The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-08

| enonosylla bles. wondering in the deep ! recesses of his soul what awaited them at their mysterious destination. | His eyes fixed on the clock before i him he now speeded and then slowed up until he finally brought his car to a stop in front of No. 42 Grove dale, just two minutes after one. Kettle placed his automatic in his pocket and after instructing his ! driver to wait for him at a distance of about fifty feet, mounted the stairs and pulled the bell. The hallway was dark but he soon heard the hurried footsteps of someone. fat woman, | like a bundle tied around the middle, | decidedly lame in the left leg opened 1 the door wide and admitted the stranger without one word. She was ! expecting someone, thought Kettle. | After considerable struggle the wo- man 1t q hand lamp and escorted the stranger to the floor above, and through a portier covered door she led down three stairs to a small room. i Here she showed him to an ancient l arm chair, and after having lit one | gas-jet in a four branch chandelier, | left the room without utterlng word. Kettle gave a nasty inspection ! and noticed that the very dim light i that he had seen through the portiers | on the opposite side of the door | through which he had entered had faded. Was 1t a connecting room or was that the old woman's alcove-bed room? However. he was prepared for all emergencies, and before he had time to make further mental obser- vations regarding this strange haunt he heard soft steps of someone in the adjoining room.
 Kettle wondered what General Mel nikon wanted at such a place at such an hour of the night? And who was he to meet? He was about to light a cigar when the portier slo, ly opened and woman, a mere s4ip of a girl, walked slowly towards him. She did not appear to be more than 22 at first glance. but perhaps she was a few years older than she ap- peared. The girl was dressed in pure white, rather fins.ly, and betrayed a figure that would have caused the envy of an army of artists to have her expressed on marble or canvas. Her sweet and musical voice belied her supreme attempt to masquerade in the primitive-her face bespoke hatred deep and bitter.
 T do not know you. What brings you here at such an hour?'' she said | in suppressed voice.
 
 | this he threw the white glove on the | table.
 What is that?" she asked | Just a womans glove. Is It yours?" asked Kettle unpurturbed l Tn the past I have had men like 1 you force their attention on me, but I confess I never before encountered such brazen conduct" She flashed i out angrily.
 You are mistaken my little girl. I do not belong to that class of men. | General Melnikof received your mes | sage in this glove, and -" | And you you come instead 1 of him. Was he afraid? Why did he
 not come himself. I have a messa ge l which I will deliver to him personal
 Ix''
 Would you know the General if you met him? 2" Kettle asked. l "I know that I do not know you
 and my message must be delivered to | the General himself"
 | You have not answered my ques- i tfon-''
 You are wasting both your and | my time. Again I tell you that my ! message must be delivered to the l General" she laughed loudly as s-le | said this.
 Kettle now began to realize that 1 the girl was at a stage when she had i to be handled with the utmost care He could not fathom the situation | yet somehow his past experience and
 trained intuition told him that the girl 1 was moving in delusion. He searche d l his mind to remember where and | under what circumstances he had met | this girl before. That he had seen her
 somewhere before he was certain.
 Where? Where? Yes, yes, it came to him at last | She was Anastasia Vasiliki, the prima 1 donna who had created something of
 sensation during the past oper;s
 season. He had heard her sing in
 La Boheme'' and in Faust" AL
 though in the capacity of news | paperman he had met her, and had | heard her sing many times, he knew
 she had been widely feted, and she l would certainly not remember all. .who O | had been present to do her honor
 on these occasions.
 You shouldn't mistrust me the
 way you do. I am a music lover and | one of your devoted admirers I am | terribly anxious to be considered as
 a friend. You have certainly forgot | ten me. But a short time ago your | publicity agent engineered an inter- | view between you and group of | Then you know me! YLou are a | journalist! I see. You are after a 1 scandalous story,-you-i'
 NO. Nils. Anastasia Vasiliki I am
 not here on a journalistic errand. Still I do not understand what
 you have to do with General Mel
 kinoff, nor why you are here. I have
 told you already thae men have forced
 themselves upon me before now" 'I know the kind you mean, I am
 thankful to say I am not one of them.
 Now listen to what I have to tell you.
 General Mel1inoff is not only a pat
 riot, a great soldier, a liberal states
 man, he is a man whom the world
 would miss very much should some
 thing happen to him. He has been in-
 vited to the capital of every great ] country, and his visits to our State
 Department have been considered as
 valuable to our country. The world
 respects and honors him. He las
 been beloved by your own people [ (Continued On Page Nine)