River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-01-22

| lighter side OF Nikolai's nature.
| Everybody in Boston came to
| know Essayan after he formed che
| famous combination in corn. He must
| have made millions; and from the
humble pest OF editor of little rev.
dictionary Armenian sheet, he became
one of the citys leading bankers
| simultaneously his views underwent
change, as Nikolai discovered when
he called on him.
WHAT" shouted Essayan Con
tribute fifty thousand dollars to the
revolutionary party? You must be
crazy"
Six months ago." said Nikolai
thoughtfully, you were bawling for
vengeance upon Russia through the
columns of your newspaper, and beg
ging subscriptions from your Armeni-
an compatriots against the tyrant of
your country"
Essayan stroked his paunch, chuck
ling.
Maybe | did" he admitted But
now ] am q millionaire. My views
| have changed
Nikolai looked round. We were
! seated in Essayans private museum,
in which he stored his statues. Es-
sayan had gone in for culture. His
collection must have been worth mil
lions. Treasures of Greece and Rome
adorned his galleries; there was an
original Venus of Praxiteles, a
Hermes by Phidias; bas-reliefs and
friezes had been stripped for the bank
er from many an ancient temple. Nj
kolai froWned angrily.
You must have spent five millions
on that collection of yours" he said.
Twelve millions" said Essayan
suavely. And all old, broken things
at that. They tell me that my Hermes
hadn't head. They tell me that
| they're just as valuable when every
understand it myself-but they cost
twelve millions"
Nikolai led him on to talk of his
new hobby. 1t was evident that the
Armenian took only a shadowy inter-
est in the art side of his collection.
He did not, in fact remember wheth-
er it was his Apollo that had the
missing arm or his Jupiter whose leg
was gone. But Berg knows" said
the banker "Berg's my art expert in
London, and what he says goes. He's
sending me a sample of old Egyptian
mummies that's going to cost me half
Now, Mr.. Essayan,'' said Nikolai,
million
If you can spare twelve millions for
your confounded art hobby you can
give me fifty thousand for the Arme-
nian cause"
Yet I'll wager you that before the
year is out I'll sell you one of your
own statues out of this gallery for
three times the amount I've asked
you
No, you won't" answered the bank
er placidly because | know you, and
from this moment my museums go
ing to be bolted and barred and guard
ed, and nobody's going to enter See?"
Nikolai could with difficulty restrain
his indignation when we were outside.
THE selfish hog!" he muttered. "He
spends twelve millions on that stuff
when fifty thousand would rebuild
those villages that the Russians burn
ed last year, leaving hundreds of his
countrymen homeless. Well Sum-
mers, we'll win three times that
amount and teach the scoundrel a les
SON."
"Nikolai." l said, 81 confess that
| breaking into bankers house in Bos-
! ton does not appeal to me. 1t isn't
feasible This is America, and what
| can be done in Europe won't go here. >
I'll do the breaking in" said Nj
kolai. Or rather, l shall be carried
into the gallery in state and requested
to spend the night there alone by Mr..
| Essayan All you will be required to
/ do will be to catch the statue in a
| blanket when l throw it, out
/ | knew that some audaciaus scheme
! had already been devised by my com
/ panion. but Nikolai refused TO deliver
himself of it. The year had several
months to run and for two months we
did nothing, except occasionally to
wander in the neighborhood of the
4 ed Essayan as he was leaving his
n front door.
H Hal" he snorted. When are you
4 going to sell me my own statue
what?" He led us back into the
Il house Look" he said. You shall
be warmly welcomed, gentlemen
The door that led to the museum
had been secured with iron bars, each
Of which terminated in paddock rs
sayan showed us a, series of electric
wires.
They communicate with the police
department, the private Waterman s
office, my own room, and the fire de
partment l shall expect you-soon?'
Some time this year Nikolai an
swered. Have you got your cargo Of
mummies yet, Mr.. Essayan?"
Next month l expect Them an
swered the banker, Now shoe, &C
away You make me feel tired
On the following Saturday Nikola
and l sailed for England. 1t was OF
shipboard that he unfolded his plans
I'VE must anticipate those mum
miles," he, said. Now, Summers, t.
let in light upon. your brain. I in
tend to enter Essayan's house dis
guised as an Egyptian king
"A mummy" l asked. bewildered
Eyes. Mummies can be procuret
easily in London l shall simply re
: move the body. wrap myself in tn
spiced windings, enclosing very mod
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