The Washington times., 1919-07-20
Continued from Page 81


men; and one day he gave me a
permit, got a young acolyte of the
cathedral to take me down to wor-
ship at the shrine of the most be-
loved Virgin of the Jewels.
at was dark in the crypt, except
for the candle that poor boy car
ried above his head. The Virgin
stood there glistening. 1 knelt
down to pray. The boy knelt
down.
Suddenly leaped to my feet,
snatched the candlestick of gold
that stood at the Virgins right
hand and cracked the skull of the
kneeling acoIyte He dropped
without so much as a whimper.
Then 1 stripped our Holy Lady, and
came up out of the crypt"
She stopped to draw long, long
breath, as she must have stopped
when, in the dim kremlin, she had
come up out Of the bowels of the
earth carrying her treasure, leav-
ing the boy acolyte senseless be-
fore the naked shrine.
For all the terrible preoccupation
of my mind, racing. with death, l
could not help but listen to her
story. Ny imagination seemed to
be stimulated by the terror Of my
plight. r
might have been in the crypt, I
seemed to smell the damp, incense
laden, c.ose smell Of candle-lighted
chapels. l felt the weight of the
jewelled robe, the fearful necessity
for escape.
After her long breath, she began
again eagerly.
81 came up out Of the crypt, and
I called to my Christ-faced bahia.
He was waiting for me near the
altar at his hypocritical prayers.
He came quickly over to me, star
ing at the bundle in my arms; and
kept him fascinated by the smile
IWore.
81 can command the look in my
eyes at such moments. It's the
eyes that give away secret. You
can see the change Of mood, the
intention to deceive, the fear, the
suspicion, the decision to kill-but
even In those days knew how to
guard my eyes. Father Blast
looked at me, and I smiled.
~HistI' said to him. I have
something amusing to show you.
KneeI down by this opening and
look at the little acolyte. Lean for
ward
'The fool obeyed He knelt, his
big hands holding to the edge Of
the trap, and peered into the dark
ness below. I let the door Of the
trap fan. It was a square Of solid
masonry, easy enough to let fall,
but too heavy for one man to lift
alone.
But he was a trihe too quick for
me. drew back his head like a
snake. It caught his hands. He
howled like a dog. l tore of 8
fastening Of the Virgins robe and
hid it in his gown. He tainted be.
fore 1 had gone out of the place.
81 had a handbag in a waiting
droshka. packed away my jew
els and left Moscow by the first
train. went to Paris, travelling at
speed with all the art Of DISCUSSES
and subterfuge l could command.
Nevertheless, on my way from the
Care du Nord to the address Brane
had given me, l thought that was
being followed.
"of course, gave the cocher an
other number, went in at a certain
house 1 knew, escaped by the back,
and made my way on foot to
Brane's apartment, unobserved.
! They made no difficulty about adj
hitting me.
81 found everything in confusion.
Brane had packed his boxes. He
was planning a Journey" She
laughed bitterly. 81 didn't know it
then, but, in the interval, he'd met
this little black-eyed American
woman and he'd made up his mind
to be a bon subject. He was going
to give me the slip.
ct opened one Of his boxes, wrap
ped up my booty in dress-coat OF
his, well at the bottom, and then /
hid myself. 1 wanted to spy upon
my Englishman.
"Brane came in, locked up his
luggage and went out again at once.
He was In the apartments barely
Eve minutes, and I never saw him