Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-21

tT FEAR that should prove a. very
poor Judge, madame" Tarzan replied
"for If you had been guilty OF muroer l
should say that the victim should DC
grateful TO have so sweet fate"
"ob. dear. no. she expostuatedi ut Is
not SO terrible as that. But first let me
tell YOU the reason the count mas LOT hot
prosecuting these men; then II l can
hold my courage, l shall tell you the rea.
reason that dare not. The nrst ls 'na. ,e
Nlkolas Rokoff is my brother. we arc
Russians. Nikolas has been a pad man
since / can remember. He was cashlereu
from the Russian army, in which he held
n captaincy There was a scandal LOT
time but after a while It was partlally
forgotten, and my father obtained POSI-
tion for him in the secret service
"There have been many terrible crimes
laid at Nikolas' door. but he has always
managed to escape punishment. Oi late
he has accomplished It by trumped-up
evidence convictlng his victims OF treason
against the Gar and the Russian police
who are always only too ready to fasten
guilt of this nature upon any and all.
have accepted his version and exonerated
hiP"
you and your husband forfeited whatever
rights the bonds OF kinship might have
accorded him?" asked Tarzan. The fact
that you are his sister has not deferred
him from seeking to besmirch your honor,
You owe him no loyalty, madame"
SAh. but there is that other reason. III
I owe him no loyalty though he be my
hrether, 1 cannot so easily disavow the
fear l hold him in because of certain
episode in my life of which he is cogni-
zant t,
'I might as well tell you ALL she re-
sumed after a pause. "for l see that II Is
in my heart to tell you sooner or later.
/ was educated in a convent. While there
met a man. whom 1 supposed to be a
gentleman. 1 knew little or nothing about
men and less about love. got II into my
foolish head that / loved this man, and
at his urgent request ran away with
him. We were to have been married
II was with him just three hours. All
in the daytime and in public places-railr
road stations and upon a train. When
we reached our destination where we
were to have been B3arried, two officers
stepped up to my escort as we descended
from the train and placed him under
arrest. They took me also. but when I
had told my story they did not detain me.
other than to send me back to the con-
vent under the care of a matron. II
seemed that the man who had woped me
was no gentleman at all, but deserter
from the army as we'll as a fugitive from
civil justice. He had a police record in
nearly every country in Europe.
THE matter was hushed up by the au-
thorities Of the convent. Not even my
parents knew of II. But Nikolas met the
man afterward and learned the whole
story. Now he threatens to tell che ttount
II I do not do9just as he wishes me t.
Tarzah laughed. "You are still but
little girl The story that you have told
me cannot reflect in any way upon. yonr
reputation, and were you not a littlelglrl
at heart you would know 1t. Go TO your
husband tonight and tell him the whole
story, just as you have told II TO me-
Unless I am much mistaken he will laugh
at you for your fears and take immediate
steps to put that precious brother OF
yours in prison, where he belongs"
ri only wish that dared" she said;
but l am afraid. learned early to.
fear men. First my father, then Nikolas,
then the fathers in the convent. Nearly
all my friends fear their husbands-why
should / not fear miner"
1T does not seem right that women
should fear men," said Tarzan, an ex-
preston Of puzzlement on his face. II
am better acquainted with the jungle
folk, and there II is more often the other
way around, except among the black men,
and they to my mind are in most ways
lower in the scale than the beasts. No,
cannot understand why civilized women
should fear men, the beings that are
created TO protect them. / should hate
TO think that any woman feared me-"
Il do not think that any woman would
fear you, my friend" said Olga de Coude
softly, Il have known you but a short
while, yet though it may seem foolish to
say 1t, you are the konly man have ever
known whom think that should never
fear-it is strange. too, for you are very
strong / wondered at the ease with
which you handled Nikoias and Paulyiteh
that night in my cabin. It was marvel
GUS"
AS Tarzan was leaving her a short
time later he wondered a little at the
olinging pressure of her hand at parting,
and the firm insistence with which she
eXaeted a promise from him that he
would call again on the morrow.
The memory of her half-veiied eyes
and perfect lips as she had stood Smiling
up into his face as he bade her good-by
remained with him for the balance OF
the day. Olga de Coude was a very
beautiful woman. and Tarzan OF the Apes
a very lonely young man. with a heart in
him that was In need OF the doetoring
that only woman may provide
AS the countess turned back into the
room after Tarzan's departure, she found