Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-23
The Argus Daily Story
A Romb-By Jerome B. Torrent.
Copyrighted. 1913 by Associated Literary Bureau

tensIty Of feeling in him was akin and
equal to that in her. He had saved
her. at least for the present. from
those dreadful Kara mines, where the
sufIeriags of the prisoners are known
throughout the world. To do this he
had taken on himself the risk of the
doom that had threatened her. The
time that had elapsed since he first
saw her. including the period Of the
hurried interview between him and
the government of1cial, had occupied
scarcely Eve minutes. Yet is 1t to be-
wondered at that, moved byso narrow
an escape from so terrible q doom for
one and probably for both. Lockwood
should have given her a kiss.
Then suddenly 1t occurred to him
that the drama was not yet played.
The eye of the government had not
closed with the closing Of the door.
he held a swooned revolutionist in his
arms. A deadly bomb was in his pock-
ct. As for the girl. he kissed her back
to life. Then when she had gathered
her senses he began to consult with
her what they should do with the
bomb. But be soon discovered that he
could not rely on her for any help in
planning its disposal. The only thing
she could do was to take 1t TO the place
she had been directed to take it. but
her experience had unnerved her. and
she was liable to be Swallowed. Be
sides. Lockwood did not propose to
become any further implicated Ia a
projected assassination. He did pro-
pose that the bomb should not injure
any one. But how get rid of It? He
could not lose it. He could not ex-
plode it. 1t occurred to him that he
might bury it. But where? Surely
not in the cement fioored basement of
the house where they were. And he
dared not go out on the street with 1t
on his person. Worst of all. he dared
not keep It about him. If he could get
1t to the plant he had built for the
HaryeEher company he represented he
coSA bury it there. Indeed, he might
eat 1t up with chemicals. for he was
we'll versed in analytical chemistry.
But for every method of getting rid of
1t an "If'' stood in the way. The only
way he did not consider at all was to
tell the girl to take her bomb and be-
gone.
However, when he noticed that she
was waiting for him to tell her what
to do next he took her address and ad-
vised her TO go forth looking as uncon-
cerned as possible and directly home.
So long as she had nothing at home in
eliminating she need not worry, for
there were other persons in the build
ing she had visited than the woman
from whom she had received the bomb.
He opened the door, and she went
home, all the way expecting to see her
shadower, but she did not.
Lockwood did not dare leave the
bomb in his room, fearing that the po-
lice might search it during his absence.
Procuring the necessary carpenters
tools, he took up board I'm the floor of
his room and, wrapping the bomb in
cotton, put it between joists and nailed
the board down again.
1t was fortunate that he took this
precaution. for when he returned in the
evening he found that the police had
the house. Lockwood felt a certain re-
lief at this, for it would give him time
to get rid of the cursed bomb. He wait
ed a week, attending to his business as
usual and not showing the least con-
Germ, for he knew that both he and the
fair revolutionist were being watched.
He dared not remove the bomb, even at
midnight lest some police officer arrest
him with it on him.
So the matter remained as It was till
at last Lockwood, not daring to remove
the bomb from his quarters. finally de-
cided to remove himself from them.
This he did without canceling his lease,
and after several weeks absence, when
the police had probably ceased to con-
meet him with them, he returned to
them one night when he would not be
noticed and. taking the bomb. carried
1t to bis place Of business. 1t is buried
deep in the earth on the prcs]ses. but
where no one except Lockwood knows,
for he buried it himself.
The incident came near breaking up
his work in st. Petersburg. Indeed, 10
did so IN the end. for he never felt easy
after IL occurred and finally wrote his
principals to send some one to take his
place. They did so, and he left Russia,
intending never to see 1t again.
During his stay there he did not dare
meet the girl he had saved, but on
reaching Berlin he wrote her, giving
his permanent address in Paris. For a
long while he received no reply. Then
one day when in London he received a
| letter from her stating that she was in
| that city. Lockwood called to see her
and was surprised to find her dressed
as lady. During the brief period they
| were together IN st. Petersburg her ap-
| parel had been such as is worn by the
| lower classes.
meeting where they did/not dread
| TO be bounced upon by the police was
naturally full of feeling. The girls
name was Nathalie Ivanoyitch, and she
was the daughter of a general in the
army. Lockwood convinced her that as
sassinatiOn was not the way to redress
wrongs and finally persuaded her to 60
to America with him as his wife.