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Show I One Night in St. Petersburg Ellory Thorpe, in Philadelphia Puh-lio Puh-lio Ledger. It had stopped snowing. Innumerable Htars twinkled brilliantly ln tho clear, darkly blue span of sky, nnd under tho glare of the street lights tho packed and frozen snow glittered as if diamond strewn. Tho streets were alive with color and movement. Sitting well for-wnrdt for-wnrdt their arms outstretched, tho burly Russian coachmen, with their fur caps drawn down to the bridges of their noseB let their horses race at highest speed, for the night was bitterly cold. In and i out throught a maao of sleighs and carriages, car-riages, with a skill that was marvelous, they guided their handsomely harnessed har-nessed charges, so that the snow was kicked Into a white powder under the long, flowing snow nets, and the rhythmic rhyth-mic trlc-tric of hoofs and the merry jingle of sleigh bells made constant music Wrapped to tho teeth in heavy furs, Anthony Strong and his friend, Anton Petrowitch Yellseyeff, left the restaurant restau-rant Cubat and turned down tho Bal-shol Bal-shol Marskoya toward the Nevsky, a few paces distant. Several iswoschlkB, or sleigh drivers, ran after tho two and begged to bo hired at any price the "barlns" would pay, but Strong and Yellseyeff, In their warm, fur-lined shoubas, felt that a short stroll after tho big dinner they had eaten would not come amiss, refused re-fused all offers, and continued on their way. At the Nevsky they halted, Yellseyeff because he had much to say of warning to his friend, and Strong to admlro tho pale night beauty of the city ho was leaving reluctantly. He sighed as he caught sight of a pair of wide-open, roguish bright eyes, two rosy cheeks and Hps coquettlshly curved and smiling. He raised his fur cap with a quick gesture of surprise and pleasure, pleas-ure, nnd had barely time to do eo before the huddled figure, shapeless ln rich furs, was whisked rapidly by. Strong, however, saw tho red of her velvet shouba and cap and the Hash of diamonds dia-monds ln her ears. Oh, the fascination of these Russian women, he thought, passionately, and more poignantly still he regretted the fact that the morrow would find him turning his back for a long while on seinl-Aslatio civilization, with Its strange bizarre contrasts and splendid luxury. Anthony Strong just then was in an excited state of mind. The dinner Yellseyeff and a few other friends had tendered him on hla departure wns marred by the extreme disappointment at tho absence o an old school and college col-lege chum, Capt. Barton, the English military attache, who had made his stay In Russia c-xtreinely pleasant. Barton had left tho city that morning, rather been expelled from It, and vague rumors had reached Strong ln a whisper whis-per as to the cause of his expulsion, the theft of the plans of the Cronstadt fortress. for-tress. News in Russia, Strong had lived long enough in St, Petersburg to know, always comes as a rumor, and he had learned to respect rumor, for ln a city where the privileges of the censor are mighty things set down In black and white are generally discredited or taken with a grain of salt; whereas rumor Is nearly always received with respect. Strong had tried to question Yellseyeff. Yell-seyeff. for Yellseyeff's Information usually usu-ally came from an official source. But on this occasion he found his Russian friend peevish and noncommittal. "I beg of you, my dear Strong, do not get us suspected," he had ended quite positively, posi-tively, and all that Strong could gather here and there was that numerous arrests ar-rests had been made, at least four of Yellseyeff's friends being among the number; that both the English and German Ger-man Embassies were Implicated, and a number of prominent Government officials offi-cials mentioned In the scandal. When they turned the corner of the Belshol Morskaya Strong was about to bid his friend good-night and go further fur-ther on to his hotel beyond tho Catherine Cather-ine church, but Yellseyeff, wanting to convey his warning. Invited him in for a game of cards, tolling him that both of them could make up their beautv sleep next day In the train, for Yellseyeff was to be his compagnon de voyage. Strong assented, and after the dvornlk had opened the outer door for them, Yellseyeff let himself ln with his latchkey, and. on going up to his apartment, apart-ment, found two of his friends, Aprax-Ine Aprax-Ine and Stassof, who had suites on tho same floor, waiting for him. The game progressed satisfactory, so satisfactorily that Matve, after a sleepy scrutiny from his chair In the hall outside, out-side, anticipating a long seance, began to doze In between his journeys lo the samovar. Now and ngaln Anthony Strong, preoccupied with his thoughts as to his friend's fate and the CronBtadt scandal, made a slight mistake, which evolved a smothered growl from his partner, but otherwise the players dealt and played and marked their games ln silence. A little after midnight their play was suddenly disturbed by a loud peal at the doorbell. Everybody at tho table exchanged ex-changed glances, and It seemed to Strong a3 lf the face of his friend Yellseyeff Yell-seyeff took on a gray hue. Even Strong himself felt unnerved. In RuBSla It Is always dangerous to one's liberty to have a friend suspected, and, worse Rtlll, arrested. It suddenly flashed across Strong that Capt. Barton was not only his friend, but hla most Intimate Inti-mate friend. They had chummed at Eton and Oxford during his father's diplomatic relntlons with England. On hearing the doorbell Matvc started from his dozing and opened the door. A second sec-ond later the ominous click of spurs could be heard in the hallway. The landlady, land-lady, who rented tho rooms to bachelors, bachel-ors, opened her door, which almost faced the door from the staircase into the apartment, and began to scream. Anthony Strong Jumped to his feet. Then Yellseyeff laid his hand on his arm authoritatively au-thoritatively and bade him sit down, "The police!" he said in swift, low tones. "Be quiet and we will get you out of this. Luckily you have your passport with you. Continue the gamn as If nothing had happened. This occurs oc-curs all the time in Russia, and it Is wise to show no curiosity and say nothing." At that moment a gigantic figure ln full military uniform appeared In the doorway. It was the Goradanachalnlk, or Governor of tho city, nnd behind him several soldiers. All tho players but Anthony Strong stood up, and Yellseyeff'B faco wore an affablo nmllo as he went forward and shook hands. "Why, your excellency," he began, courteously. The other was most businesslike In his manner, and, glancing at him sharply, said quickly: "How do you do, Anion Petrowitch?" Ho acknowledged the Introduction to Strong with grave politeness, adding: "I am eorry to disturb your game, but my men have to mako u eearch hero," Then, turning to Yellseyeff's, two friends, ho said commandlngly: "I will trouble you, gentlemen, to remain here, and let me have tho keys of your apartments." apart-ments." "Mine, your excollency," said Ignor Baslllowitch Apraxlne quictly.'is In my door suite No. 8." "And here, your excollency, Is mlno," Interposed Piotr Antonowitch Staraof calmly. Each apartment on the floor consisted of one large room, or reception parlor, with a bedroom and dressing-room adjoining. ad-joining. "Any one In here?" asked the Goradanachalnlk, Gora-danachalnlk, giving a careless glance into Yellseyeff's bedroom "Not that I know of, j'our excellency." excellen-cy." "Well, all right, all right. Be seated and continue your games, gentlemon. I must beg you to remain till tho search Is over." Everybody bowed and sat down as the Goradanachalnlk withdrew, and, without a tremor, Yellseyeff said Indifferently: Indif-ferently: "It is your deal, Strong." "Ohl" said the latter forcibly. "No pood In my dealing -what Is the moaning moan-ing of all this? Do you think thcro 13 any danger7" "Not for you, not for you. I told you so," Yellseyeff muttered In English, somewhat Impatiently. Again Strong gave vent to bad language. lan-guage. "I do not mean for myself,"- ho said indignantly, "but for you for all of you." Yellseyeff shrugged his shoulders and smiled. At that moment the sentry passed the door, and Yellseyeff added softly: "Pity, boys, the game Is up. Just, too, when we were all go sure of success." "You havo the papers where?" asked Btassof, who was nearest him. "Right here ln my breast pockot." "And there Is nothing wo can do?" "Unless swallow them a physical Impossibility." Im-possibility." "Good God! You have papers!" .ejaculated .ejac-ulated Strong, growing paler. Yellseyeff shook his head warnlngly, and the game continued In deep silence. "Why not burn them?" suggested Strong. Yellseyeff turned hlo mild eyes on him and smiled. "Burn them!" he echoed. "Why don't you see the sentry? One movement to tho stovo there you can't open tho cursed things without making an Infernal Infer-nal racket would land us all In tho Petro-Paolovsky prison. No, thero Is nothing to do but faco the music. I know this is my last game of cards. Don't spoil it for mo," he begged, with a wan smile. "But," he began, "this means, then" "It means- Siberia!" Yellseyoff broke In Impatiently. "But we must all die 6ooner or later. Don't Interrupt our game go on. You are safe." "Do you think that worries me? What kind of a coward do you take me for?" "My dear Strong," Yellseyeff murmured mur-mured calmly, "there Is no question of cowardice hero. You can absolutelj do nothing, and you don't know the danger. dan-ger. You remember our talk about the plans of the Cronstndt fortress. An officer of-ficer was shot the other day for selling them, and Barton went away today. Well, those plans nre here right hero In my pocket, and I am a dead man, to all Intents and purposes. You cannot help me, and, a3 a friend, I ask you to avoid exposing yourself to needless danger and Inconvenience. You are en route for New York and you must leave us now. Apraxlne nnd Strassof will probably only get light sentences; but I I" He paused and smiled. He spoke as he was used to In tho confessional, that is, under his breath, but loud enough for the others to hear him. When he had finished he poured out four glasses of vodka, and, raising his own class, said, cheerily: "Well, boys, here's to us all." Then, with a shrug, he quoted, quite gaily: Here's a smllo for thoso that lovo mo And a smllo for those that hate, But, whatever sky's above me, Hero's a heart for every fate. At that moment the Goradanachalnlk came as far as the door and looked In. Anthony Strong stood up, thinking he had come to mako the search, and threw down his cards, face upwards, on the table. Even at that moment he could not help remarking that they were all trumps. They lay, a blotch o red on the green baize. The Goradanachalnlk observed the action and Anthony Strong's disturbed countenance, and at once' entered the room. "Ah, your excellency," said Yellseyeff. getting up In his quiet, Indolent way. "I want you to do mo a favor. Mr. Strong Is terribly disturbed lest your order keep him from getting to his hotel in time to pack his trunk. He leaves for Hamburg In tho morning, nnd has lo catch his steamer to Now York. I hope your excellency will pardon par-don my suggestion that It would he as well to let him go.'-' On seeing the American passport all properly vlseed the Goradanachalnlk was politeness Itself. Then he addressed ad-dressed a few words to Yellseyeff In Russian, to which the latter replied briefly. Whereupon Anthony Strong said deprecatlngly; "It really doesn't matter. Do not disturb dis-turb yourself, I It Is all the same." a disconnected sentence that evidently puzzled tho Rueslan official, for ho looked at the young man and said, after quite a lengthy pause: "Sir, by no means do I wish you to lose your Bteamer." Then, turning to Yellseyeff, tho Goradanachalnlk said In Russian, his English not being over-fluent, over-fluent, "Tell him he will have to submit sub-mit to an examination of his person." Without a- word Strong handed hhn several papers, his pookelbook and sov-eral sov-eral small coins of loose change, a penknife pen-knife and pencil. The Goradanachalnlk returned these latter with a smile. He glanced at tho letters and tho contents' of the pocket-book, pocket-book, handed Ihcm back, and began a lengthy scrutiny of tho passport. Then he said, politely, as ho returned the latter: lat-ter: "Now, sir, I am quite satisfied. I beg you to make your adieus. I ohall see you myself to door." As ln a dream Strong found hlmBeft shaking hands with his friends, and he noticed that the clasp given him by - |