Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-10
The Daily Story
The Playwright of st. Petersburg By Eunice Blake
Copyrighted. by Associated

'"Tben have a care how you tell vou,
secrets to whoever has told you ~.
he saw Peter Alexandrovitch In Mosoo,.
yesterday. ] swear to you thar iuS,
before l went to dinner yesterdav-i
go at half past 12--I saw lady. Iika,.
the suspects wife, come to the wiDdow
pull the shade partly down-for ths
sun had come around to shine in },
the window-then turn. put her arms
around his neck and kiss him. | lef
them in that position"
The chief seemed greatly perplexss
After some thought he asked:
"Does Alexandrovitch go out ofteny
mo; he goes out very seldom. he
seems to be very busy. / have liter.
cepted several letters addressed TO him
from managers asking why be had m.
finished work he Is doing for then
and letters from him to parties saying
that he cannot at present contract 20
do any more work, since he Is unable
to finish what he has in hand"
Have you come near hip?"
Eyes. One afternoon when he wen
out I followed him, as I always d.
when he leaves his home. He walked
a short distance, then turned suddenly
and passed me as near as am to you.
He went back to his house and in
few minutes came out again with a
package in his hand for the post, which
he appeared to have forgotten. l pos.
sessed myself of it and found play
which, L judged, he had been revis-
ing"
"You had better make some excuse
to enter his house and see him there.
But be careful that he does not sus-
pect you to be sbadowing him for the
government. That will do. You mag
CO."
The next day Vronsky. wearing The
badge of a building inspector. went
into Alexandrovitch's house pretend
ing that work was being done on
sewer beneath it and he wished to eI.
anime the walls TO see If they were
cracked. He saw the playwright sitting
at his desk with a number Of chess
men before him, each piece bearing
label. They were set on piece Of
cardboard, on which was drawn the
outline of a stage. Alexandrovitch
was reading from some manuscript be
fore him and now and again would
move one of the pieces off or on the
stage.
The next afternoon Vronsky went to
his chief and reported that he had been
in the suspects house and seen him
working on play.
Have you seen him today"' asked
the chief.
Yes. He was sitting quietly at his
window writing and smoking. as be
often does when at work. Why do
you ask"
Because 1 have just received tele-
gram that he is in Moscow.
The speaker handed Vronsky dis
match which he read with every evil
dence of surprise.
Whose signature is this?" he asked.
"One whom trust as implicitly as
trust you.'
But may he not be mistaken in the
person?"
HE is never mistaken. He is the
best sleuth in the government service
81 Will go at once to Alexandrovitch's
house, enter it and see with my own
eyes that he is there"
"Wait a moment"
A telegram was laid before the chief.
who took it up, tore off the cover and
read:
The grand duke has been assasslnated
by a bomb.
1t required some time before the re-
cipient of this important news could
recover from the shock. Then he said:
go. Enter the house of Alexandra
witch unannounced, go to his study and
put your hand on him and let me know
the result at once"
Vronsky darted out OF the office and
in n few minutes was at Alexandra
vitch's house. He attempted to open
the door, but found it locked. He lis
tened for a moment. but heard no
sound. Something told him that the
place was deserted. He ran across The
street and looked up at the study win
dow. There sat the playwright at bis
work. Vronsky ran back and ham
mered at the door loud enough to br
heard in any part of the house.
No response.
Smashing window. Vronsky effected
an entrance and ran upstairs. He mel
no one and made his way unoppoSed
TO the study. AleXandrovtch was az
his desk. but took no notice of the II
truder. Vronsky went up 10 him. p'a
his hand on his shoulder and khe"
that the figure was inanimate.
\ further examinarion revealed tne
fact that it was of straw. the face wax
The head was set on p pivot and cou"
be turned by pulling or ord.
Vronsl<y ran back 10 his cher anu
reported how he Ind been deceived
He was Informed that government Or
ficials in Moscow had discovered tna'
Alexandrovitch was the leader OF 'De
conspiracy that had resulted ID 'Hs
grand dukes death. He had contri'eD
TO keep the attention Of ;he 81. Pe'er
burg police fixed on him in the caPi'". =
by means OF the dummy while ne We
spending enough Of his time IN MVs
cow. disguised. TO direct the opersuoD''
But he had made good his escape