Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-03-17

IL nOCnlnS. InanK GOu IL nit me.
1t was meant for you"
Van Torp's rage instantly turned
into tender care, and he insisted on
examining the wound, which was
slight but would leave scar. By
miracle the ball had grazed the angle
of the temple without going near the
temporal artery, and scarcely SINCE
ing the thick brown hair.
Van Torp rang and sent for water
and absorbent cotton, and made
very neat dressing, over which Lady
Maud tied her big veil. Just as this
was done Stemp appeared at the door
''It's ready, sir, if you would like to
come and see. I've not scratched him
once, sir
'All right" Van Torp turned to
Lady Maud. "Do you feel faint? Lean
on my arm"
But she would not, and she walked
bravely, holding herself so straight
that she looked much taller than he,
though she felt as if she were going
to execution.
A moment later she uttered a loud
cry and chung to Van Torps shoulder
with both hands. But as for him, he
said only two words.
"You hellhound!"
The man was not Boris Leven
The eyes, the upper part of the face,
the hair, even the flowing mustaches
were his, but not the small retreating
chin crossed by the sharp, thin scar
OF a sword-cut long healed.
81 know who you are" said Van
Torp, surveying him gravely. You're
Long-legged Lewis brother, that dis
appeared before he did. | remember
that scar"
Let me off easy" said Long-legged
Lewis brother. I've not done you
any harm
Beyond wounding Lady Maud, aft
er trying to pass yourself off as her
dead husband. No. l won't let you
off. BoatsWain, I want this man ar
rested, and we'll take him and all his
belongings before the British consul
in Messina in less than an hour You
just attend to that, will you? Some
body go and tell the captain"
AYE, aye, sir"
The rest is soon told. A long in
quiry followed, which led to the solu-
ton of the mystery and sent Count
Yuryi Leven to Siberia; for he was
Boris Leven's twin brother.
The truth turned out to be that there
had been three brothers, the youngest
being Ivan, and they had all entered
the same Cossack regiment, and had
served in the Caucasus, where most
officers learn the Tartar language,
which is spoken by all the different
tribes. 1t will be simpler to designate
them by the English equivalents for
their names.
Boris behaved himself tolerably
we'll in the army, but both his broth
ers, John and George, who was his
twin, were broken for cheating at
cards, and emigrated to America. So
long as they all wore their boards as
officers of Cossack regiments usual
ly do, they were very much alike.
They were all educated men of refined
tastes, and particularly fond of music
When his two brothers were cash
Tered, Boris resigned, entered the dip
lomatic service, married Lady Maud
FOXwell, and was killed by a bomb
in st. Petersburg.
John and George separated in
America when they were tired of
punching cattle.
John was something of naturalist
and was by far the most gifted of the
three as well as the most daring. He
gravitated to China and at last to
Mongolia, wandering alone in search
of plants and minerals, and it was to
him that Baraka showed the ruby
mine. He got back to civilization
with his treasure and took it to
Petersburg unmolested
There he found George earning a
poor living in an obscure position in
the public service, his conduct in the
army having been condoned or over
looked. John, who was the incarna-
ton of selfishness, would do nothing
for him. George, exasrerated by him,
and half starved, murdered him in
such way that ne was supposed to
have died by an accident, took posses
sion of his hoard of unsold rubies, and
wrote to his twin brother to come and
share the fortune John had left them.
George and Boris had been in con-
slant correspondence, and had even
helped each other with money from
time to time. Some weeks ELAPSED
after Boris return to ST. Petersburg
before his death, and during that time
he told George, who knew London
we'll and had, moreover, helped him in
his attempt to get a divorce, a vast
number of details about his married
life and his wife's behavior. her char
acter and tastes. Then Boris was
killed in the street, and George left
the country and changed his name,
with the vague idea that his own was
not very creditable one and that if
he kept it he might be troubled by his
brother Boris numerous creditors. He
began life over again as Kralinsky.
He had not entertained the least in
tention Of passing himself for Boris
and claiming Lady Maud as his wife
till he met her, and her beauty made
him lose his head completely when he
saw that she took him for her hus-
band He would have been found out
inevitably sooner or later, but Van
Torps vigorous action shortened Lady
Maud's torments.
George was tried and Russian jus-