New-York tribune., 1910-01-30

but one weapon in the world the knout capable of
making them. The a Russian then, and
had been greVously handled; sometime back,
Judged for the scars old.
| dashed water on his face and breast and poured
some of the whisky down his throat. He gaSped,
gurgled. opened his eyes, and stared at me- He
looked like tOusled old vuure that has been badly
Buck up, daddy" | said cheerfullv. forgetting
ne wouldn't understand me. | helped him to his
feet and felt in my pocket for coin 1t food he
wanted; but | had none to give him, except some
crackers, and had wasted enough time over him
my appointment with Anne.
He clutched at the halfcrown and bent his trem-
bling old body again invoking | opined a string
of blessings my unworthy head. Something
slipped from among his garments and fell with
tinke at my feet. | stopped to pick it up, and saw
old fashioned miniature, containing a portrait He
had evidently been wearing it round his neck.
let fashion for thin red cord dangled from it. which
I had probably snapped in my haste.
He reached for it with quick cry; but held onto
it, for l recognized the face instantly.
TT was a photograph of Anne Pendennis badly
printed if by amateur. but excellent like
ness! Underneath were SCraWled in red ink the ni-
tlals A. p. and two or three words that could not
decipher together with curious hieroglyphc, which
looked like tiny fve-petaled flower, drawn and
filled in with the red ink.
How earth did this forlorn old alien have Anne's
portrait in his possession?
He enough to read my expression: for he
cutched my arm and, pointing to the portrait, be
Russian
Ny Russian is poor enough; hut his was execrable
Still. | gathered that he knew the gracious ladv
and had come a long way in search of her. There
something | could not grasp some ausion to
danger that threaten Anne for each time he used
the word he pointed at the portrait with agonized
emphasis.
His excitement ptiable and seemed so
genuine that determined to get right to the root of
the mystery, if possible | seized his arm marched
him into my flat, and sat him in a chair e1nptvinp
the tin of crackers before him and bidding him eat
He started crunching the crackers with avidtv
eylng me furtively all the time as | stood at the
telephone ~
must let Anne know at once that was detained
could not get the CayleyS number of course
Things always happen that way! Wen. | should
nave TO explain my conduct later
But failed to elicit much by the cross exam
nation to which | subjected my man. For one
thing neither of us understood half what the other
said.
| told him knew his gracious lady" and he
groNeled on the floor, cawing my shoes with his
skinny hands
out could make nothing of his replies He seemed in
mortal fear OF some SelinSki" or a name that
sounded like that, and did discover one point that
oy SellnSkl he meant CaSSavetti. When he found he
revealed that much he scared that | thought
staircase. "
And vet he had been intrusted with a passlev to
CaSSaVettIS rooms.
Only two items seemed perfectlv clear. Tb,t h.;
gracious lady was in danger,-I put that dres-
ton to HIM time after time and his answer never
varled,-and that he had come to warn her to save
her if possible.
When asked HIM he simply shook his head and
appeared more scared than ever; but | gathered
that he would he able To tell the gracious lady"
and that she would understand if he could oni,
have speech with her. But when | pressed him ON
TINS idea OF danger he did curious thing He nicked
up OaSSaNettS KEY, tattened the bit of red stuff ON