Show fy 1906 alyle 11 1 1 1171 SYNOPSIS hardy a fashionable boston follety man lot lok ahi hla wealth was jilted b ly war a girl and sent lent by a friend to take charge ge of 0 an american trading company compa tir ator torn in nuazia on his journey throng through japan he h met stapleton neville RUP tolly an englishman they agreed to to so together to russia xie mccause cause of 0 su sus hicl el rhunia lances they were several e s mol molested osted by the japanese hardy was arrested and found upon hla his person were hers papers showing mars maps of 0 jap orta forts manly hardy was proven guiltless on a train he be met alsime sano daughter of a jap merchant in nevilles shoes jap found it eturia i of forts proving him to ta he be a ilU Balan spy hardy do departed arted for 1 on a steamer Bt eamer which was wrecked shortly afterward its he was rescued by russian stearn bleamer Bt eamer Wr on reaching vladivostok he was well treated ile he started tor for siberia meeting princess noman ovila oil en the train hardy boarded a vessel tor for amur hardy showed allowed the princess his expertness as n a rifle ride shot hot the steamer was stranded the princess and her maid all were attacked by chinese ira hardy ady raved ved thir lives alvea the princess prince aa thanked 3 tardy hardy tor for hla his her heroism olani manchurians Manchur Manchu lans rians fired upon the craft hardy slew their chief burning arrows were wera hurled upon the Push kins decks an attempt was wa made to board the vessel the attacking attach lne chinese were repulsed romanoff Ho manon sneered ot at il hardys ardys for the princess prillie 8 ananka a messenger sent for h kielp I 1 P wan was nailed to a cross on the share T to 0 pu put t an end nd to tie the I 1 awful torture hardy hm himself dut ut stanka blanks out of his ini misery sery tak tailing ing I 1 his own wm life in his hands forest alre ires men aced ced the vessel tardy hardy volunteered to SO 0 tor for h help ap refused permission ile ha tu jumped ped over overboard b oard and started to swim ablin with the pria princess cess distress messa message e lio ats ananth was angry at hardy for lua brava brase efforts to rescue the princess lie wooed her in his own savage way lie ile sold said tardy hardy had made love openly to a 1 n 1 japanese ja girl help came und and the p r was rescued tardy hardy journeyed on oil a raft arriving at hit his destination lie he took charge of the trading rom Lomp panya anys bustness business irardy hardy re received elved a lotter letter from crom a social nocial lender leader in hoston boston and another anothy r from alseme hardy took lessons in russian or of a jew thus connecting himself in a way with that race hardy received recel veil a letter from the princess thanking him for lit hla a bravery Il hardys ardys teacher was waa in danger ot of death lie he employed wang as II 11 servant hardy went to moscow where ue i was lai to call upon the princess lie e started lor for the palace home of 0 prin tess cess hardy aroused unaccountable jealousy ot of ints hla korean boy by announcing that lie lie was waa going to call on the princess lie he engaged cayonan a who drove him to a large arge house on a poorly lighted street after entering the house ouse hardy discovered that it was a resort of 0 nihilists hosts 1 lists who supposed all d lie I 1 a was felix ito lin come to telf them alte m of 0 f a powerful explosive c ls ive lie had discovered the real rr arrived r ved and denounced hardy flardy as an im star the nihilists nihilisms lists determined to kill hardy ardy in order to protect themselves an unloaded revolver in his overcoat pocket he pointed it at bomb which lay on an the table and swore to blow them all up together it if they touched him holding the nihilists nihilisms lists at bay hardy started to leave the room when the pollee police were heal heard at the outer door hulln threw his bomb killing 8 everal v policemen the nihilisms nihilists lists fled and 4 n d ba ruell the jew je w suddenly lud s u 1 denly appeared and a n d led hardy to t the h e c cellar 0 I 1 lar baruch conduct conducted ed hardy through an underground pl passage s s a e to another house from which li he b boldly 0 1 afy emerged and returned to its hla hotel hardy visited the princess prin Fe contributed to the fund for or the relief of the victims ot of the ts ile he gave more than romanoff had th alie 0 I 1 latter atter entering the room openly I 1 insulted n a alt ed him romanoff Rom anuff struck hardy who challenged challen ReU him to a duel the rho russian accepted preparations for the duel were made CHAPTER continued Tt omanoff Ilo manolT was handsome as a god brave masterful impetuous ot of high birth the sort of man it seemed to hardy to appeal to a woman like the princess anil and I 1 he ha laughed bitterly am sl merchant here in her autocratic and aristocratic russia a merchant who owes her sufferance of 0 me tact fact that I 1 can caa shoot straight lie he said nothing that night to wang of tho the impending duel but the boy teemed seemed aware that some danger threatened ills his master or that the latter was gravely troubled about something although told several times kindly to go to bed lie ho returned as often and hovered about hardy indeed wang responded to hardys moods with that delicacy of understanding sometimes seen in a dog for its master or a woman for the man she loves well wang said hardy at last abu you may sit up tip all night it if you choose but 1 I for one am going to get some come sleep good night and he retired to his own room lie ile began to undress slowly and absentmindedly standing for long minutes mot motionless onless in the middle of the floor or dropping into a chair in deep thought ns as though he were confronted by some weighty problem that he could not solve lie he turned oft off the light at last and crept into bed b but I 1 it he was destined to be again disturbed by wang who tapped timidly at the door that boy Is becoming a nui nuisance sancel he be muttered there la Is such a thing as too much devotion well wang he shouted shorted sharply it you please called wang here to la a note for you hardy arose went to the door and took a letter from the boys boya hand walt wait he commanded till I 1 see it if there Is an answer lie he tore open the envelope and read my filleti Fille I td I 1 have just ju learned lamm l amm that th the flue duel Is in to take place in the hie morning anol and that pistols are ara the weapons clion clio n you know that I 1 kavo gave my consent to this thin deplorable plo rable affair because became you naked asked me in terms that lett left me no choice I 1 am going now to bes beg something aona of you it Is that you spare my headstrong find violent cousine lire life tie he wronged you outrageously I 1 know and in the name nama ot of the romanoff family I 1 humbly beg your pardon tor for that wrong but should you kill dimand your wonderful skill places hla his life entirely in your hands handsy I should feel that hat his hi blood is t on my head will you not grant frant a womans comans prayer and nd spare pro his hi life alfet wound him it if yu will but oil ob do net kill mull hlin by grantin Brant lne suil this request re quent you will place under 1 leeper obligations one ne who already owes owe ou tnora more than man she he can ever hope hop to toay reay ROMAN nOM ANOVA OV NA As he be lead hardy turned pate pale to 0 ho atno it I 1 tro t ro the tha to lu small bits ailta and dropped thorn them into a waste paper basket Is there any answer dear master called the voice ot of wang through the door no replied hardy there to la no answer CHAPTER 4 the duel frederick courtland hardy slept poorly that night the typical hero 0 of f romance when about to fight a duel at break of day goes to bed and sleeps more soundly than ever before in his life this deep slumber proves his iron nerve more incontestably than any amount of swashbuckling swash buckling bravado or any number of great oaths could do but we are not dealing with a typical hero of romance hardy as aa lie he tossed about tor for hours on the bed felt genuine disgust at himself that he was unable to go to sleep ile he experienced no fear and he had a feeling that it was irregular tor for a gentleman to lie awake under such circumstances about midnight it occurred to him that it might be a good thing Ahing to make his will such a document already existed but he now arose and putting on dressing gown and slippers went out into the office lighting the gis gas he wrote as follows moscow january 7 1904 heine being of sound mini mind and in possession of all my faculties I 1 write this as an a codicil to my will now in the keeping of andrew mackey macke esq attorney at law noton boston I 1 hereby will ill and bequeath till all my ready money deposited in the russo katalsky Kl Ki hank bunk at and amounting to something over coubles roubles rou bles to my faithful ful secretary wang and I 1 heartily commend the said wang wane to the favorable notice of frederick emery president of 0 the american trading company in sl siberia the boy Is falth faithful ful honet honest and hofses sl a degree of business ability quite as ng in one so BO young youir FREDERICK nin DERICK COURTLAND HARDY this lie he folded and put in an envelope on which lie he wrote with a lead pencil for wang tossing the envelope on a table la in his sleeping room he went back to bed and at last succeeded in getting to sleep lie was awakened by Gort chakov pounding ution upon his bis door and shouting get up my friend get cupl up we shall be lato late for or the rendezvous hardy dressed hurriedly and went out a U t to his second who was waiting in the office the lieutenants sledge and beautiful team gf thoroughbreds was waiting at the curb jump in pray he be said and lets be off and we talk of happening there Is nothing going to happen except that you will shoot a great rascal and bully the heart and we shall come back to a hearty breakfast having done a good mornings work with very little waste of time Gort chakov bad now used fixed on ro ilo ma manoffe heart as the most pleasing receptacle for hardys bullet the coachman cracked his bla forg and the high strung nervous steeds gave a great bound and went scurrying through the early streets of the muscovite capital in halt an hour they had reached their des destination tina a thick wood on the banks of the hardys other second was already on the spot with a surgeon a n fat little man wrapped thick in furs who walked brisk briskly ly to and fro in the snow carrying a case of instruments you are in good time gentlemen cried Gort chakov consulting his watch there are still ten minutes to spare 1 I think I 1 hear bear sleigh bells belle now said the surgeon burgeon 1 I hope it la Is romanoff so that I 1 can got get back to my warm bed what tho the devil people want to come out in such weather as this is more than I 1 can understand let t them 1 iem 8 shoot boot 0 each a ell ot other le I 1 r and be damned it if they want to but not at this hour and in such weather we shall try to be expeditious said hardy cheerfully and in the meantime I 1 beg pardon for my share in the inconvenience to which we are putting you youre right about the sleigh bells here are our friends now through a vista between the leafless r 77 he wrote with a lead pencil for wang trees a sledge could be seen approaching drawn by three horses running like mad the driver rose to ills ilia feet and settled back on the seat bringing them to a rearing pawing sudden halt the details were soon arranged and the ground measured off hardy hard y did not pay any attention to these preliminaries limin aries but walked briskly backward and forward to keep ills hla feet warm glancing occasionally at romanoff who stood leaning against a tree his hands in his ulster pockets pocket a an 1 I 1 insolent careless smile on his handsome face ile he certainly was wag a splendid specimen of manhood thought the american and it if he be felt the least tremor of fear lie he knew how to disguise it did it seem at all unlikely that a high highbred bred aristocratic woman the ahe daughter of a hundred warriors should have fallen in love with a man like that it Is time now roy my friend said Gort chakov coming up tip to hardy 1 I must trouble you to remove your coat but you will not catch cold for it will only take you a minute upon my word I 1 admire your nerve you ought to have been a russian nn aslan you will shoot him at the word th three reel hardy removed his big ulster and faced his opponent A long dueling pistol of excellent make and perfect precision was placed in his hand are you ready gentlemen asked Kou kolnik 1 I 1 will count throe three slowly you will raise your weapons and take aim when I 1 commence and will fire at the word three As aa these theao words were being uttered hardy fixed his eyeglasses more mori firmly on hla his nose the tha while he be examined the distance and the person of his antagonist with a cool cobl practiced glance Kouko lalk began odeen the two weapons camons were wera raised and pointed advah it could not be seen that the hand ot of L ither man trembled in the slightest tra two shots rang out almost simultaneously neither man mail fell hill and furies furie sill cried It romanoff omanoff throwing his bis pistol to the earth 1 I have missed him this weapon la Is utterly worth worthless lesh I 1 demand another shot very well replied hardy Ita rily quietly but it if we e shoot again I 1 shall shoot to kill I 1 beg that you will inform his highness of my intentions Intent lona at the same time conveying convening to him the assurance of 0 tny most distinguished consideration you have missed whispered gort chakov petulantly why did you do this thise youre as cool this minute as I 1 am are you sure you have not wounded him my principal demands another shot said gaid advancing ile ho presents his bis compliments to mr hardy and suggests bi that ho he has not done justice to lite his great reputation for skill perhaps lie will get bettor better control of his nerves now that he has escaped danger once and ills his hand will not tremble as aa much as it evidently has done this time tell the prince for me that it we shoot again I 1 shall do myself the honor of lodging a ball exactly midway between ills hla eyes started for the prince with the message ile he had not traversed over halt half the distance when hardy said 1 I am faint lieutenant let me lean on you for a moment I 1 my god you are wounded wound eoll 1 cried Goit Gort chakov putting his arm about the americans waist and indeed a dark stain rapidly spreading dyed hla his waistcoat and shirtfront shirt front 1 I 1 I 1 am slightly wounded gasped hardy and fainted away the matter there with our badly made no reply other than the best intentioned bullets some borne units times go astray I 1 turn him over to you lieutenant I 1 have not deprived you of the pleasure of killing him yourself ills coat and shirt were cut away from ills his chest at tho the hospital and it a young grub of nn an intern assisted the surgeon in washing the wound and passing ft a silk bilk handkerchief through it an operation that caused the patient to bite his nether lip till it bled but did not draw a groan from him you will be all right in about a mouth month said tho the surgeon on taking his leave but I 1 ben beg you it if you think of fighting again either to postpone your little affair till the spring breezes begin to blow or dont call on me to assist you I 1 shall have chilblains as a result of your foolishness that may causo cause me more suffering than your nasty little puncture departed in a surly humor evidently disgruntled because life principal had failed to remove the lieutenants chief rival as an lie he supposed to another sphere where they neither marry nor are given in marriage hardy was left alone with a large |