Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-24
Alexander Kovanko looked at his

Alexander Kovanko looked at his
watch. 40" will forgive me. | KNOW,
Nut must Re going. | have to see
- uncle. General Lcbedch before he
PES 10 bed: and. by tn way. YOU must
acct my uncie--a most interesting old
man; also my cousin. his only dauEh-
. Ter, Zenia Lcbcdcn. a charming
= woman whom you viii like, am sure
Tomorrow afternoon. If You arc at
r. liberty. | shall be pleased to SHOW you
around the city. You will then gain an
idea Of the strongest fortress III the
world but YOU Will pardon me again
when you meet General Leocdch do
not joke about spies. II Is a sore point
with him. You see, he IS growing old.
and therefore more apprehcnsire abou;
the island All tho same. he is the
finest governor kronstadt ever had.
and that is the opinion OF :he Adj
miralty in rctcrsburE.
BE sure" replied with laugh,
that ] shall not attempt TO Brighten
General Lebcdcn with even the men
ton OF the word spy. | shall be dc
lighted 10 meet hn. and also your
cousin"
Tomorrow afternoons was to sec
part OF the dctcnSos Of kronstadt
That night ! slept urscundly. dream
ing dream after dream. First was
examining The mechanism o. great
gun hidden away underneath q large
Shrubhe!y IN park. and Alexander
koynnko wss explaining il 10 me.
Then was in Battery Nicolas and
Eor, kronsIc;. counting the SunS and
measuring the distance between each.
Next | STOOD on the Qua> N the .td
uiiralty hsrbor. observing the shape
and sil> OF many wav vessels there,
= ad. last, / MAS IN PRISON. III dark, (.
damp, cyi!-snsi..nc dungeon, through
whose iron bars could see the waters
gradually rising ANA. away beyond, I
the rre., wallis o. K-ons,ad; tanned
blood RED Yes soon the water would
.eavh the dungeon window II was
rising. slowly but surely, higher and
higher. under ihe threatening glance .
o: the s;cely moon. rushed TO the
Dungeon door-!i was iron, locked, .
boi,sd anu barred was to De drowned. .
Then. like ret N a hole. Now could /,
hear the water swishins Owe: the WIN
COW sill. Already IN my cell il was
ankle deep. y great bel! began toll
.nE My hour had come: Wildly / |
began 10 oru.Se my knucklcs on the !
IRON door. screaming Alexander I
kovanko. Alexander kovanko'-and |
woke TO and Madame NogloT in my
roam with Il glass Q: s,eaming tea
My dcar. young kovarko mus. have
made sraa; impression upon you
when YOU call for him So loudly in :
YOUR sleep. Whatever were you dream
ing about"
;hen toll Noslon my dreams. She /
sat down and laughed heartily My |
dear. u Is a most peculiar thing. bui I
foreign visitors TO kronStadt always
dream the FIRST few nights. You see,
the foreigner has read so many silly I
tales about Russia. he or she inugines .
our country vast prison, ever III the |,
grip OF The icy claws o! winter. And
also Tou have tho stupid uovelists who
write OF spies, without the slightest
knoEicdEc o; the wonderful espionage
system of this country, which laughs
~ tho spic OF al the world. Spies,
We fear no spies in Russia. Father
should foreign countries fear our ennis
saries, for there arc no spies SO clever
a. inc Russians And so young
kova nko is going 10 show YOU the iron
teeth ot th.. island?' she went on
fou w!il be Interested re knows all
abou, the harbors, forts and channels.
Ne is fonder OF kronst.dt than any son
can b. Of his mother. All Alexander
kovanko is true and noble son or
Russia
:, O'Clock in the afternoon Alex
andcr kovanko called for me Early
in september the Russian sky grinucl
Eullcniv stc"ly blue. our drosky
drivers nose also was stccly blue. ana
he shirercd from time t. ,imc under
: his great Eoatal.n coat, To me the
atmosphere seemed temperate enough.
and ! so remarked Ia kovanlEo
m, yes NJ replied we Russians
Zee! tho colo more than YOU Occi-
dHn'als. hut II YOU lived in Russia two
years or so You would feel like VIC 10
nour o1oo"f-- "oCia become thin. like
ours. ! an going 10 show YOU this
afternoon my fa-oritc For, Paul. Fort
alexander used to N" the strongest in
INC southern channel had o,Acr
ifeas, however. ideas which. ouin- II,
S"uhH sense % orr Admiralty. j