these two
months, for more work than they
could undertake was simply being
thrust upon them, and another drafts
man had to be added to their staff.
grown with the mounting up of the
DAYS of silence, and he felt that soon
he would be completely unable to con-
centrate his attention on his work.
Philip was anxious, too, but naturally
his anxiety was not so deep as that OF
Norman In the past there had been
long intervals when circumstances
had prevented Christabel from cor
responding with him, but his anxiety
was increasing
Il have sent another telegram, and
pitched it pretty strong" Philip said
on his return 1.-THE telegraph people
are making inquiries respecting the
delivery Of the other one. They say
they are quite certain that it was de
livered, but will know absolutely some
time to-day"
In the course of the afternoon Phil
ip received note from the telegraph
company, saying they had ascertained
positively that the earlier telegram
had been delivered at the given ad
dress.