The Detroit times., 1915-02-23

| 20. yes. forgive you." said the
generous Florence.
Thanks! Onicers. ! am ready"
So the Countess Olga passed
through the hall door forever. How
many times had she entered II, with
guile and treachery In her heart? II
guile and treachery In her heart! II
lost, and she must pay her debts to
Fate the Fiddler. Siberia! The tin
or lead mines. the ankle chains. the
knout, and many things that were far
worse to beautiful woman! Well.
SO long as Braine was at her side she
would suffer all these things without
la murmnr. And always there would
be chance. q chancei
When they heard the taxicab
rumble down the driveway TO the
street Hargreave turned to Florence.
Come along, now. and we'll have
the bad taste taken OF our tongues.
To win out 10 the true principle Of
life. II takes on some Of the unsel
and glamour. but the end II worth
while"
They all trooped up the stairs to
Florence's room. So wonderful 10
the power and attraction of money
that they forgot the humiliation of
their late enel.ies.
Hargreave approached the portrait
OF himself, took It from the wall.
pressed a button on the back, which
fell outward. Behold! there, In neat
packages Of q hundred thousand each.
lay the mystic million! The specta-
tors were awed into silence for mo-
ment. Perhaps the thought Of each
was identical--the long struggle. the
terrible hazards, the deaths that had
taken place because Of this enormous
sum OF money.
A million. sometimes called cool,
why nobody knows! There II lay.
without feeling. without emotion: yel-
low notes payable to bearer on de-
mand. Presently Florence gasped,
Norton sighed, and Hargreave smiled.
The face of Jones Tor Jedson) alone
remained impassive.
A million dollars 10 q marvellous
sight. Few people have ever seen II,
not even millionaires themselves. Il
daresay you never saw It, and I'm
tolerably certain / never have, or
will! A million, ready for eager.
careless fingers to spend or thrifty
fingers to multiply! What Correg-
gio, what Rubens, what Titan could
stand beside II? None that wot OF.
Florence, that IL all yours. to do
with as you please. to spend when
and how you will. Share II with
your husband to be. He II brave
and gallant young man and h for
tunate In finding young woman
equally brave and gallant. For the
rest OF my days expect peace. Per
haps sometimes Jones here and VIII
talk over the strange things that have
happened; but well do that only
when we haven't you young folks to
talks to. After your wedding journey
you will return here. While live
this shall be your home. demand
that much. Free! No more looking
over. my shoulder when ! walk the
streets; no more testing windows and
doors. am myself again. take
up the thread laid down eighteen
years ago. Have no fear. Neither
Braine nor Olga will ever return.
Russia has grip of steel"
Three weeks later Servan, the Rus
sian agent. left for Russia with his
three charges-Olga, Braine. and
Vroon. II was Q long journey they
went upon, something like ten weeks,
always watched, always under the
stricfest guard. compelled TO eat
with wooden forks and knives and
spoons. Waking or sleeping they
knew no rest from espionoee, From
Paris TO Berlin. from Berlin TO Petro-
grad, then known 90 81. Petersburg;
and then began the cruel Journey