The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-08-20
have held the woman a prisoner for

allege that 1t was at your instigation
that in Siena the operation was per-
formed upon the unfortunate girl
which deprived her of speech End
hearing"
He laughed again, but uneasily,
forced laugh, and leaned against the
edge of the big writing table near the
window.
"Well, what next?" he inquired. pre-
tending to be interested in my alloga-
tions. What do you want Of me?"
81 desire you to give Mademoi-
selle Heath her complete freedom"
| said.
"But her future is not In my hands.
The minister in Petersburg has de-
creed her removal to Saghalien as a
person dangerous to the state"
"You have posed in England as the
uncle of Elma Heath, and yet you
here hold her a prisoner. For what
reason?" | demanded.
"She is held prisoner by the state
for conspiracy against Russian rule
not by herself personally"
"Who enticed her here? Why, you,
yourself. Who conspired to throw the
guilt of this attempted murder of the
generals wife upon her? You-you,
the man whom they call The Stran-
gler of Finland!' But / will avenge
the cruel and abominable afiiiction
you have placed upon her. Her Sc
cret-your secret, Baron Oberg-shall
be published to the world. You are
her enemy-and therefore mine!"
VERY WELL" he growled between
his teeth, advancing towards me
threateningly, his fists clenched in his
rage. "Recollect, m'sieur, that you
have insulted me. Recollect that l
am governor general Of Finland"
"If you were czar himself, l should
not hesitate to denounce you as the
tyrant and mutilator Of poor. de-
fenseless woman"
"And to whom, pray, will you tell
this romantic story of yours?" he
laughed hoarsely. ITO your prison
walls below the lake of Kajana? Yes,
M'sieur Gregg, you will go there, and
once within the fortress you shall
never again see the light Of day. You
threaten me-the governor general of
Finland" he laughed in strange,
high-pitched key as he threw him.
self into a chair and scrubbed some
thing rapidly upon paper, appending
his signature in his small. grabbed
handwriting.
81 do not threaten" I said In open
defiance, 81 shall act"
"And so shall l." he said with an
evil grin upon his bony face as he
blotted what he had written and took
it up, adding: "In the darkness and
silence of your living tomb you can
tell whatever strange stories you like
concerning me. They are used to
idiots where you are going" he added
grimly.
ooh! And where am I going?"
Back to Kajana. This order con
signs you to confinement there as q
dangerous political conspirator, as one
who has threatened met consigns
you to the cells below the, lake-for
life!"
l laughed aloud, and my hand sought
my wallet, wherein was that all-pow
erful document-the order of the EN-
peror which gave me, as an imperial
guest, immunity from arrest. l would
produce it as my trump card.
| Next second. however, / held my
breath, and think must have turned
pale. My pocket was empty! MY
wallet had been stolen! Entirely ant
helplessly had fallen into the hands
Of the tyrant Of the car.
We faced each other. and looked
straight into his gray. bony face. ant
answered in tone of defiance:
"Ah! you surely do not think that
after ten years service In the British
diplomatic service, would dare to come
to Finland upon this quest-woult
dare to face the rotten and corrup
officialdom which Russia has placed
within this country-without first tax
ing some adequate precaution? No
baron. Therefore l defy you, and
leave Helsingfors tonight"
you will not. You are under ar
rest"
laughed heartily and snapped my
fingers, saying: Before you give me
over to your police, first telegraph tC
your minister of finance, Monsieur dt
White, and inquire Of him who anc
what am"
II don't understand YOU"
"You have merely to send my name
and description to the minister ant
ask for a reply" said. HE will give
you instructions-or, IL you so desire
ask his majesty yourself"
"And why, pray, does his majesty
concern himself about your" he asked
at once puzzled.
you will learn later, after an
confined In Kajana and your secret II
known in Petersburg"
What do you mean?"
II mean," said, 81 mean that have
taken all the necessary steps to d.
| forearmed against you. The day an
incarcerated by your order the who'll
/ x,,yII ho InaDp I ehalI not D(