Evening star., 1933-12-14
CHAPTER XVIII.
NEW LEADS.

LIE VOlkOvB 8k8lQ
- goltan Ursa half . year Later" /"
Feodor Plekhanov went on.
i "They had won through. As
my son and ! had. Prince
Stepl1n welded US into o band for SELF
defense and got US through to Peking
and there we scattered to the four
winds"
No wonder. Curt unused. that Sonya
had turned on him with such violence
when he mildly praised the Leninists
that evening IN the prison house. And
no wonder she seldom smiled.
Gradually swinging Plekhanov away
from the emigre story, he led the old
Russian to talk about the Volkovs in
Victoria. But with that phase of their
life Plekhanov was not 50 well ac-
quainted. They had gone a different
road from his and he saw them rarely.
But he did know the lumber company
that the men were connected with, the
name Of the school where Sonya taught,
the family where she had been gov
erness and the address Of the Volkov
home.
Curt decided that with those good
leads 1t would be easy TO run across
to Victoria and get the information he
wanted. Thanking their host, he and
Baldwin went down to the car.
Well, did you get what you were
after. curt7"
TT was worth while. I've got Q good
grasp Of her background, but nothing
tNat he said gives me any idea OF
what she's doing In the lilluars."
Badwtn tvrned On the switch key,
snapped it Oh again. toyed with the
strap Of his swagger stick.
"Curt, I've been thinking Of sonya
Volkov q lot this evening and I've got
q theory about this situation. Maybe
it's occurred to you. Did you ever won
der whether Karakhan mightn't be at
the bottom Of this trip Of hers?"
'Karakhan-how's that?"
'See here, it's q pretty safe bet that
those two were acquainted. Karakhan
must've known her: he made it his
business to know all the emigres In
these two cities, for he didn't want
somebody who knew him In Russia to
bob up Unexpectedly and give him away
It's another safe bet that Karakhau
would have pushed his acquaintance
with her. Those snaps you took, es-
pecially that one of her on the rock
Curt, she's beautiful girl. The poin,
Is, she might have fallen for him
mol" The denial was jolted from
Curt. That's ridiculous"
II don't see how. Others have. You
know the old saying that women love
. dash Of wickedness."
"Yes, I've heard IT, But I also know
Sonya Volkov. You don't, Am"
Right, but that's al the more reason
why my judgment on this may be
better than yours. I'm Tot biased Tc
put my theory in . nutsheu. believe
she's going in there to Join Karskhan.
Curt laughed. Don't Be cyssy, Arn.
WHAT'S crazy about IT."
The whole idea! To leave her oui
Of Il and argue from Kayskhan's view.
point, he'd never let anybody know
where he's hiding. He didn't ever
allow Jim Gunnar to take him intt
those mountains"
"Yes, know; but Curt, think Of this
He's been there in that God-forsaker
| country for nine months; he's gons
almost year without sight Of a white
| woman's face. And another thing
Curt-we know he threw over Heller
Mathieson and took up with another
girl Just . few weeks before he pitched
Oh. We've never found out who tina,
girl was. I'll bet my governors title
against . shirt button that it wa!
Sonya Volkovi"
Curt stepped on the starter. "Youl
theory Is a'waste Of time. Let's be
getting somewhere, II you're going te
drive"
They drove back to the Marlin home
mapped out their program for the fol-
lowing DAY and separated.