Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-19

red streaked sky, suggesting blood and fire
that Sorneway were not warm, she felt the
landscapes desolatlon creeping coldly to her
heart. She had risen from the bed SO many
times, in the spirit of restlessness increasing
steadily, that she feared the woman must
note her condition and pounce upon its &C
tuating cause. With all the power of her
minds volition she remained at peace, at
tempting to convey an impression of sleepi-
ness again, and dullness for lack of air.
"May we have the window opened for
moment?" she finally asked. "The air will
be better for freshening."
at suits me we'll enough as it is, said
Zagorsky. "Once l heard of man on the
galows who was given glass of beer, from
which he blew the froth. Some one ques-
toned why he blew it away. He said it was
not healthy-and then he was hanged!" She
laughed uproariously, shaking with mlrth
at the grimness of her joke.
A sickening conviction of doom settled at
Thurley's heart. Ominous night and omi-
nous threat seemed brooding together in the
shadows that fell upon the snowbound
world and house. There was nothing to do
but wait-for God alone knew what!
EVIDENCE of more uneasiness increased
- below the stairs. Something seemed
amiss. Zagorsky was up and down repeat
edly between the hours of five and six. There
appeared to be no preparations for dinner
or even thought of eating.
1t was all concerned with Pelevin, not
yet returned from sending Thurley's note,
with his own, to the young Grand Duke
Karl Wilhelm. 1t was half past seven when
he came at last, and the news he brought
was satisfactory.
Dinner was served to Thurley and the
woman little after eight. Coffee was pro-
vided as before, Pelevin snatching at mo-
mentary opportunity to nod to Ihurley re-
assuringly while the cups were being placed
on the table.
The man had no more than departed than
Zagorsky was on her feet. "Pelevin!" she
called and, following actively, half closed the
door behind her as she gave him some instruc
tions in Russian barely above whisper.
Instantly, for no absolute reason she
might at the time have explained, Thurley
conceived an extraordinary plan-to ex-
change her cup for the woman's!
zAGORSKY returned almost Immediately.
The trifing sound that Thurley had made,
transferring the heavy earthenware recep-
tacles, had alarmed her frightfully. She
was certain the movement had been heard
and the ruse would be detected.
complete her action and force her own cup
upon Zagorsky, she drank the portion now
allotted to herself without even waiting for
sugar. She was drinking, indeed, when the
woman came and resumed her seat at the
table. Zagorsky glanced at her only once,
a grim expression of satisfaction betrayed
for a second in her eyes. She had feared
Thurley might refuse the coffee altogether.
In the widest futter of excitement and
fear, Thurley watched for the woman to
drink. Her heart continued its tumult,
which she was certain Zagorsky must hear.
She rose from her seat and proceeded to the
bed, watching from the corner of her eyes.
Below the men left silently, to proceed to an
old abandoned grist mill mile to the east
of North Winog.
Zagorsky drank, draining the cup to the
dregs. Horrible water, unfit for any cook
ing" she said, as the drug taste left some inn
palpable tang on her palate, and she rose
and went over to the stove. Then she stood
above its heavy gush of heat, while Thur
ley watching with blazing eyes, presently
remembered that she must seem to droop
and sink into sleep as before.
She began the symptoms against which
she had struggled helplessly the previous
evening. Zagorsky, attributing her sense of
comfort to the warmth of the stove and
dinner crossed to the door, bolted it fast,
and returned to the ruby glare so imDotent