Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-07-15

his head. he stood staring at me open
mouthed in amazement.
Il apologize to your ex~cellencyl" he
gasped, blanched to the lips. Il most
humbly apologize. II did not know.
You told me nothing!"
Perhaps you will now kindly give
my passport a proper wise"
In an instant he gave it the proper
wise, afixing the stamps.
Il trust, excellency," he said, bowling
low as he handed it to me, Il trust that
this affair will not trouble you further.
l assure you / had no intention Of in
sulting you"
He held the letter / had given him
gingerly with trembling fingers. And
well he might, for it was headed:
Minister of the Imperial Household.
Palace of Peterhof.
The bearer of this is one Gordon Fran
els Gregg. British subject, whom It is
Our will and command that he shall be
Our guest during his journey through our
dominion. And we hereby command all
Governors of Provinces and minor Of
icials to afford him all the facilities he
requires and privileges and immunities
as Our guest.
Beneath was the sprawling signature
of the ruler of one hundred and thirty
millions of people, that signature that
was all-powerful from the Gulf Of Both
mia to the Paeifc-"Nicholas."
The document was the n furnished
to me a year before when, at the invi-
tation of the Russian government, !
had gone on a mission of inquiry into
the state of the prisons in order to see,
on behalf of the British public, wheth-
er things were as black as some
writer had painted them.
Sight of it had changed the chief OF
police from a burly bully into a whin'
ing coward, for he saw that he had
torn up the passport of a guest Of the
car, and the consequence was most
serious If l complained. He begged Of
me to pardon him, urging all manner
Of excuses, and humbling himself be
fore me as we'll as before his two in
~feriors, who now regarded me with
awe.
81 will atone for the insult in any
way your high excellency DESIRES" de
clared the official. 81 will serve YOU
excellency in any way he may com
mand."
His words suggested a brilliant idea
l had this man in my power; he feared
me.
well" l said after some reluctance
there is a little matter in which vol
might be of some assistance. If YOU
will, I will reconsider my decision o
complaining to Petersburg"
"And what is that, e~xcellency% h
gasped eagerly.
Il desire to know the whereabouti
of a young English lady named ELM
Heath" l said, and l wrote down tn,
name for him upon a piece of paper
age about twenty, and was at schoo
at Chichester, in England. She is
niece of a certain Baron Oberg."
Baron Oberg!" he repeated, look
ing at me rather strangely, / thought.
Eyes, as she is a foreigner she will
be registered in your books. She
somewhere in your province, bu
where l do not know. Tell mi wher
she is, and / will say nothing NOR
about my passport" l added.
"Then your ex~cellency wishes to Sc
the young lady?" he said ref1ectively
with the paper in his hand.
"Yes."
"In that case, it being commando
by the emperor that l shall serve you
excellency, l will have immediate il
quiries made" was his answer. "Whe
| discover her whereabouts, I will d
myself the pleasure Of calling at you
excellency's hotel"
And | left the fellow, very satisfe
that | had turned his officiousness an
hatred of the English to very good a.
count. y
On the morning of the third day af
er my arrival at Abo, while sitting @
the hotel veranda reading an old cor
of the Paris Journal, many portions
Q which had been "blacked out" by tt
censor, the chief Of police, in his da1
green uniform, entered. and salute
before me.
b "Your excellency, may l be PERM
d ted to speak with you in private?"
Certainly" l responded, rising ar
a conducting him to my bedroom, whel
g l closed the door, invited him to
l. seat, and myself sat upon the edge
the bed.
81 have made various inquiries"
said, land / think l have found Il
II lady your excellency is seeking. N
n information, however, must be fl
nished to you in strictest confidence
h. he added, because there are reaso,
why l should withhold her whel
:! abouts from you"
lg What do you mean?" inquire
"What reasonsF"
"Well-the lady is living in Finlal
in secret"
,e Then she is alivel" I exclaim
a quickly. Il thought she was dead
ITO the world she is dead" respor
O. ed Michael Boranski, stroking his r
,e beard. For that reason the inform
ton l give you must be treated as CO
l fidential."
Id why should she be in hiding? S
ps is guilty Of no offense-is she?"
in The man shrugged his shoulde
but did not reply.