The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-04-21

| "eS DSAA9g SAAN NNAN AS@'
saved me himself, but he was not
there-which certainly was not Mr..
Hardy's fault. On the Amur We were
again attacked by brigands, and Mr..
Hardy, as we'll as my cousin, fought
like a brave man. In my house in
Moscow my cousin, who was of vio-
lent nature, insulted the American by
Offering him money, and, when Mr..
Hardy Indignantly refused and
knocked his check-book out of his
hand, struck him in the face. A duel
was fought, at which Mr.. Hardy, at
my request, spared my cousins life,
though he was himself severely
wounded. He has wonderful skill with
the pistol, and he shot a cuff button
from my cousins sleeve, which he
sent me as proof that he had com
piled with my request. My cousin
was boastful Of having wounded Mr.
Hardy, and / gave him the cuff but
ton and told him its story. He became
transported with rage and swore that
he would not rest till he had rid the
earth of this man. He conceived 1t
his duty to avenge the outraged honor
of the Romanoff family, as he ex-
pressed it. He thought he must kill
this man for other reasons, here
the princess halted and blushed.
GO on" said the czar, kindly and
much interested, this is a most re-
markable story! In it this Mr.. Hardy
appears as hero!"
Sire, in Mr.. Hardy's employ was a
young Korean boy whose devotion to
his master surpassed anything have
ever before heard Of 1t was more
like that of a woman for the man she
loves when woman really loves. This
boy-I am ashamed to tell it, sire
but now your majesty will understand
why have wished to confide in you
alone-this boy heard my cousin plot
ting to kill Mr.. Hardy. Your majesty
will understand that my cousin was
no longer a sane man; that rage and
-and-jealousy, perhaps, had ren.
dered him for the moment irrespon.
sible. The boy, fearing for his mas
ter's safety and believing that Rus.
sian nobleman had the power to do
anything he wished, stole into my
cousins compartment at night and
killed him."
Wonderful! wonderful" said the
car in a musing tone; "and are you
sure of all this?"
Absolutely. give you my word
as Romanoff princess that it is
true"
And the boy? Do you know where
he is? He can be given up to JUS
tice."
The boy" replied the princess,
solemnly, mo longer exists. Over.
whelmed with horror at what he had
done, and feeling sure that the police
would find and punish him, he has
made away with himself. He told ME
that it was his intention to do away
with himself, and he has disap-
peared!"
At this moment Pypine entered with
Hardy's record. At the czar's COM
mand he read it, rapidly and in a mat
ter-of-fact, sing-song tone. 1t con.
tanned nearly every act of Hardy's
life, except what had actually hap
pened within the four walls of his
sleeping chamber, since he had set
foot on Russian soil. He was accused
of sympathizing with the Japanese, of
having affiliated with Jews of having
insulted the authorities at VIadivostok
by requesting that the imperial gov
ernment use its influence to get him
a clean towel in the hotel there, with |
having worn an overcoat similar to |
the one found in the nihilists' den on
the evening of the explo ion of the |
Frenchman's famous pill Further
more, he had fought a duel with the
Prince Romanoff, in which he
had been wounded. This fact fur
nished the motive for his alleged
crime, which, coupled with his sus-
picious record, left little room, in the ;
Russian official mind, for doubt of his |
guilt. Most Of these points had al |
ready been covered by the story told
by the princess.
"As for the overcoat," she remarked,
"if he continued to wear 1t he could
not have left 1t, and your majesty |
would soon discover. If your majesty |
would stop for some time incognito in
Vladivostok, that the power of the
imperial government is by no means
belittled when 1t is asked to use it's
influence in the procuring of clean
lowell"
The emperor arose and pressed his
hand to his brow as though he were
suffering with headache.
Little Father" said Romanovna, |
this man saved my life, my honor
There are features in the case which,
If it is tried, do not reflect credit on
my dead cousins name. Grant my
prayers. Let Mr.. Hardy be freed, and |
the report given out that the police
nave secret proof of his innocence,
but are on the track of the real cul- |
prit"-and she sank again on her
knees.
Rise, daughter" said the czar kind
ly. I'VE have already decided on this |
course. It's a relief to know that he
is innocent, the American ambassa-
dor is so troublesome. Pypine, see
that this is done. Tell the proper au-
thDrities that it is our will"
CHAPTER XIII.
Gray Ghosts.