The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-03-11

swear to you"
Even against the Nihilistsw
Aye madame, against the world !
have eaten all your caviare. | am
your guest, l am your friend"
As he said this he was so excited,
so sincere and so droll that Madame
Trebassof could not help smiling
through her tears. Sne made him sit
down beside her
THE Chief of Police has talked of
you a great deal. He came here
abruptly after the last attack and a
mysterious happening that 1 will tell
you about. He cried, All. we need
Rouletablle to unravel this! The next
day he came here again. He had gone
TO the Court There, everybody, it ap-
pears, was talking of you. The
Emperor wished to know you. That
Is why steps were taken through the
ambassador at Paris"
"Yes, yes. And naturally all the
world has learned of it That makes
1t so lively. The Nihilists warned me
Immediately that I would not reach
Russia alive. That, finally, was what
decided me on coming. l am naturally
very contrary"
And how did you get through the
journey"
Not badly. l discovered at once in
the train a young Slav assigned to kill
me, and l reached an understanding
with him. He was a charming youth,
so 1t was easily arranged
Rouletabille was eating away now
at strange viands that it would have
been difficult for him to name. Ma
trena Petrovna laid her fat little hand
on his arm:
you speak serously?"
Very seriously
"A small glass of vodka?'
mo alcohol"
Madame Matrena emptied her little
glass at a draught.
"And how did you discover him?
How did you know him."
First, he wore glasses. All Nihilists
wear glasses when travelling. And then
I had a good clew. A minute before
the departure from Paris l had
friend go into the corridor of the
sleeping car, a reporter who would do
anything l said without even wanting
to know why. | said, You call out
suddenly and very loud, Hello, here
is Rouletabille"' So he called Hello,
here is Rouletabille,' and all those who
We're in the already in the compart-
ments came out excepting the man
with the glasses Then l was sure
about him.
Madame Trebassof looked at Roule-
tabille, who turned as red as the comb
of rooster and was rather embar-
rassed at his faulty
That deserves a rebuff, I know ma
DAME but from the moment the Emper-
or of all the Russians had desired to
see me I could not admit that any
mere man with glasses had not the
curiosity to see what l looked like. 1t
was not natural As soon as the train
was off ! sat down by this man and
told him who thought he was l was
right. He removed his glasses and,
looking me straight in the eyes, said
he was glad to have a little talk with
me before anything unfortunate hap
pened A half-hour later the entente
cordiale was signed. ! gave him to
understand that I was coming here
simply on business as a reporter and
that there was always time to check
me If l should be indiscreet. At the
German frontier he left me to go on,
and returned TRANQUILITY to his nitro
glycerine."
You are a marked man, also, my
poor boy"
"Oh, they have not got us yet"
Matrena Petrovna coughed. That US
overwhelmed her. With what calmness
this boy that she had not known an
hour proposed to share the dangers of
situation that excited general pity
but from which the bravest kept aloof
either from prudence or dismay
All. my friend, little of this fine
smoked Hamburg beef?'
But the young man was already
pouring out fresh yellow beer.
There" said he 'Npu r1adao,a
am listening. Tell me first about the
earliest attack"
Now said Matrena, we must go
to dinner"
Rouletabille looked at her wide
eyed.
But, madame. what have just
been doing?'
Madame Matrena smiled All these
strangers We're alike, Because they
had eaten some hors-d oeuvres, some
zakouskis, tHey imagined their host
would be satisfied. They did not know
how to eat
We will 60 to the dining room The
general is expecting you. They are at
table
Il understand am supposed to know
him"
Yes, YOU have met in Paris. It is
entirely natural that in passing
through St Petersburg you should
make him a visit. You know him very
well indeed, so well that he opens his
home to you. All. yes. my stepdaughter
also --- she flushed a little - "Natacha
believes that her father knows YOU"